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How Did Boo Radley Change In To Kill A Mockingbird

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Maya Angelou once said, “Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future and renders the present inaccessible.” The book “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee is set in the town of Maycomb, Alabama in the 1930s. Despite first appearances, the community of the town festers with prejudice towards anyone who doesn’t fit the mold of an average citizen. This animosity towards so many people can only result in lasting damage. The characters of Mr. Dolphus Raymond, Arthur Radley, and Tom Robinson have been some of the people most strongly affected by the sheer amount of prejudice in Maycomb, Alabama due to being faced with hatred and rejection as a result of their differences. The lifestyle of Mr. Dolphus Raymond has been permanently …show more content…

When Scout and Jem are discussing why Boo Radley never leaves his home, they at first believe that he must be restrained with chains, but “Atticus said no, it wasn’t that sort of thing, that there were other ways of making people into ghosts.” (Lee). Atticus means that while Boo is most likely not physically kept from leaving the house, other psychological restraints are. This implies that Boo chooses to hide away due to feelings of fear and shame. To some, it may seem easier to stay hidden instead of facing your tormentors. Additionally, later on in the book, Jem and Scout are wondering why everyone makes such a fuss about treating everyone differently. Jem says, “I think I’m beginning to understand why Boo Radley’s stayed shut up in the house all this time. it’s because he wants to stay inside” (Lee). Jem is talking about how he now thinks that Boo would rather stay inside than rejoin the Maycomb society. This means that as a result of the fear and distaste people feel towards Boo, he now feels as if he’s better off by himself. No matter how resilient someone is, if something is repeated over and over, they will eventually start to believe it if given enough time. To conclude, thanks to Maycomb’s prejudice, Boo Radley has been left as a mere shadow of who he once was, choosing to hide away from the world for

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