A cover never does a book justice. It can either be very misleading to the reader or portray a differing feeling that he or she might expect. This is thoroughly present throughout Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. Actuality differs what one sees when situations are changed, hidden, or revealed in another aspect. The full understanding of this process is found in Scout Finch’s narration of the novel when events unfold into their actual form. Things are not always what they appear to be, for reality often seems to bend around certain circumstances. To commence, one thing that appears to contrast actual reality in both the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, and the present time is the use of lies to bend the truth.This is formally shown in the trial case of Robinson versus Ewell when Atticus is questioning Mayella Ewell on the events that brought about the trial. Atticus questions, “do you remember him beating you about the face? Mayella was silent… ‘No, I don 't recollect if he hit me. I mean yes I do, he hit me’ ” (Lee 185). The reader can understand that the main witness …show more content…
Finally, other people 's opinions and stories can create a fictitious reality when the true reality is completely different. This is demonstrated in one of the tales of Arthur “Boo” Radley told by the citizens of Maycomb: “Boo was about six-and-a-half feet tall judging from his tracks; he dined on raw squirrels and any cats he could catch … There was a long jagged scar that ran across his face; what teeth he had were yellow and rotten; his eyes popped and he drooled most of the time” (Lee Edmond Schools 13). This tall tale about Arthur Radley is an example of how imaginary stories can manipulate what is really true. Boo was sentenced from an early age to be a “monster” of sorts due to his past dealings with the law and his time spent in solitary confinement. This story that is invented by the people of Maycomb alters Boo Radley’s true appearance greatly, deeming him to be something he is
“Boo”, a nickname given to him by the town , creates a scary , mysterious character in the children’s lives. Lee utilizes Boo’s name to represents the town’s fear of all things unknown. Through the given nickname, Lee shows how badly he is treated by the discriminatory town members. As a result of morbid curiosity and the adaptation of the town’s point of view, the children continue to further antagonize Arthur Radley based off factless accusations; they want to see him, not as their neighbor, but as a monster. Despite the negativity he faces, Arthur still persisted at reaching out to people, most notably the children.
Personal beliefs are shaped by perspective. In order to change someone’s opinion, their point of view has to be altered. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Lee shows the change in Scout Finch’s beliefs as she matures and her perspective changes. We can see this when Scout evaluates Walter Cunningham’s different way of life at her supper table, when she starts to witness the social inequalities in Maycomb, Alabama during Tom Robinson's trial, and when she learned the truth about her childhood monster, Boo Radley. While Walter Cunningham sat at the Finch’s table for Dinner, Scout, who had previously beat him up that day, was furious because he was the reason her teacher Miss Caroline punished her for the first time.
A drooling, scarred, yellow toothed ghost of a man or an isolated, kind, and miss understood gentleman? Arthur “Boo” Radley Jr.’s character in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is an interesting figure. The events of the story, from the Finch children’s daily doings to Miss Maudie’s house fire to Tom Robinson’s trial, are all witnessed by Boo from inside the Radley house. Although Boo lives a concealed life, we see that he exhibits a caring and isolated nature that’s important to the story.
None of the kids have saw him a day in their life, but they hear countless stories of how terrible he is and that he has been locked up for a very long time. Boo (Arthur) Radley has been getting locked up basically his entire life. Boo drove a scissors into his father’s leg it stated on page 9. This is the start to Boo Radleys life in solitude. After he was tried in court for the stabbing Boo was locked in the courthouse basement because no one had the heart to put him in jail with the Negros.
To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee is a domestic fictional novel that portrays the awakening to racism and prejudice through the eyes of a young girl named Jean Louise Finch, Scout. Growing up in the “tired old town” (9) of Maycomb, the protagonist Scout matures through many encounters in a world that evolves from pure innocence and fun to a world of segregation and injustice. Throughout these trials, Harper Lee illustrates Scout’s innocence, maturity, and courage. Lee provokes the theme of courage through the literary devices of conflict and symbolism. Atticus Finch and Aunt Alexandra are also characters who illustrate symbols of moral courage.
