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How Is Boo Radley Portrayed In To Kill A Mockingbird

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In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee many characters are victims of the harsh conditions of Maycomb County. Often those who are seen to be metaphorical mockingbirds are punished the most. A mockingbird is one who only wants and attempts to do good. Characters such as Boo Radley, Jem Finch and Tom Robinson are exemplars of mockingbirds in Maycomb. In the novel it is explained by Atticus that killing a mockingbird is a sin because they do not do anything to harm to us like nesting in corncribs, or eating up the gardens, they only sing for us. 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). …show more content…

Jem, a young and smart boy develops and matures through many unique situations in the novel. Jem is exposed to the harsh belief, judgement and circumstances of the court at a very young age. Following his father, Jem involves himself in the trial between Tom Robinson and Mayella Ewell yet takes Tom’s side due to his father's involvement. Jem slowly loses faith in the justice system and is faced with a loss of innocence as explained by Scout“It was Jem’s turn to cry. His face was streaked with angry tears as we made our way through the cheerful crowd. ‘It ain’t right’ he muttered” (212). Jem begins to take his anger out on Scout and uses what he deems maturity against Scout’s lack of as “He slapped me and I tried another left, but a punch in the stomach sent me sprawling on the floor” (138). Jem is a mockingbird because in his attempt to civilize situations and maturely fight for justice, he loses his

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“Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird.”(Lee 119 ) To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel by Harper Lee about two young kids named Scout and Jem who live in the town of Maycomb, Alabama in the 1930’s. Maycomb is a town infected with racism like much of the south in that time, but it is also a quiet town where nothing really happens. That is until Tom Robinson, a black man, is accused by the Ewell’s, a white family, of raping their daughter. As Tom’s trial occurs, a chain of events is set into place that teaches Scout and Jem about the harsh reality of innocent people who fall victim to circumstance. That is why it is a sin to kill a mockingbird because mockingbirds symbolize innocent people who are hurt by evil, and it is a sin to hurt innocent people.

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In To Kill a Mockingbird, Jem, or Jeremy Atticus Finch, is Scout's brother, and throughout the story he changes and matures a lot through a series of stages. First, you have the event that caused this, the trial, then you have the influence that it put upon Jem ,and lastly, how he had overall changed from the experience. After Tom's Trial, when Tom is deemed guilty and goes to jail, Jem is mad because he feels it's unfair. Jem realizes that his outlook on law was rather naive and that there's much more to it, and that his ways of thinking were childish as shown when he is speaking to Atticus, “How could they do it, how could they?’’

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A Mockingbird is a powerful symbol of goodness. A mockingbird is a type of bird that mimics other types of birds songs and sings beautiful songs that are peaceful, the mockingbird is a peaceful animal that doesn't cause harm or trouble and is not to be harmed, because it is a sin to kill a mockingbird, thus killing a mockingbird is to destroy innocence. In the story To Kill a Mockingbird the two characters that are most related to being a mockingbird would be Tom Robinson and Boo Radley. Tom Robinson is a innocent negro accused of raping Mayella Ewell towards the end of the book, we don't see much of Tom until he is accused of rape. Tom was declared guilty and sentenced to jail, although the real problem about the case is that Tom Robinson

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In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the circumstances of Boo Radley’s fate signifies the sin of killing a mockingbird because of his disconnection to the world as a result of his maltreatment. In his reckless teenage years, Boo Radley and his Old Sarum friends drove around the town square in a borrowed car and locked Maycomb’s beadle in the courthouse outhouse. Harsh punishment ensued as a result of his brash actions when Mr. Radley detained Boo in their house and “was not seen again for fifteen years” (13). This symbolizes the killing of a mockingbird because Boo Radley was a young, foolhardy boy who was cut off from the world by his father due to a single mistake.

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In To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, Jem grows from a little boy to an intelligent young man. Throughout the book, he discerns many things that shape his personality. As Jem grows, he learns how bad society is and that not everyone is perfect. Fortunately for Jem, this ends up helping him and he finds out that Atticus is a hero and that he should look up to Atticus. Through Atticus and the trial, Jem loses his innocence by learning about prejudice, bravery, and that the justice system is crippled.

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In Harper Lee's novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, there are many characters that mature and develop throughout the book. One of them is Jeremy Finch who is also known as Jem. At the beginning of the book Jem acts like a young kid would, and is often playing or hanging out with Scout and Dill whether it is the fun games they play over the summer, or just wrestling and play fighting with each other. As Jem grows up he starts putting himself in other people’s shoes and starts to question everything around him. He also begins to show more control over Scout and Dill when he spends time with them since they are younger then him.

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First of all, Boo Radley is symbolized as the monstrous figure in this story. His backstory is very mysterious and he nevers comes out of his house. Boo Radley frights Jem, Scout, and Dill yet intrigues them to know more about him. The kids would try to get Boo’s attention, but quickly abandon, thinking that Boo would kill them.

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Jem was not happy about Tom losing his trial, he was the first one to cry about the loss and then sniffled, “It is not right Atticus.” Jem also grew in strength and bravery, this is shown when Bob Ewell attacks Jem and Scout, and Jem was willing to fight Bob in order to protect Scout from his knife. He is also not afraid to stand up for his family, and Tom when people are tearing them down. Jem develops from a stubborn, curious child to a mature, brave, and knowledgeable teen throughout the book, all because he made the right

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The mockingbird in To Kill A Mockingbird is symbolic of innocence. Early in the novel, Atticus, the father tells the children Scout and Jem that it is a "sin to kill a mockingbird". Later Scout asks Miss Maudie what he meant by that because she has never heard her father say anything was a sin. Miss Maudie explains his reasoning by saying that all mockingbirds do is provide beautiful music. They do not harm anyone, they don't bother anyone, and they "sing their hearts out for us."

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As the novel progresses, Jem becomes less defiant and more understanding of adults. Jem witnesses the physical and moral courage of his father before and during the trial of

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Both Boo Radley and Scout Finch have been pounded by the evils of this world and see people for who they are. The mockingbird symbolizes Boo's, Tom's, and Scout's innocence. This can be a convicted man who's done no wrong, a man burdened by evil things, and a child who does not yet know the ways of this world. In the book, To Kill a Mockingbird, three people that represent a mockingbird are Tom Robinson, Boo Radley, and Scout Finch.

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885 Words | 4 Pages

“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”. Miss Maudie, in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, is telling Scout that it is never ok to kill a mockingbird because they do not do any harm to anyone, and they are kind and are a symbol of goodness. Harper Lee uses the mockingbird to symbolize the characters, Boo Radley, Tom Robinson, and Mayella Ewell. Harper Lee uses the symbolism of the mockingbird to illustrate the character of Boo Radley.

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648 Words | 3 Pages

Throughout the story “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee to lead characters Jem and Scout come to terms with their feelings about Boo Radley. In the novel Boo Radley is a recluse who doesn't leave his house. Throughout the novel Boo leaves Jem, Scout and Dill little presents and making their thoughts grow more fondly of Boo. In the novel as scout grows older, she grows wiser. At the beginning of the book Boo isn't considered a human being to her he’s considered a myth, and she begins to understand Boo’s life.

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998 Words | 4 Pages

Three Mockingbirds In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird shows three people that symbolize a mockingbird. Mockingbirds are known as innocent creatures in this novel. The novel takes place in Maycomb, Alabama in the 1930’s. It’s about two children growing up to learn the harsh and racist world they live in.

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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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