Theme Of Reputation In To Kill A Mockingbird

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Harper Lee’s Novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, takes place in Maycomb, Alabama during the Great Depression. The story is told by a young girl who experiences growth through the events happening within her small town. Maycomb is a town with close-minded people who find that the way things have always been are the way things should always be. Which creates a path for the girl to learn about mature topics and the reality of someone. In this novel, Scout-the young girl- shows the difference between the appearance of someone versus who they are by learning how the rumors and reputation a person has can be wrong.
For instance, Scout hears rumors about a man named Dolphus Raymond, who is married to an African American woman and has mixed children. Scout …show more content…

Scout and the other children hear of these rumors which leads them to imagine their own version of what his life is like and what he is like. Arthur is portrayed by the town as a man who eats cats and squirrels and also stabbed his father in leg at one point. When in reality, he is a kind and caring, but shy and reclusive. At one point in the novel during winter, he comes behind Scout and puts a blanket on her to keep her warm. Scout was unaware of it from her this statement, “I looked down and found myself clutching a brown woolen blanket I was wearing around my shoulders, squaw-fashion.” (Lee 95) This moment showed that Arthur is generous and kind especially to the main children in the novel. Furthermore is when Arthur saves Scout and her brother from Mr. Ewell, who was attempting to kill them. Scout figures out it was him afterwards in this part “His lips parted into a timid smile and our neighbor’s image blurred with my sudden tears. “Hey, Boo,” I said.” (Lee 362). By Arthur Radley saving them, he proves his care for these children because he was willing to leave his house if he could save both her and her brother. By the end of the story, Scout understands the Arthur Radley is different from what everyone else says. Scout says, even with knowing how Arthur killed Mr. Ewell in order to save

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