Boo Radley Symbolism To Kill A Mockingbird

Jophy Dong Ms.Cascioli English CP 5/30/24 Symbol of the Mockingbird in TKAM A mockingbird is an animal that is commonly known for doing absolutely nothing, only providing their song to those who listen. Within the book, “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Lee Harper, the symbol of a mockingbird is used commonly throughout the story and can be applied to many characters. However, one character resembles this the best: Boo Radley. Throughout the story, Boo Radley is painted as a monster by the entirety of Maycomb. However, it is later revealed that the rumors about him were false. Due to Boo Radley's good deeds and innocence, he perfectly fits the symbol of the mockingbird. Although Boo Radley is introduced as a monster at the beginning of the book, the reader realizes that this isn’t

On page 10, chapter 1, Scout states that he had "cussed so loud I reckon every lady in Maycomb heard 'em" (Lee 10). Not only does page 10 reveal what crime he committed, it also proves his innocence. On the same page, it also shows that his friends had locked him inside the courthouse outhouse, which would lead to him cursing and yelling. Due to this minor offense, he was sentenced to go to the state industrial school, which his father declined and instead forbade him from leaving the house. At the end of chapter 23, Scout realizes that Boo Radley isn’t actually locked up inside. “It’s because he wants to stay inside,” (Lee 241). This contradicts the theory that Boo Radley had been locked up by his father. Instead, it implies that Boo knows what's going on in Maycomb and chooses not to expose himself to the horrors of the outside world. This can be implied because this scene took place the night after Tom Robinson was convicted of being guilty. Even though Boo was convicted of a crime, it was a relatively minor one that didn’t do much harm to