When I was little I would “judge” people by how they look and what they would wear. I thought why would they wear that in public? Or they look nasty. Like Scout I learned how not to judge people and get to know them before I do. In the story How To Kill A Mockingbird, a character named scout learns how to not judge people by their look, and she has people to help her along the way. Early on in the story or rising action, Scout has a ”play time” with Dill and Jem. As they played they talked about a guy named Boo. Jem gave Scout a reasonable description of him, which was “He dined on raw squirrels and any cats he could catch, that’s why his hands were blood-stained.” This description of Boo, gave Scout a bad impression and she judged him but
After learning more about Boo and getting to know him they realize he is opposite of what they thought. Because Jem and Scout are influenced by other people’s opinions they are able to learn from their mistakes and develop a new perspective on people. In the beginning of the novel Jem and Scout believe Boo is a ghost until they get to see the real him. Everyone in Maycomb has a negative judgment of Boo, in the beginning Jem and Scout go along with it.
In the case of Scout and Jem, they believed that Boo Radley, who is an outcast of Maycomb, possesses a horrific appearance, and that he is a savage, "he dined on raw squirrels and any cats he could catch, that’s why his hands were bloodstained." However, as the story progresses, it is revealed that Boo is actually a kind-hearted person who has not done anybody wrong, but unfortunately, he was ruined by the hands of his family. Thus, Boo is an example of a mockingbird, as mentioned by Atticus. The disclosing of the character of Boo demonstrates Scout and Jem's loss of innocence. They can no longer see Boo as a mysterious threat in their life, instead they saw Boo as a person. "...he's crazy..but Atticus I swear to God he ain't ever harmed us, he coulda cut my throat...but he mend my pants instead..." In a way, Boo serves as a symbol of the transition of Scout and Jem's maturity, as the kids exhibit their ability to empathize with
When stereotypes of Boo are used, the truth is often obscured. 'You'll get killed if you touch that tree';(pg 38) This quote reveals that the two siblings felt that Boo was a harmful person because of false rumors. Stereotypes are easily picked up, and used to horrible extreme when a large majority of people use them. This was the case with Scout and Jem when they picked up on the stereotypes going around the neighborhood about Boo. 'When I got there, my breeches were all folded and sewn up';(pg 63) When Boo sewed Jem's breeches together, this was a sign from Boo to let the children realize what a kind and pleasant man he really was. Also, Boo was considerate enough to save Jem from a couple of whippings, because after all, if Atticus were to see the torn pants he would have known Jem was the culprit in the Radley's yard. 'You were so busy looking at the fire, you didn't notice Boo behind you';(pg 76) This was also a symbol which Boo shared to let the kids slowly realize the truth about him, that he was an innocuous caring person hiding behind a fading shadow. Boo just wanted to be seen as the real him instead of the horrid stereotypes which deformed his image.
Prejudice is arguably the most prominent theme of the novel. It is directed towards groups and individuals in the Maycomb community. Prejudice is linked with ideas of fear superstition and injustice.
“ Don’t judge a man until you have walked two moons in his moccasins.” (Creech, pg.51) This quote describes the society of today and of “To Kill a Mockingbird.” There are many cases of unjust judging and unfairness in this story as it takes in Maycomb County, Alabama, which was not ideal for anyone other than a successful white male. This story follows a young tomboy named Scout Finch as she grows up in this prejudiced town where along the way a young black man named Tom Robinson is accused of raping a white woman, and it just so happens he Father is defending him. While “To Kill a Mockingbird” shows the ugliness that can come from judging others, its ultimate message is that great good can result when one defers judgment until considering
Why do people these days tend to make fun of other people based on that person’s clothing and their skin color? Why don’t people realize that these assumptions can lead to violence? It could also end up killing innocent citizens who don’t have anything to do with this. In another way you can put it is that, prejudice ruins and sometimes even destroys humans. It also causes people to lose the way they look at their fellow human. . In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee shows how prejudice causes people to believe in rumors, judge others by their skin color, and the beliefs of others.
