How Does Arthur Radley Symbolize In To Kill A Mockingbird

Atticus once said, “Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird,” (Lee 90). Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the mockingbird as, “A common North American bird that is remarkable for its exact imitation of the notes of other birds.” In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee defines the mockingbird as innocent people who have been injured or destroyed through contact with evil. Although the mockingbird itself imitates the songs of other birds, in this novel the characters who portray the mockingbird reproduce what they hear- racism and violence, often without fully understanding their implications. In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the symbol of the mockingbird is personified through Arthur Radley, Tom Robinson, and Scout Finch.

The first important character who symbolizes the mockingbird is Arthur Radley who is given the nickname Boo by the children. He suffers from destruction yet still demonstrates innocence. Scout reveals the reader of a story in that Boo Radley was bound to be sent off to an industrial school. A benefit to refine young men into responsible adults who turned away from their childish actions as an adolescent. Although this proposal was offered by the judge, Mr. Radley suggested Arthur be locked in the

courthouse basement. When Mr. Radley brought Boo home, “strange” behaviour began to occur. Thus, rumours were born.
As Dill and the Finch siblings were curious to know more about the “malevolent phantom” (Lee 8) that dwelled inside the Radley home, Miss Stephanie Crawford was willing to tell them more. From Boo’s teenage years, he has gained a bad reputation; as so people would claim any crime in Maycomb to be his work. Because many people misjudge Boo, they are convinced he is a monster, a human being who is insane enough to drive a pair of scissors into the leg of his parent, and continue on with his daily reading of the newspaper. Jem Finch describes Boo as, “Six-and-a-half feet tall, dining on raw squirrels and any cats he could catch, long jagged scar that ran across his face, yellow teeth, popping eyes, and drooling most of the time,” (Lee 13). This is the image of Boo the children were persuaded by which led him to become a recluse. In To Kill a Mockingbird, it is evident that there is another side of Boo Radley that one has not been introduced to.
As a person who personifies the symbol of the mockingbird, Boo Radley demonstrates innocence. Dill and the Finch siblings are caught lurking around in the Radley backyard. To escape, Jem sacrifices his pants over his life. He returns the next day, full of fear that he might encounter Boo, only to find that his pants have been sewn by an anonymous individual. In the next chapter, Miss Rachel’s house is burning down in flames. When Scout returns home, she discovers herself clutching a brown woolen blanket wrapped around her shoulders, not knowing where it came from. Bob Ewell declares: “One down, two more to go,” (Lee 241) referring to the Finch siblings. At the end of the book, Jem and Scout are walking through the schoolyard back to their house, when they are interrupted by unexpected company, who is Mr. Ewell seeking revenge. As the kids attempt to escape his grasp, Boo protects them by murdering Mr. Ewell. Atticus blames the crime on Jem to protect Boo’s innocence which has been destroyed through the stereotypes that other people have created. Finally, Boo turns to Scout and asks, “Will you take me home?” (Lee 278). Furthermore, Scout mentions, “He almost whispered it, in the voice of a child afraid of the dark,” (Lee 278”. Through these examples, one can see that Boo Radley meant no harm after all. Along with Arthur Radley, Tom Robinson is also a victim of innocence and destruction.
Another mockingbird, Tom Robinson, is the said suspect accused of sexually assaulting 19-year-old Mayella Ewell.

During the trial, Atticus defends Tom by proving a fault within Bob Ewell’s claim of witnessing the defendant have sexual intercourse with his daughter. Judge Taylor states: “Mr. Ewell, you’re left-handed,” (Lee 77). Atticus has the intention to expose the fault that is Bob Ewell abusing his own daughter. According to Scout:

Atticus was trying to show, it seemed to me, that Mr. Ewell could have beaten up Mayella. That much I could follow. If her right eye was blackened and she was beaten mostly on the right, it would tend to show that a left-handed person did it (Lee

178).

Another point that Atticus refers to in regard to Tom’s innocence is when he explains,

The state has not produced one iota of medical evidence to the effect that the crime Tom Robinson is charged with ever took place. It has relied instead upon the testimony of two witnesses whose evidence has not only been called into serious question on cross-examination, but has been flatly contradicted by the defendant. The defendant is not guilty, but somebody in this courtroom is (Lee 203).

