What Are The Similarities Between Boo Radley And To Kill A Mockingbird

To Kill A Mockingbird

To Kill A Mockingbird. Have you ever heard of that novel? Maybe you watched the movie. The novel was written by Harper Lee. The story takes place in Alabama during the Depression. The narrator is young Jean Louise Scout Finch. Jean Louise is a curious tomboy. She has an older brother named Jem. They have a neighbor who never comes out of his house; considering his past and a fear to go out. Their neighbor’s name is Arthur but nicknamed “Boo.” Scout’s father is a lawyer. One day, her father who is a lawyer decides to take on a case including a black man named Tom Robinson who has been accused of raping a very poor white girl named Mayella Ewell, a member of the Ewell family, who belong to the bottom of Maycomb society

that people refer to as “trash.” The whole case creates so much tension through the novel.

Boo Radley and Tom Robinson's stories are very similar in many ways and that will be explored in depth as to why. Their trial, justice and more have an important base in the purpose of the narrative. These men are good people, or can be considered as mockingbirds, being innocent and wishing good for others.

To begin with, the trial of Tom Robinson and the storyline of Arthur Radley are similar. To elaborate on this statement, these two men are looked at as outsiders and bad people. They both wanted to help others. Arthur, for example, supposedly once stabbed his father. After the whole town of Maycomb hears this, they see him as a bad person, who is crazy. It is very strange for a human to stab another person. It is very inhuman. In the beginning of the book, Boo is described as a “malevolent phantom.” (8) By that claim that Scout states, Boo Radley does not have a superb or at least exceptional reputation within the Maycomb Community. Boo wanted to help others, but has a poor reputation. After Boo killed Mr. Ewell to protect Jem and Scout from losing their lives, the sheriff is talking to Atticus. Referencing Boo, sheriff Tate states, “ To my way of thinkin’, Mr. Finch, taking the one man who’s you and this town a great

service an’ draggin’ him with his shy ways into the limelight- to me, that’s a sin” (276) This quote is proving that Boo is looked at in a poor way, if people find out he killed someone, although it was to protect children, people will be against him. Putting him in the limelight, being a shy person who is antisocial will make him uncomfortable. As was stated before, Boo (Arthur) Radley’s story and Tom Robinson’s trial are similar. As told that Maycomb county’s white citizens are authentically racist towards african americans. Tom Robinson is an african american, in a trial. At this point in time african americans were looked upon poorly, disrespected and discriminated against. Picture an african american in a trial, full of people who felt enmity with a passion toward an innocent fellow. By that statement, Tom being an african american makes him look like an outsider; he would be seen as an unexceptional entity in existence. A white man accusing an african american of raping white woman makes the intolerant and biased community feel resentment toward an innocent human. During Tom’s trial, Atticus asks “Were you paid for your service?”
“No suh, not after she offered me a nickel the first time. I was so glad to do it.”
This piece of text proves that Tom is innocent and wanted to help a young woman with a job. Tom and Arthur are very alike for helping others and being seen as guilty, strange and awful people.
Moreover, To Kill A Mockingbird illustrates the whole idea of Scout maturing and losing her innocence.

Scout seeing Tom’s trial and learning that african americans are unaccepted. Witnessing Tom, an innocent man getting killed and never raped Mayella. Scout learning that Boo Radley is not a “malevolent phantom.” (8) Growing up seeing these things shaped Scout into a more mature young woman. There are common themes and ideas in the two storylines. The common ideas and themes are that Tom and Boo are mockingbirds, also that exploration of the moral nature of human beings. Exploring whether people are essentially good or essentially evil.To elaborate, both men are really mockingbirds, but are looked at as evil in many people’s eyes. “Mockingbirds do not do one thing but sing their hearts for us, that’s why it’s a sin To Kill A Mockingbird.” (90) Although this quote does not mention their specific names, it associates with them. As stated before, Boo is considered a mockingbird because he meant no harm in society and wants to help the children. Boo not having any barbaric intentions towards society, therefore, it would be a sin to harm him. The same statement would be fetched at Tom, he is an innocent man pronounced guilty. As he tries escaping jail, he was shot 17 times. It was a sin to harm him, he only wanted to help Mayella Ewell with a job at home, and turns it into a full scandal claiming and accusing Tom Robinson of raping a white woman. It is a sin to hurt someone who

