Boo Radley Innocence

The world can be a very nasty place, imagine if no one stood up for the innocent? Lacey Strum says, “Till we recognize what’s sick and messed up about ourselves this world is going to stay sick and messed up”. Sometimes it takes changing yourself before you can help others. Those who are not guilty can find it difficult to prove their innocence and seek help from others. That is what happens in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. She shows how Boo Radley is looked down upon by the townspeople, how the community finds a way to exile people because of their looks or how much money they make, and how Tom Robinson is accused of rape, a crime that he did not commit. If people are able to change the way they think and help others, they can protect

First, the Town Council is able to get Boo home. When Boo stabs his father with a pair of scissors, he is sent to live in the courthouse basement because his father insists he did not do anything wrong, then “Miss Stephanie Crawford [says] some of the town council told Mr. Radley that if he [does not] take Boo back, Boo [will] die of mold from the damp” (Lee 14). Even though most of Maycomb is scared of Boo, his life is saved which he is then able to use to save Jem and Scout’s life. Another person, Atticus, tries to protect Boo’s personal space by telling the kids to leave him alone. He knows that “putting [Boo’s] life’s history on display for the edification of the neighborhood” is disrespectful and cruel (Lee 65). Atticus may have angered Jem, but the children no longer play the Boo Radley game. Lastly, Heck Tate protects Boo Radley by stopping others from giving him unwanted attention. When he figures out that Boo has indeed killed Bob Ewell, he instead decides to tell the town that “Bob Ewell fell on his knife” (Lee 366). Heck Tate knows full well that Boo Radley killed Bob Ewell to save the lives of Jem and Scout, but Heck Tate also believes that Boo should not be punished for saving lives, so he keeps it a secret to protect Boo and save him from the attention. The people of Maycomb protect Boo Radley because he is

Heck Tate and Atticus helped the community by killing Tim Johnson who has rabies. “‘He’s got it all right, Mr Finch.’ Tim Johnson [is] advancing at a snail's pace” (Lee 126). By shooting Tim Johnson they can protect Maycomb from harm. Dolphus Raymond is different, he gives others a false reason for why he loves an African-American woman. He knows “It helps folks if they can latch onto a reason” (Lee 268). He doesn’t ignore them and he loves the woman who has bared his children, he also shelters others from what they don’t understand. Finally Scout tries to explain to Miss Caroline why Walter will not take her quarter. Scout explains that the “Cunninghams never [take] anything they can’t pay back” (Lee 26). Scout does not yet understand how to explain things. On the other hand Walter Cunningham Jr. is able to keep his family's beliefs thanks to Scout. Humans often help others to protect them may be because they are in danger or because they are innocent. But they may be helping others without them knowing like Dolphus