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What Are The Similarities Between Tom Robinson And Boo Radley

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In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Tom Robinson and Arthur “Boo” Radley are two characters who represent the mockingbird. In the midst of finding who Boo truly is, Atticus Finch explains to his children, Jem and Scout, that it is a sin to kill the bird because they don’t do anything but make music. As the story progresses, and the two “mockingbirds” are being accused and attacked both verbally and physically, the identity of the mockingbirds surfaces.

As a crippled African-American man who is accused of rape simply because of his color, Tom Robinson symbolizes a mockingbird in Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel. Just as an innocent and defenseless mockingbird that only wants to make music is shot for sport, Tom is …show more content…

He is thought to be a “malevolent phantom” and is surrounded by rumors. One of these rumors occurs when Jem explained to Dill about Boo Radley. Jem tells Dill that “there was a long, jagged scar that ran across his face; what teeth he had were yellow and rotten; his eyes popped, and he drooled most of the time.”(14) These rumors circulate around Arthur, presenting him as an evil person instead of his true, kind and caring nature. However, the real Boo is expressed when he gives Scout and Jem presents in the knot-hole of a tree. Scout says, “I stood on tiptoe, hastily looked around once more, reached into the hole, and withdrew two pieces of chewing gum minus their outer wrappers.”(37) Over the next few pages, Arthur gives two pennies, grey twine, girl and boy dolls carved out of soap, a medal, and a watch, showing his immense affection for the children and his kindred spirit. At the end of the novel Mr. Tate, the sheriff, says, “to my way of thinkin’, Mr. Finch, taking the man who’s done you and this town a great service an’ dragging draggin’ him with his shy ways into the limelight--to me, that’s a sin.” Scout, connecting this to Atticus’ earlier statement, exclaims, “well, it’d be sort of like shootin’ a mockingbird, wouldn’t it?”(317,318) Scout realizes that Atticus refers to Arthur as a “mockingbird” because of his kind deeds and innocent

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185 Words | 1 Pages

I will have to say that your analogy of this situation to correct. I have somewhat experienced this type of situation when it comes to bacon. I know that it sounds a little crazy but it is true and I have a love for bacon. I have bought both King Cotton and Wright bacon and it is different in price but the quality is different. For example, King Cotton is cheaper than Wright and I would have never thought it tasted better.

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792 Words | 4 Pages

Arthur Radley, also known to Jem, Scout, and Dill as “Boo,” is a mysterious character. He’s the Finch’s neighbor and he never comes out of the house, though there are numerous rumors about him. Arthur raises curiosity in Jem and Scout and they try to communicate with him to understand why he stays in the house all the time, but they’re not successful. One day on their way home from school, Jem and Scout found a ring case in a tree. They found two old Indian-head coins inside that have been polished and taken good care of.

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704 Words | 3 Pages

C. In the end, Tom was not respected or treated right and as a result, he was killed or “shot like a mockingbird.” 1. Primary Evidence: Tom tried to escape from jail and a policeman decided instead of stopping him that he should just shoot Tom (Lee 235). 2.

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613 Words | 3 Pages

In the earlier chapters, Jem and Scout used to believe that Boo Radley was this savage and terrifying monster of a man. The quote shows Scout's views on rumors concerning Boo Radley. The text states, "The Radley place was inhabited by an unknown entity the mere description of whom was enough to make us behave for days on end... Inside the house lived a malevolent phantom. People said he went out at night when the moon was down, and he peeped in windows.

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586 Words | 3 Pages

Some say his hands were bloodstained as he ate squirrels and cats. He was also said to have eaten one of her mother’s fingers when he could not find any. However, Scout believes Boo is just a misunderstood friend. Her naive innocence, helps Scout have the will to give him a chance. When Boo leaves anonymous gifts for Scout and Jem, Jem gives a warning about how an item from the Radley place could kill them.

