In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, main characters Scout and Jem Finch show a major change in their perspective towards Arthur Radley. Arthur Radley, also known as ‘Boo’, is a young man who is never seen out of his house. His mysterious behavior sparks the kids curiosity towards him. At the beginning of the novel, the children are terrified of Boo. Their minds are filled with stories and rumors that have been passed around the little town. For example, some say he eats raw cats and squirrels, or his eyes pop out and he drools most of the time. People are so afraid to near the Radley house that “a baseball hit into the Radley yard was a lost ball and no questions asked” (23). Boo Radley was also blamed for town crimes he didn’t commit, like if “people’s azaleas froze in a cold snap, it was because he had breathed on them” (22). …show more content…
Without ever even meeting Boo, these rumors are enough tomake Scout and Jem believe he is a sort of monster, as opposed to a real human being. Whenever the children pass by his house on their way home from school, they sprint, because they have been ‘brainwashed’ into believing this innocent man is dangerous. What the kids are unaware of until later on in the story, is that many of these rumors are nonsense. Although they don’t realize it at the time, Boo commits many secret acts of kindness. First, he leaves little gifts for Scout and Jem. While they are walking home from school, Scout finds gum, pennies, carved soaps, and other goodies in the hole of a tree in the Radley