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Adults In To Kill A Mockingbird

756 Words4 Pages

In society, adults are viewed as the only people that truly understand the world. This idea has been embedded in society and the majority of people would agree with this statement. However, as presented in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, this notion is false. Through the views of the two main characters Jem and Scout Finch, it is proven that adults are not the only ones that have the capability of understanding the world. The protagonists Jem and Scout Finch understand the world in the way that they treat lower class people in this society with respect. During the trial, Atticus is wondering where Jem and Scout are and Mr. Underwood tells him, “’They’re right up yonder, in the colored balcony’” (Lee 206). This demonstrates …show more content…

For example, most adults in Maycomb believe that Boo is a heinous criminal, that is too afraid to be seen. But, when Heck Tate decides to cover up Boo’s murder in self defense of Ewell, she realizes that, “’It’d be like shootin a mockingbird, wouldn’t it?’” (Lee 276). Many adults in Maycomb do not have the thought process to figure out that Boo Radley is a similar to mockingbird. Scout can understand that Boo ultimately helped the common good by killing Bob Ewell, and it is justifiable to not report him for murder because he has never done anything wrong. Unlike Atticus, one of the most respected adults in Maycomb wanted a full trial and would put Boo in the limelight, against his wishes. Many adults would not understand the concept of Boo representing a mockingbird, but Scout, a 12-year-old, understands that Boo did the right thing in killing the loathsome Bob Ewell after he attacked Jem and Scout. Another way in which Scout understands the world more than most adults is how she understands Boo. She agrees and fully understands what her father means when “He said you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them” (Lee 279) and she relates this to Boo. Scout understands people.Unlike many of the adults Scout put herself in the place of Boo and now fully understands his

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435 Words | 2 Pages

Everybody in Maycomb thought that Boo and his family were strange and scary. Nobody knew who they were because nobody talked to them or nobody invited them into their house. When Boo Radley saves Jem her life, Scout soon realises that Boo Radley is just a folk like her and there was no need to be afraid of him. Like Atticus tells

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582 Words | 3 Pages

Scout also understands Boo more when she arrives at his house. Standing on his porch after leading him home, Scout realizes the simple trick effect and thinks, “ One time he [Atticus] said that you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them. Just standing on the Radley porch was enough” (374). Scout literally stands in Boo’s position and understands how things my look from his stance in this world. Standing there, Scout understands that Boo was unaccustomed to the world around him and afraid of what it had to offer him, which is why he stayed inside.

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1013 Words | 5 Pages

She has started to lose her innocence, which leads her to be able to understand more of what people mean even when they say something else. Scout realizes that her and Jem’s savior was indeed Boo Radley: “‘Hey Boo,’ I said” (Lee 362). Boo Radley’s innocence leads him to be courageous by saving Jem and Scout. Boo has watched Jem and Scout through their times of crisis and as they have grown up. “His mouth was slightly open, and he looked at Jem from head to foot.

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674 Words | 3 Pages

Scout's growing understanding and acceptance of the people in her community, flaws and all, is one of the most significant ways she demonstrates tolerance. Scout, for example, is terrified of Arthur "Boo" Radley at first and believes the rumors that he is a "monster”. However, as she learns more about him and his situation, she starts to see him as a human being and develops empathy for him. This is demonstrated when Scout says "I was too old and too big for such childish things, but I knew that Jem's ideas about Arthur Radley were, to him, as real as the things he could see" (Chapter 6). This shows that Scout is growing in her understanding of people and her ability to empathize with them.

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586 Words | 3 Pages

Overtime, Scout realizes that they are just disrupting Boo, and decides to stop trying to lure him outside. She almost completely forgets about Boo, until he saves both her and Jem from Mr. Ewell who was attacking them. When Scout first saw Boo, she teared up, since she only fantasized about that very moment. Curiosity struck Scout and her

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476 Words | 2 Pages

Atticus also thinks that the man is innocent and that justice will succeed because of the defense his dad presented. Jem realizes the moral failures of the adult world after Mr. Robinson is found guilty despite irrefutable evidence that shows him as innocent. Boo Radley is initially perceived as an individual who is very reclusive and this caused the kids to buy into local myths of him being someone who is frightening. Scout begins to realize as the story progresses that Boo is a compassionate person but also misunderstood. This progression of understanding by Scout comes to a head when Boo saves the children from the attack of Bob Ewell which shows Scout that Boo is a compassionate protector and not a monster.

