Compare And Contrast Tom Robinson And Boo Radley

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Every author creates a pair of characters with a set of similarities and differences. Harper Lee, the author To Kill A MockingBird created Boo and Tom to be very alike but gave them several differences. In similar ways, both Boo and Tom are viewed as monsters and animals by the town of Maycomb. But they both have very different personalities. Both Boo and Tom are viewed as monsters by the town of Maycomb, however they have very different personalities. First of, Arthur Boo Radley and Tom Robinson are very similar but the most common trait they have is that they are both seen as monsters. In a like manner Boo Radley is portrayed as a monster by the town of Maycomb just like Tom Robinson. Several Superstitions are made up about Boo Radley. …show more content…

Since nobody knows what Boo is like, they make up stories about him to give everyone an image of what they think he would be like. Similar to Boo, Tom Robinson is also viewed as a horrid monster by the town. Tom was accused of raping Mayella Ewell. "[w]hen I got distengled I run up to th' window and I seen- I seen that black nigger yonder ruttin' on my Mayella!" (Lee,173). In Maycomb, rape is an offence worthy of imprisonment for life but because Tom is a colored man they believed he was deserving of a death penalty. Robinson was seen as a monster because he, a colored man, dared to lay his hands on a white woman. Similar to Boo Radley, Tom Robinson is seen as a monster because of false accusations. In a similar manner, both Boo and Tom are viewed as monsters because they are …show more content…

Although Boo Radley and Tom Robinson are viewed as monstrous animals, they have very contrasting personalities. Arthur Boo Radley is an anti-social person that rarely leaves his house. Since Boo decides to confine himself to the indoors, not many people know what his personality is like. Boo is a very shy, reserved and kind person. He shows this side of him as the story progresses and he saves the Finch kids. "To my way of thinkin', Mr. Finch, taking the one man who's done you and this town a great service an' draggin' him with his shy ways into the limelight—to me, that's a sin (Lee,276). Boo Radley is an agoraphobic, which impacted his personality. Agoraphobia is the fear of outside surroundings, which is why he confines himself to solidarity. This is what makes him very shy and mysterious. In contrast to Boo Radley, Tom Robinson has a different personality, but when he is accused of rape, people saw him differently. Robinson was a kind person who helped other out of the kindness of his heart. He would help Mayella with her chores for no charge and would still do his own work afterwards, even though he is disabled. He is also an honest person who does not shirk his responsibility, is hardworking, polite and kind-hearted. Tom has a generous soul, when Mayella Ewell asks Tom to chop up a piece of old furniture, she prepares to pay. He tells her "No ma'am, there ain't