meant no harm to anybody and being a moral human being.
Furthermore, Tom Robinson and Boo Radley’s stories begin coming to an end in this novel. As one reads the resolutions of both characters. Tom ends up a dead innocent man, and Boo murders someone for a moral reason and comprehension of a situation. The resolutions for both men come into play and are debatable in terms of law and justice. Bob Ewell attacks Scout and Jem. Jem develops into an unconscious state. Scout is hiding in an anxious and fearful frame of mind. Sheriff Heck Tate states, “I never heard tell that it’s against the law for a citizen to do his utmost to prevent a crime from being committed.” (276) Boo did his utmost to prevent a crime from occuring, he went as far as murder. Boo going out of his way to do such thing, should not be against the law because he was preventing a crime. People debate how this comes into play with law and justice. Some might claim that Boo is guilty for murdering one man, because at the end of the day, the term for what he committed is murder. Others might argue that he is innocent because he did not want innocent children to be harmed and possibly murdered for something they did not choose. Therefore, it is debatable if it was fair for Boo Radley’s murder of Bob Ewell to be hidden. This complicates whether it was fair because he murdered someone but he still had a moral reason. Moreover, the complex conception of whether it was fair for Tom to be shot seventeen times is also debatable. Tom’s ending was not fair in terms of law and justice because he escaped jail which is a crime, it is illegal. Therefore, the people who shot him cannot be judged if they did not know he was truly innocent. However, it was not fair because they could have tried shooting a leg, and not seventeen times to kill him. When it comes to Tom’s trial the court should have provided a mixed jury and not a biased jury. Therefore, it was not a good system to determine and identify who is guilty. The jury are clearly going to make an african american guilty, the majority of whites at the time are going to be racist no matter what.
Adding on to the discussion of Tom and Boo, their stories take up the majority of the novel. Their stories help Scout lose her innocence. Scout grew up, and not only did their stories make her lose her innocence. These two stories magnify the purpose of the novel, that is that Scout grows up in a society where there is a lot of gossip, mournful and bitter stories. Scout loses her innocence by learning a lesson from her father, “climb into someone's skin and walk around in it.” (30) Scout began to learn things from hearing about those stories and is influenced to not believe anything she hears.Scout learns about courage. Atticus shows courage by defending a black man, which at the time was an awful in their society. After the announcement claiming that Tom Robinson is guilty, Jem and Atticus walk together and have a talk. “It ain’t right, Atticus,” said Jem. “No son, it’s not right.” (212)
Jem understanding that what happened to Tom was not fair, racist and awful gives Scout a much more logical perspective on society. By Tom’s trial she learns that people are racist. Before Tom’s trial, Scout never recognized the negative effects the Maycomb society has done to people. Until after the trial, she began to be sympathetic and empathetic towards african americans. When it comes to Boo Radley’s story, the way it shaped Scout is the same exact way Tom’s story did. Scout’s view changes on Boo when he saves her and Jem’s lives. Scout puts herself in another person’s shoes, she realizes she has misjudged him and looks at Boo as her neighbor and a marvelous person.
To conclude this essay, as readers of fiction we get and learn a few insights from To Kill A Mockingbird, the insight readers can perceive from the novel is a theme of tolerance. The novel has a message illustrating that because of people’s fears and opinions it creates tension to tolerate other races or people. African americans are disliked in this novel, they are not tolerated due to people being influenced from others’ opinions. The point in this text is that Tom Robinson and Boo Radley’s stories can connect to our lives today. Many people fear muslims because of 9/11. They are not tolerated by many people. In this novel, african americans are discriminated against. In a lot of this novel, Scout and Jem do not necessarily tolerate Boo Radley and are afraid of him. It is important to consider this statement about the theme in the book because it is something humans still struggle with till this day. It matters because it needs more effort to be fixed. People need to try to tolerate things more often, and not be influenced by anybody else’s thoughts.