Boo Radley's Innocence

To Kill a Mocking Bird (referred to as ‘TKAMB’ hereafter) is a novel set in the 1930, South
Alabama, written in 1960 by writer Harper Lee. The story’s main theme revolves around prejudice and racism, after the great depression and is told through the eyes of a young girl, Jean Louise Finch (denoted as Scout). Scout’s father, Atticus, is a lawyer who is given the job of proving the innocence of a negro man, Tom Robinson who is unfairly tried in court for the crime of sexual assault. The first section of the book features Scout and Jem tormenting a man, mentally unwell – Arthur Radley or “Boo Radley” as commonly referred to in the book, and eventually befriends him. After Tom Robinson is executed despite his innocence, the girl’s father,

She believes there is only right or wrong as there is black and white; there is no grey area; middle area. This is common as with youth comes inexperience, comes naivety. The first example of her naivety occurs in chapter 8 she declares “I think there’s just one kind of folks. Folks.”, and thinks that everyone shares the same thoughts and opinions thus displaying the inexperience of youth. The second article that suggests Scout is rather simple, is when Jem later remarks, “That’s what I thought too, when I was your age. If there’s just one kind of folks, why can’t they get along with each other? If they’re all alike why do, they get along with each other? I think I’m beginning to understand why Boo Radley’s stayed shut up in the house all the time… it’s because he wants to stay inside.”, indicating that Scout believes that Boo Radley stays isolated in his house because he is forced to, and not because he wants to stay inside, again suggesting that Scout believes that everyone as the same intentions as her. The third example resides in Chapter 15, when she is ignorant to the fact that the men who gathered around her father had malice intent against him and Tom Robinson, “You know what we want,” another man said. Get aside from the door, Mr. Finch... I pushed my way through dark smelly bodies and burst into the circle of light… I go to school with Walter… Tell him hey for me, won’t you…I’ll tell him you said hey, little lady, he said...Let’s clear out he called…Let’s get going, boys.”, Scout does not even respond to most obvious emotions and does not recognize Mr Cunningham being shameful, this shows she does not have the best comprehension of social cues and therefore tells the story free of interpretation. Her naivety is a major reason why Harper Lee chose Scout to be the main