Furthermore, Tom Robinson himself testifies: “She says she never kissed a grown man before ‘an she might aswell kiss a nigger…” (Lee 194). Mayella’s actions, along with Tom’s testimony have brought attention to the fact that a white young lady tempted a Negro. She did something in their society that was unspeakable: she kissed a black man. From the trial scene of To Kill a Mockingbird, it is evident that Tom Robinson portrays innocence.
Because the defendant, a black man, was being protected by a white man, the fury of Mr. Ewell was brought down on Tom, leading to his destruction. The people of Maycomb strongly favoured white people over Negroes and Tom Robinson did not win the case. On the day they took Tom to prison camp, he tells Atticus his last words: “Good-bye, Mr. Finch, there ain’t nothing you can do now, so there ain’t no use tryin’,” (Lee 234). The idea of hope for finding justice was never a thought in Tom Robinson’s mind. Tom’s utter destruction was his death, when he was found climbing over the fence, the prison guards shot him. Mr. Underwood described Tom’s death as, “The senseless slaughter of songbirds by hunters and children,” (Lee 241). In addition to Tom Robinson, Scout Finch is the last mockingbird of the novel who signifies these three characteristics.
Through Scout Finch’s subconscious actions, she is the most significant character who personifies the symbol of the mockingbird. She assists the idea of innocence, imitation, and destruction. At the beginning of the novel, Scout is a 6-year-old girl who is well aware that her father is a lawyer, but is hidden from the reality that her father is defending a Negro, a race that is looked down upon in Maycomb. As soon as Dill and the Finch siblings arrive at Atticus’ workplace, they notice a mob approaching him. Scout immediately recognizes Walter’s father and says, “Hey, Mr. Cunningham. How’s your entailment gettin’ along…” (Lee 153). The conversation between Scout and Mr. Cunningham demonstrates her innocence as she does not know these men that surrounded Atticus meant harm. Because of the situation involving Tom Robinson and the Ewells, Scout’s curiosity influenced her to question Calpurnia about rape, another example of her childhood innocence.
In her naivety, Scout begins to imitate the actions of her older brother as well as her father. While Atticus is away at work, Jem introduces Scout to one unique neighbours of theirs, Arthur Radley. Jem explains the nature of Boo to Scout, making him seem like a monster. The only side of Boo Radley Scout has seen is the side Jem described him as. Because of the misunderstanding about Boo, Scout imitates Jem in saying, “I reeled around to face Boo Radley and his bloody fangs; instead, I saw Dill ringing the bell with all his might in Atticus’s face,” (Lee 48). Another example of Scout’s impression of Boo is when she says, “Every scratch of feet on gravel was Boo Radley seeking revenge, every passing Negro laughing in the night was Boo Radley loose and after us; insects splashing against the screen were Boo Radley’s insane fingers picking the wire to pieces…” (Lee 55).
Although Scout imitates Jem by portraying Boo in a negative way, she also learns proper manners and self-control from Atticus. Not only does the court case affect Atticus, it also affects his children. Atticus advises Scout that she “might hear some ugly talk about it at school, but do one thing for me if you will: you just hold your head high and keep those fists down. No matter what anybody says to you, don’t let ‘em get your goat. Try fighting with your head for a change...it’s a good one, even if it does resist learning,” (Lee 76). Scout immediately applies these words when Cecil Jacobs calls her a coward, “It was the first time I ever walked away from a fight. Somehow, if I fought Cecil I would let Atticus down” (Lee 77). Moreover, Atticus tells Scout, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view- until you climb into his skin and walk around in it,” (Lee 30) hinting towards Arthur Radley.
As the symbol of the mockingbird, again Scout demonstrates innocence and imitation as well as destruction. Scout’s destruction is first found in the schoolyard when Cecil yells, “Scout Finch’s daddy defends niggers!” (Lee 74). The announcement does not impact Scout personally, but it publicly humiliates her. The next example of her destruction is once again in the schoolyard, physically attacked by Bob Ewell. Lastly, when Scout brings Boo home she says,
His fingers found the front doorknob. He gently released my hand, opened the door, went inside, and shut the door behind him. I never saw him again. Neighbors bring food with death and flowers with sickness and little things in between. Boo was our neighbour. He gave us two soap dolls, a broken watch and chain, a pair of good-luck pennies, and our lives. But neighbours give in return. We never put back into the tree what we took out of it: we had given him nothing, and it made me sad (Lee 278).

In the end, Scout’s pity for Boo is finally shown. Once Boo shut the door one last time, Scout realizes that not everyone is what they seem. She spent many years believing in a beast that never existed instead of befriending a neighbour. As a result of these events, Scout has portrayed these three attributes as the last mockingbird; innocence, imitation, and destruction.

Through their own personal and diverse situations in To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, the three characters; Boo Radley, Tom Robinson, and Scout Finch display the symbol of the mockingbird. Boo signified the mockingbird symbol as innocence and destruction through his isolation to the town of Maycomb. Tom also portrayed the mockingbird symbol as innocence and destruction through his defeat with the court case. Lastly, Scout demonstrated the mockingbird symbol as innocence, imitation, and destruction through the various events and influence of the adults who impacted her life. Miss Maudie once said,
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. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird (Lee 90).