Boo Radley Character Analysis

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Frederick Douglass once said, “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.” The way children are raised sets the stage for who they will become later in life. People do not change much once they have developed their personality and their sense of life. Children who grow up with strong parental figures become the most looked up to because they know how to treat people right. In the book To Kill a Mockingbird, this concept is shown through the strong character leads. Harper Lee suggests the places a person is from and the experiences they have inform who they become through the Ewell family, Atticus’s teachings, and the town of Maycomb’s prejudices. The Ewell children were raised very poorly, which reflects in the …show more content…

Throughout the story, Boo Radley has been seen as a horrible person due to the rumors about him. Scout realizes that Boo deserves to be understood like everyone else, even though he may act differently than what the community considers to be normal. Scout says in realization, ”Boo was our neighbor. He gave us two soap dolls, a broken watch and chain, a pair of good-luck pennies, and our lives”(373). In complete disregard to all the prejudices Maycomb has towards Boo, Scout walks him home holding his hand and notices how the town looks from his perspective. Atticus taught her to practice empathy, and Scout decides to try and understand Boo’s side. In like manner, Dill may not be Atticus’ son, but he receives the influence of kindness and caring from the Finch family. During the cross-examination of Tom everyone begins to attack him verbally. This upsets Dill, as he knows Tom is innocent. In Scout’s narration, ”For some reason Dill had started crying and couldn’t stop; quietly at first, then his sobs were heard by several people in the balcony”(265). The experience of the trial made such an impact on Dill because he saw the jury disregard all evidence and claim Tom guilty all because of his race. As Dill sees this in live action, he realizes how unfair the town is. Atticus influenced his state of mind to go against the racism, while everyone else stood by as if it were amusing to watch Tom fight for his life. Atticus is strongly admired in the town, because he is the most empathetic person that tries to understand everyone. This has resulted in his children following in his steps and ignoring the

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