" This shows that Boo Radley is the in a way “outside character”. He can sense that there are many horrors of the world destroying the innocence, or the mockingbird in this case, so he chooses to ignore
Lee uses Miss Gates’s ironic views of Hitler and Tom’s trial to show how racial prejudice causes crimes against African Americans to be considered less than crimes committed against white people. A mockingbird is then used to symbolize Tom Robinson as an innocent person wrongly convicted of a crime because of his skin color. The misunderstood characterization of Arthur Radley shows how society will let prejudice guide their imaginated view on the lives of people they don't understand. All three characters provide examples of how a preconceived opinion of one person or a whole race can cause drastic misunderstandings and
Don’t judge a book by its cover because the cover does not show the full story. In the novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee is a coming-to-age fiction novel that takes place in Maycomb, Alabama and is narrated by a girl named Scout and her Lawyer father Atticus. At the Radley tree in Chapter 7, Scout, and Jem learn that Boo Radley is trying to get out to the kids that helps Jem to come to the age that involves them understanding what’s going on. The setting of the Radley tree highlights thoughtfulness as Jem wants to thank, Boo Radley by writing a letter for all the gifts that are in the knothole.
He is accountable for creating many themes as well affecting the actions and development of other characters. Furthermore, he plays a major role in the maturation of Jem and Scout. Jem, Scout, and Dill are fascinated by the rumors of Boo Radley around them. People in Maycomb perceive Boo as someone who, “dined on raw squirrels and cats” and “the teeth he had were yellow and rotten”(16). This quote shows the people’s impression of Boo and how they affect the childrens in the book.
Rumors swept through the town, ruining a man’s reputation and giving him no reason to step outside of his own home. In To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, Arthur “Boo” Radley is the most complex of Maycomb’s residents. Many say Boo is a killer that should not be trusted near children. However, Scout thinks otherwise as she tries to understand Boo herself. She learns more than she figured, as Boo teaches her numerous lessons without even meeting her.
A person cannot call themselves a noble person if they can’t understand others. Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is told in first person by Jean Louise Finch or by her nickname, Scout a 6-year-old. Harper Lee, depicts Atticus Finch as a proficient father to his two children, Scout and Jim, 10-year-old. Atticus teaches his children life lessons, one being it 's a sin to kill a mockingbird.
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a historical fiction novel told in the eyes of a young girl named Scout as her father, Atticus Finch , a lawyer in the 1950’s in Alabama, is burdened with the task of defending a black man, Tom Robinson, of harming a white girl, Mayella Ewell. “Caged Bird”
This essay aims to investigate the literary context of Harper Lee 's To Kill A Mockingbird (1960) from four different perspectives. The scope of this essay does not only include the context from historical, cultural and social points of views, but also the significance of Lee 's early life is considered. The essay explores deeply the novel 's events, characters and main themes, which can all be related to the literary context. This is why the research question of this essay is “A Study of Literary Context in Harper Lee 's To Kill A Mockingbird”. To Kill A Mockingbird never fails to amaze a reader because of its audacity, as it brings out many controversial issues from 1930s America.
In the book, To Kill A Mockingbird, the author Harper Lee shows that we shouldn’t be too quick to judge another person’s character based on outward appearance and the stories and rumors we have heard. The character Boo Radley is a perfect example of why we shouldn’t be hasty to judge. On the outside, Boo looks like a scary neighbor that lives just a few houses away. “.....he had sickly white hands that had never seen the sun. His face was as white as his hands…..”
This family isn’t treated fairly because of the gossip which has been spread about them. Boo (formally Arthur) Radley is thought to be a terrible man who sneaks around at night, looking in neighbor’s windows, spying on everyone. Every crime committed in Maycomb is said to be Boo’s work. “People said he went out at night when the moon was down, and peeped in windows…”