Who Is Boo Radley Innocent

In the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, a mockingbird is portrayed as a symbol of innocence, goodness, and beauty. It is considered to be a sin to kill them as they do no harm and only makes songs for people to enjoy. Atticus Finch, a lawyer who believes in having high morales and treating everybody with the same equality, Tom Robinson, a noble character who is generous and hardworking, and Boo Radley, an innocent reclusive character, all share similar qualities that metaphorically portray a mockingbird. Firstly, they all share an innocent quality that defines the mockingbird motif. Secondly, they all go out of their way to help others. Finally, similar to a mockingbird, all three characters are defenseless and vulnerable throughout the novel

due to their unique predicaments.
First of all, a mockingbird is an innocent being that does not cause harm to anybody or anything, but only brings joy to those around them.

Atticus represents this in the novel by nurturing his children, Jem and Scout, rather than asserting harsh punishments. Boo Radley is a reclusive citizen in Maycomb who is of interest to Atticus’s children and their summertime friend Dill, because he rarely ever has been seen. Atticus forbids the children from bothering him by slipping him a letter, or performing other acts of intrusion so that Boo Radley can live in peace. Atticus states “What Mr. Radley does is his own business. If he wanted to come out, he would. If he wanted to stay inside his own house he had the right to stay inside free from the attentions of inquisitive children” (Lee, 65). This concern proves how Atticus only wants the best for people and does not want unnecessary harm done to anyone. This also demonstrates how he is metaphorically a mockingbird. Tom Robinson also portrays innocence by having no intentions of harming anybody or doing wrong, but like a mockingbird, sings his heart out through good deeds, such as helping a neighbour of his, Mayella Ewell, with odd jobs. However, Tom’s goodness is recognized by very few characters in the book due to the fact he is black. Toms employer, Link Deas, leaves a statement in court while Tom is on trial for beating up Mayella Ewell, the eldest of the Ewell children and a neighbour to Tom, and states “I just want the whole

lotta you to know one thing right now. That boy's worked for me eight years an' I ain't had a speck o'trouble outa him. Not a speck” (Lee, 261). This quote proves that Tom is a kind and innocent character like a mockingbird. Lastly, Boo Radley proves his innocence throughout the novel by having no evil intentions against anyone. Boo falls victim to cruelty and is unjustly regarded as an evil person due to his lifestyle of being a hermit, but has never intentionally done any wrong. He finds pleasure in making other people happy, like leaving trinkets for Jem and Scout Finch to find in a tree. Throughout the novel Boo has many chances to harm the Finch children and other characters in the book but does not due to his kind nature, making him a metaphorical mockingbird.
Next, mockingbirds create beautiful songs and are helpful in the sense that they don’t eat peoples crops or ruin gardens, they just sing their songs and bring music to people.

In the novel, Atticus Finch, Tom Robinson, and Boo Radley all go out of their way to help others. By his own choosing, Atticus decides to be Tom Robinson's lawyer. When asked by his daughter Scout why he does so, Atticus replies, “For a number of reasons...The main one is if I didn’t, I couldn’t hold up my head in town, I couldn’t represent this country in the legislature, I couldn’t even tell you or Jem not to do something because I could never ask you to mind me again” (Lee, 100). This quote demonstrates how Atticus feels it is his moral obligation to take on Tom's case as he knows it is the right thing to do, and is Tom’s best chance of getting a lesser sentence or prolonging the trial. By taking on Tom's case and carrying it out to the best of his abilities portrays him as a mockingbird. In the novel, Tom Robinson also proves he is a mockingbird from when he went out of his way and generously helped Mayella Ewell, without receiving anything in return. Tom stated to the court “No suh, not after she offered me a nickel the first time. I was glad to do it, Mr. Ewell didn’t seem to help her none, and neither did the chillun, and I knowed she didn’t have no nickel to spare” (Lee, 256). Tom explains he only helps her because he feels bad nobody else does. He did it because he is a kind, sympathetic

person, that many citizens of Maycomb never notice. Tom’s aid to Mayella in this situation makes him a metaphoric mockingbird. Boo Radley also displays the characteristic of going out of his way to help others when he saves Jem and Scout Finch from being attacked by Bob Ewell, Mayella’s father. Jem and Scout are walking home from their school concert when Mr. Ewell attacks them from behind. Boo heroically steps in and saves the children even though he had never been asked by Atticus to keep watch on his children but did because he cares for them and wants to help out. This heroic act makes Boo a metaphorical mockingbird.
Lastly, due to a mockingbird’s loving nature, it makes them defenseless, easy targets for people to harm. Atticus Finch’s desire for justice in Tom Robinson's case makes him a prime target for those who disagree. He was also defenseless against the jury’s decisions during the trial. All he could do was sit and listen as the jury wrongfully convicted Tom Robinson, even though he had given factual evidence how it could have been Bob Ewell himself. This makes Atticus and Tom metaphorical mockingbirds because they both are easy targets for people to harm or kill as they are defenseless against the culprits. Tom Robinson is an easy target for people to harm due to his conviction of beating up and raping Mayella Ewell. After being sent to prison, Tom could not handle being caged in any longer and attempted to escape prison. He was then tragically chased and shot seventeen times as he tries to flee the prison yard. “They fired a few shots in the air, then to kill. They got him just as he went over the fence. They said if he’d had two good arms he’d have made it, he was moving that fast. Seventeen bullet holes in him” (Lee, 239). This quote defines Tom as a mockingbird due to his inability to fight back, as he is unarmed and had a physical disability, making him an easy target for the police to shoot and ultimately kill. Boo Radley also shares the same vulnerability throughout the novel as he is an innocent victim of gossip throughout the town. Since Boo rarely leaves his house, many of the citizens in Maycomb make up false accusations about him and things he has done. After Boo saves the Finch children, and kills Bob Ewell, Sheriff Tate refuses to disclose the information to the public to help keep Boo from becoming the center of attention to the town. “To my way of thinkin’, Mr. Finch, taking the one man who’s done you and this town a great service an’draggin’ him with his shy ways into the limelight-to me, that’s a sin” (Lee, 280). In this quote, Sheriff Tate unknowingly compares Boo to a mockingbird as he states it is a sin to kill Boo because of his actions, as well as it is a sin to kill a mockingbird because of their defenselessness, making Boo a metaphorical mockingbird.
In conclusion, Atticus Finch, Tom Robinson, and Boo Radley, all share the strongest similarities to a mockingbird. They all are innocent and kind characters, who only want to do good. They help others without caring about the consequences for themselves or their reputations being hurt, and most importantly are defenseless against the problems they face. Like a mockingbird, an innocent, kind bird, defenseless against those who hurt it, but is a sin to those who kill it.