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To kill a mockingbird and its relevance to present times
Societal critique in to kill the mockingbird
Societal critique in to kill the mockingbird
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Boo was sentenced from an early age to be a “monster” of sorts due to his past dealings with the law and his time spent in solitary confinement. This story that is invented by the people of Maycomb alters Boo Radley’s true appearance greatly, deeming him to be something he is
Primary Evidence: Jem tells Scout that he thinks that Boo stays in his house because Boo knows that if he was to be seen in public he would be judged by Maycomb citizens (Lee 227). 2. Interpretation: Like a mockingbird, Boo is misjudged and people are scared that he will harm them, but he is actually innocent and loving. B. Claim: Boo radley is a loving giving man who likes to bring joy to
‘Boo Radley. You were so busy looking at the fire you didn’t know it when he put the blanket around you’”(Lee 76). This quote yet again shows that Boo Radley has nothing but good intentions. He acts with kindness despite the fact that the children he is helping are the same ones who have attempted to torment him many times. He is often seen as a scary man and one that does not abide by the way Maycomb functions
But some are just misunderstood, appearances being twisted by cruel rumors and opinions. Arthur Radley is one of the most famous examples of having a deceptive appearance. The children in Maycomb think he is evil and scary because he stays in his house all the time, creating dozens of rumours, when in reality he is a nice man that is just shy and misunderstood. As Scout and Atticus have a conversation at the end of the book, Scout says “‘Atticus, he was real nice’.... ’Most people are, Scout, when you finally see them’”
When people's azaleas froze in a cold snap, it was because he had breathed on them. Any stealthy small crimes committed in Maycomb were his work." (Lee 10) People put the blame on Boo whenever something bad had occurred because there was no other explanation and they know Boo had passed issues with committing crimes from his younger ages. This quote explains how the town feels about Mr. Boo Radley.
The United States joined World War I in April 1917. There were multiple factors that drove the United States into joining the war. Some factors included economic interest, German violations, cultural ties, and for the chance to have a peaceful tomorrow. For the first three years of the war, the United States found it best to remain neutral as it had no need to join. America was focused on Latin America and Asia; thus, it had no interest in European problems.
Rumors swept through the town, ruining a man’s reputation and giving him no reason to step outside of his own home. In To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, Arthur “Boo” Radley is the most complex of Maycomb’s residents. Many say Boo is a killer that should not be trusted near children. However, Scout thinks otherwise as she tries to understand Boo herself. She learns more than she figured, as Boo teaches her numerous lessons without even meeting her.
Viewers see her overcome boundaries for the love of a man and for the love of a child. Over time, Maleficent changes from a malevolent creature into powerful leader, a motherly figure. Similarly to Maleficent, Arthur “Boo” Radley, in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, is misunderstood. Most of Maycomb County does not trust Boo, however, he progresses from an out of control beast to a loving friend.
Maycomb, Alabama is a motionless community where life is still, those who were there, lived there for generations, rarely did anyone move into or out of this paralyzed town. The town follows the 1930s stereotypical lifestyle where racial discrimination is clearly visible, as proven in the Tom Robinson court case. In this quiet town, the only thing that seems out of the ordinary is the Radley Place, from the outside, the house appeared almost vacant with rarely any sound. The neighborhood children made horror stories about Boo Radley who never left his house, in fact, only Mr.Radley, Boo’s brother, occasionally came out of the deserted house. In To Kill a Mockingbird, various events happened that showed the courage of the community.
Yet they still view him as a mysterious figure. Scout recalls, “... crimes committed... were his work... although the culprit was Crazy Addie... people still looked at the Radley Place, unwilling to discard their initial suspicions.” (13) Scout’s remembrance of how the people were “unwilling to discard” their assumptions even when they knew that Boo was not the criminal shows Maycomb’s prejudice. Scout’s recollection not only foreshadows further intolerance in the community but also shows a perspective from young and innocent member, and how she follows the beliefs of the adults.
The movie “Independence Day” gives a lot of insight on how the decisions are made by the elite policy maker aka “the government officials”. These officials are influenced by many reasons for the actions they take. Some are making decisions based on their liberal ideals while others follow different ideals such as realist ideals. The clash between two different ideals in the movie showed the effectiveness of each of them. Liberal ideals are a form of an identity and they are really hard to be implemented on.
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.
In Maycomb, people fear what they do not know and what is unusual to them, hence shaping the rumours of Boo Radley to cope with the unknown. Considering he is unseen from the public eye, and has a messy past, many begin to fantasize what is happening with him currently by constructing stories. Anyone who claims that they know information on Boo, have no proof or firsthand experience to support it as the truth. Scout knows that Jem’s information source on Boo Radley is from another individual and their fantasies, “So Jem received most of his information from Miss Stephanie Crawford, a neighbourhood scold, who said she knew the whole thing.”
Boo Radley who “was not seen again for fifteen years”, is the most misunderstood person in Maycomb. His childhood mistakes marginalise him from society by a “form of intimidation Mr Radley employed to keep Boo out of sight.” To elaborate, Boo did not intend to separate himself and be perceived as a “malevolent phantom.” In truth, Boo is intensely lonely and wants to befriend the children in which he saves their lives. Similarly, in The
In the book, To Kill A Mockingbird, the author Harper Lee shows that we shouldn’t be too quick to judge another person’s character based on outward appearance and the stories and rumors we have heard. The character Boo Radley is a perfect example of why we shouldn’t be hasty to judge. On the outside, Boo looks like a scary neighbor that lives just a few houses away. “.....he had sickly white hands that had never seen the sun. His face was as white as his hands…..”
