Social Misfits Analysis

In any high school, one could see the social groupings and society’s influences. There are the jocks, the nerds, the band kids and then, there are the social misfits. Based on current trends, one dresses or acts differently. Many may buy certain items or brands to “fit” in with the group. Usually, society is very judgmental; those who does not “fit in” are usually not accepted. Numerous types of text have depicted social grouping and societal influence. For example, Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. Maycomb’s misfits, Boo Radley, Dolphus Raymond, and Tom Robinson have all experienced judgement while trying to find acceptance.
Dolphus Raymond is known for his brown paper bag of whiskey and interracial children. To Maycomb, Dolphus is a helpless drunk man who liked colored people. While the rest of Maycomb showed prejudice to the colored people, sticking out like a sore thumb, Dolphus embraced them. Although his liking towards colored people was not embraced in Maycomb, he tried to “fit in”. Instead of having whiskey in the brown paper bag, Dill discovered Coca-Cola. Dolphus describes “if I weave a little and drink out of this sack, folks can say Dolphus Raymond’s in the clutches of whiskey—that’s

No one in Maycomb actually knew the true Boo and quickly made assumptions. People often had different descriptions about him, but all described him as some inhumane animal. Boo was described as a person who “dined on raw squirrels and any cats he could catch” (Lee 13) by the children. The violent and gruesome descriptions, consequently, caused people to be terrified of him. As the novel progress, Jem and Scout’s opinion about Boo changes. Scout’s attitude toward Boo changes from being terrified to unfrightened after being saved by him. Boo found acceptance within the Finch family, especially Scout, and Sheriff Heck Tate. Boo is not the barbarian Maycomb has always thought, instead he is a kind and innocent