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879 Words | 4 Pages

According to Atticus, it is considered a sin to harm a mockingbird because “mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us.” By drawing a parallel between mockingbirds and vulnerable members of society, Atticus teaches his children the importance of embracing kindness and refraining from causing harm to those who pose no threat. Towards the conclusion of the novel, Scout demonstrates her understanding of the mockingbird metaphor when she reflects on the necessity of keeping Boo Radley's actions secret by comparing exposing Boo's deeds to “shooting a mockingbird”, thereby highlighting her ability to apply the metaphor to individuals in her own life. Scout's observation serves as evidence of her personal growth throughout the narrative, as she embraces the principles of empathy and ethical behaviour that Atticus

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499 Words | 2 Pages

Many of the townsfolk viewed him as an evil or mean spirited person. An instance of him being a mockingbird is first seen when Boo begins to put things in the hole of a tree for Jem and Scout to have until it gets filled with cement (44-45). Another example is when Boo puts a blanket around Scout while she is watching the fire at Miss Maudie's house and Scout does not even notice (94-95). The last and biggest act takes place while Scout and Jem are walking home from the play and they are attacked by Bob Ewell. Then to save them Boo stabs Bob

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768 Words | 4 Pages

In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Tom Robinson and Arthur “Boo” Radley are two characters who represent the mockingbird. In the midst of finding who Boo truly is, Atticus Finch explains to his children, Jem and Scout, that it is a sin to kill the bird because they don’t do anything but make music. As the story progresses, and the two “mockingbirds” are being accused and attacked both verbally and physically, the identity of the mockingbirds surfaces. Tom Robinson was a crippled African American man whose left arm was a foot shorter than his right, where it was caught in a cotton gin.

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117 Words | 1 Pages

In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the mockingbird is a metaphor for Tom Robinson. While mockingbirds are discussed in the novel as literal birds that harmlessly sing and entertain, Lee clearly uses the mockingbird to symbolize Tom Robinson. One reason that supports this idea is a Robinson is a innocent man who tried to help someone but then was convicted of rape. Another reason that supports the metaphor is Tom, the innocent songbird, was put on trial for his life and was convicted guilty. This inhuman action of murdering an innocent and harmless man who wanted to help is like the killing of a harmless songbird.both are innocent, and both murders are wrong.

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1640 Words | 7 Pages

In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Arthur aka Boo Radley is a mockingbird because he is a kind recluded person getting harassed by everyone because he’s different but he’s really just a nice person, shy and even protected Jem and Scout from their attacker showing his courage. To begin with, Boo is nice because he gave many things to Scout and Jem through the knothole till his brother Nathan clogged it up with cement because it was “dying” as Scout and Jem thought but really isn’t much proof. “We were walking past our tree. In its knot-hole rested a ball of gray twine”(59) after a bit of talking Jem convinced Scout not to take it yet and leave it waiting to see if someone like Walter Cunningham would take it back. “We went back home.

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822 Words | 4 Pages

Multiple characters are symbolized as mockingbirds because it would be a sin to kill them as they only try and want to be a kind, civil person. Boo Radley is a misunderstood, and kind-hearted man who is represented as a mockingbird in the novel. Boo, due to the county's curiosity and fast pace spreading of rumours, is often perceived as monster “Inside the house lived a malevolent phantom” (Lee 8).

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1339 Words | 6 Pages

He is accountable for creating many themes as well affecting the actions and development of other characters. Furthermore, he plays a major role in the maturation of Jem and Scout. Jem, Scout, and Dill are fascinated by the rumors of Boo Radley around them. People in Maycomb perceive Boo as someone who, “dined on raw squirrels and cats” and “the teeth he had were yellow and rotten”(16). This quote shows the people’s impression of Boo and how they affect the childrens in the book.

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531 Words | 3 Pages

At the start of the book, Jem, Dill, and she played ‘Boo Radley’ which was a game to torment Boo into coming out of his house and to test each other’s bravery. Scout slowly begins to realize that Boo is a human being just like her. By the end of the book she calls him by his real name, Arthur, instead of the nickname the townspeople give him. When she finally gets the chance to see Mr. Arthur in person after the attack, she acts mature and non-childlike. She respects that he likes the dark so she takes him to the chair farthest from Atticus and Mr. Tate.

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732 Words | 3 Pages

In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee the term mockingbird symbolizes innocence in a person. In the novel it focuses on the fact that innocence, represented by the mockingbird, can be wrongfully harmed. There are two characters: Tom Robinson and Arthur “Boo” Radley that are supposed to represent the mockingbird. In the novel, Tom Robinson is the best example of a mockingbird because he is prosecuted for a crime he did not commit. Also, he was judged unfairly based on the color of his skin in his trial.

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507 Words | 3 Pages

But in reality, on the inside, he is a good hearted person. Arthur Boo Radley is a man of few words, and even though he doesn’t talk very much, he is defined by his actions throughout the book. Three characteristics that describe this man are: thoughtful, brave, and misread by others. He is incredibly misunderstood because of the talk in the town that has spread. Many people think he is a terrifying man who is a savage that eats the raw animals that he catches, which turns out to be an incorrect interpretation.

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