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763 Words | 4 Pages

That Boo is not what he seems. In the beginning of the book, Scout is scared of Boo because she did not know him or what he looked like. However, when she finally meets Boo she states “Atticus, he was real nice…” (376) in this case, Scout is referring to Boo. Boo does many good things throughout the book and is judged based on rumours that have spread throughout the Maycomb community over the years. Finally, without knowing how he looks, or anything about him, people of Maycomb continue to judge

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675 Words | 3 Pages

Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird shows how Jem, Scout and Boo overcome their loss of innocence and overcome the struggles that Maycomb county and its people throw at them. While Jem, Scout, are just rudimentary kids they face some real world problems and they witness some of the harsh ways people did things but witnessing those things and hearing all the judgemental people is also a detriment to their innocence.

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1405 Words | 6 Pages

(20) Jem’s exaggerated description demonstrates the community’s intense prejudice towards Boo Radley. The people are able to alienate a member based off of speculations. Scout, an innocent member of Maycomb, has grown up with the idea that Boo acts and looks like

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703 Words | 3 Pages

Before Scout got somewhat closer to Boo, she thought of him as a “freak” like everyone else. Scout finally realized “Summer, and [Boo] watched his children’s heart break. Autumn again, and Boo’s children needed him” (Lee 279). Boo taught Scout by proving her wrong and showing her that he was kind by protecting her and Jem at all costs, even if it meant coming out of his isolated home. Scout took in his lesson and started seeing other people differently as well.

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418 Words | 2 Pages

Boo Radley is compassionate for the children as they communicate through presents and the mysterious hints. As Scout grows older her perspective on Boo changes, from a creepy guy to a friend. Boo Radley is the mockingbird to Scout's understanding, just like Tom Robinson was a mockingbird to Jem. From Atticus's teachings she has learned to develop into a young lady. Atticus's lessons and Boo Radley impacted her view on the world.

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1293 Words | 6 Pages

Throughout To Kill a Mockingbird, Jem and Scout share diverse interactions with the other people in Maycomb, that indicate children's evolving maturation. Harper Lee incorporates dialogue throughout the novel that shows the global issues of the 1930s. In the novel, Jem and Scout struggle to understand the social norms of the black population within the community. Beginning in innocence, the two mature through events in their life that build an understanding in a time full of prejudice and racial discrimination. Throughout numerous occasions, the kids are faced with the adversity of discrimination and resentment.

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288 Words | 2 Pages

Growing up is a challenging part of life, as people grow up they choose the best path in life to further expand their interest. The Finch family goes through many experiences accelerating their maturity and knowledge. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird author Harper Lee displace the idea that everyone has to grow up disregarding the struggle needed to grow up this becomes clear to the readers when after every event in the story the characters change in their actions and thoughts. Jem and Scout go through many experiences that help them sophisticate and mature. After Jem, Scout, and Dill go into the Radley 's backyard and got shot at, “‘You mean he’s never caught you at anything.’

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643 Words | 3 Pages

Lee finalizes Scout’s transition by showing her understanding of innocence and evil in the world: “Atticus was right. One time he said you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them. Just standing on the Radley porch was enough”(374). In this moment Scout could see what Boo had seen all those years through the shutters of the window, and how easily he was misjudged.

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1144 Words | 5 Pages

Boo Radley never harmed anyone, but was victimized by the social prejudice of the Maycomb community. Although not established until the end of the novel, Boo Radley is set up to be the last discovered symbolic character for the image of the mockingbird. Harper Lee has done this to illustrate all points of injustice in the 1930s societal town of Maycomb, where rumours and old tales define Boo's life story rather than his authentically generous heart and personality. During the concluding chapter of the novel, Scout comes to the realization that blaming Boo for Bob Ewell's death would be "sort of like shootin' a mockingbird." Boo does many kind-hearted things in the novel such as leaving gifts in the knot-hole for Scout and Jem, repairing Jem's pants, putting the blanket on Scout discretely in order to keep her warm, and even saving them from the evil Bob Ewell.

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