One thing Scout and Jem learn are people and events aren't always the same as we believe. At the beginning of the book both Scout and Jem are afraid of Boo Radley. In the town Boo is referred to as a malevolent phantom and is feared by most children. The children make many quick judgments about Boo from the rumors they have heard. Dill who doesn’t even live in Maycomb has heard the rumors and has made a snap judgment about him. “I hope you've got it threw your head that he’ll kill us each and every one” (Lee 14). Dill doesn’t know or understand what happens Boo’s life. This is just the imagination of a seven year old running wild after hearing so many rumors. Because of all the rumors they have heard and believed the kids are afraid of Boo
Boo was misjudged, Jem and Scout judged him based on what they heard from the other children and adults of Maycomb. Boo is not bad or evil; He helps Jem and Scout out on many occasions First, he left gifts in the knothole of one of the oak trees in his yard. He mended Jem's pants when Jem got caught in the fence and had to come out of his pants because of when him, Dill and Scout went to go look in through the windows of his house. When Miss Maudie’s house burnt down while Jem and Scout were watching the flames he put a blanket around Scout because he saw that she was cold standing outside in just her robe and
Boo Radley is thought to be a malevolent, soulless, deceitful person, but he proves to be a caring, good-natured person. In Chapter 1, Jem offers his perception of Boo Radley to Scout and Dill: " ‘Boo was about six-and-a-half feet tall, judging from his tracks; he dined on raw squirrels and any cats he could catch, that’s why his hands were bloodstained—if you ate an animal raw, you could never wash the blood off. There was a long jagged scar that ran across his face; what teeth he had were yellow and rotten; his eyes popped, and he drooled most of the time’ " (16). Jem perceives Boo Radley as being a “monster” instead of being a man. Jem comes to this conclusion despite having never even seen Boo Radley in person. Jem’s understanding of Boo Radley is based on the rumors that he has heard about him. In Chapter 8, after the fire at Miss Maudie’s house, Scout notices that she was wrapped in a blanket that she did not have with she left the house. Scout asks Atticus who was the person that put the blanket around her. Atticus tells Scout, "Boo Radley. You were so busy watching the fire you didn't know it when he...
Her racist father then proceed to charge Mr. Robinson with a number of false crimes to hide what truly happened. As a result, a trial for Tom Robinson took place to decide whether or not he was guilty. This led Atticus to explain to the jury why Mayella and her father charged an innocent man.
Boo may have done his fair share of sketchy things; that doesn’t mean he was a bad guy, in fact, he did his best to look out for Jem and Scout Finch. Boo always was given a bad rap, but most people in Maycomb never thought ‘Maybe he’s changed, maybe, just maybe, he’s not as bad as they all say.’ There was a particular family that Boo watched out for. They may not have ever seen him, but he was always there watching out for them. Like the time when it was a really chilly night and Scout and Jem weren’t inside the house because there was a fire. Somebody put a blanket around Scout. Sure enough, that man was
Boo Radley, also known as Arthur Radley, is the scary, evil creature that lives in the creepy old house down the street from Jem and Scout, and is misjudged at first. Jem and Scout, two main characters, first see Boo as some sort of scary monster. Jem described him in the first chapter as “...six-and-a-half feet tall, judging from his tracks...” and said “...he dined on raw squirrels and any cats he could catch, that's why his hands were bloodstained- if you ate an animal raw, you could never wash the blood off...” Jem also mentioned Boo had a “...long jagged scar that ran across his face; what teeth he had were yellow and rotten; his eyes popped, and he drooled most of the time.” Scout and Jem also call Boo a “...malevolent phantom...” As if that isn't bad enough, the kids hear and tell horrible stories about Boo. One is of how he stabbed his dad with a pair of scissors; another tells how he was locked up in the courthouse basement. Even with such a grisly initial perception at the beginning of...
Judgement is the act or process of forming an opinion or making a decision after careful
Most people know about not judging a book by its cover, it is the same message with people. If one judges a person merely on what they look like they will miss what is important, who the person is, what their morals are, and what their intentions are. It takes a person who has read the novel To Kill A Mockingbird to write this essay because it is a good example of treating others with respect and not judging others based on what they look like. Many characters in Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird learn that one cannot know a person until they look beyond that person’s appearances.
In the beginning of the story, Jem, Scout, and Dill fabricate horror stories about Boo. They find Boo as a character of their amusement, and one who has no feelings whatsoever. They tried to get a peep at him, just to see what Boo looked like. Scout connects Boo with the Mockingbird. Mrs. Maudie defines a mockingbird as one who "…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" (94). Boo is exactly that. Boo is the person who put a blanket around Scout and Jem when it was cold. Boo was the one putting "gifts" in the tree. Boo even sewed up Jem’s pants that tore on Dill’s last night. Boo was the one who saved their lives. On the contrary to Scout’s primary belief, Boo never harms anyone. Scout also realizes that she wrongfully treated Boo when she thinks about the gifts in the tree. She never gave anything back to Boo, except love at the end.