Examples Of Misunderstood Characters In To Kill A Mockingbird

In To Kill a Mockingbird, there are many examples of misunderstood characters and the ways in which other characters respond to them. One of the most prominent examples is Boo Radley. An outcast in the town, Boo Radley is the subject of many urban legends and rumors in Maycomb. Many believe that he stabbed his mother with scissors when he was a child, and most believe him to be dangerous and unpredictable. Scout and Jem Finch are no exception to this. To them, so much as entering the front yard of the Radley house is a terrifying feat. At this time, the children do not understand Boo’s situation, as they have yet to meet him and know little about him apart from the stories. As the book progresses, the children’s fear morphs into curiosity. They want nothing more than to catch a glimpse

Another smaller, yet still significant example of misunderstanding in the book occurs during Scout’s interaction with Mr. Dolphus Raymond. Dolphus Raymond, not well regarded by the citizens of Maycomb, is white, but he spends most of his time in the company of African Africans, has mixed children, and drinks in public. Along with the rest of Maycomb, Scout does not understand his lifestyle and finds him immoral, although she has never interacted with the man directly. When she finally does talk to him, he tells her, “When I come to town, which is seldom, if I weave a little and drink out of this sack, folks can say Dolphus Raymond’s in the clutches of whiskey- that’s why he won’t change his ways... Secretly, Miss Finch, I’m not much of a drinker, but you see they could never, never understand that I live like I do because that’s the way I want to live” (Lee 268). The people of Maycomb don’t understand Dolphus Raymond, and he has accepted this, allowing them to push stereotypes on him because he knows that that is the instinct of most