Why Should We Not Meet Boo Radley

I predict that the kids will not meet Boo Radley. In the story, Boo is locked away and never to be seen. Boo does not come out of the house at all. The Radley house is a dark and gloomy place. The doors are always shut and the shutters are only open on Sundays. The Radley house has no screen doors. Jem assumes that the reason the community never sees Boo Radley is because his father keeps him chained up in a room, so he doesn’t go outside. Another reason the kids will not meet Boo is because everyone is scared of Boo Radley. The primary reason that the community is scared of Boo is because he once stabbed his father in the leg with a pair of scissors and was not fazed by what he had just done. The people in the community refer to Boo Radley

as a “malevolent phantom.” No one dares go near the Radley house and try to avoid it anytime that they can. Some people walk long ways to avoid walking by the Radley house.

One summer Jem is dared by Dill to run up and touch the house, which can make the reader infer that the Radley house is a scary place, because no one will voluntarily go up to their house. Parents warn their children not to go near the Radley house whenever they are outside. Another reason that everyone is scared of Boo Radley is because of all the scary stories and myths that the people of the community have come up with about Boo. One of the more popular stories throughout the community about the Radley’s is that the pecan on the trees in their yard are poisoned, and if you eat them you will die. Another story is that Boo Radley eats small animals like squirrels and cats. The community believes that if or when there is a small crime committed, Boo Radley is the one to blame. According to Miss Stephanie Crawford, Boo Radley only comes out at night so no one can see him. Many believe that if one’s flowers suddenly appear to be dead or are dying, it is because Boo Radley had breathed on

them. Jem describes Boo Radley as a six and a half foot giant, his hands are blood-stained from the small animals that he has eaten, along his face runs a large scar, his teeth are yellow and rotten, and his eyes pop out, and he drools almost all the time. These are the reasons why I predict that the kids will not meet Boo Radley.

When characterizing the Ewells, Harper Lee portrays them as a family who does not care what people think about them and that they are a non-law abiding family.

The Ewells are a family that does not care much about what other people think about them because of the family’s attitude. In class, Burris is very rude to the teacher, Miss Caroline, and does not care if he gets in trouble with the school or not. The Elwell children do not tell the truth and are never honest. Mr. Ewell does not provide or care for his children, and while the community shuns him for not taking care of them, he has done nothing to change his ways or attitude towards caring for his children. Their attitudes toward their hygiene is also very poor. On the first day of first grade, Burris shows up with a “cootie” or also known as lice in his hair. Miss Caroline notices the lice and confronts Burris about is but he shows no concern or care about the cootie and continues on with his day. While talking to Burris, the teacher learns that Burris rarely takes showers. Other children in the class can not help but notice that Burris smells unpleasant. On the first day of school, Scout notices that the back of Burris’s neck is gray, and his hands and fingernails are very dirty. The Ewells are also a non-law abiding family. The children only attend school for the first day. Burris Elwell has been going to the first day of first grade for three years. The effect of Burris not going to school for the full year is that

Burris does not know how to spell his own name. The government helps out the Elwell’s by sending weekly checks for Mr. Elwell to buy the necessary things for himself and his family to survive. Instead of buying food and clothes for himself and his children, he buys alcohol instead. Ultimately the children go hungry because their father does not buy food. Also hunting out of season is illegal in Maycomb, but Mr. Ewell continues hunting out of season, knowing that it is against the law. These are the reasons why I would characterize the Ewells as a non-law abiding family and a family who does not care what other people think about them.