In this novel, Harper Lee says through Atticus, "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view-...- until you climb into his skin and walk around in it" (39). In the beginning of the novel Scout and many of the children in the town are fearful of a mysterious man named Boo Radley. As Scout grows up, we see her undertake a change that helps her view others, as well as Boo Radley, in a new perspective. By the end Scout's outlook on people has changed significatntly which allows her to walk with Boo and not fear him. She comes to the realization that Boo Radley shouldn't be feared, but just seen as another man who is trying to get by and become friends with others. In To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses …show more content…
For example, when the mob was gathered outside of the jail Scout thought about something Atticus had told her, "Atticus had said it was the polite thing to talk to people about what they were interested in, not about what you were interested in," (205). Scout uses this lesson to talk to Mr. Cunningham who was the 'leader' of the mob that had gathered at the jail. She shows howshe stands up to his so Tom and Atticus will not have to deal with them. In addition to this, when Atticus asked if Scout could understand what had happened with the story of Bob Ewell's death she replied, "Well, it'd be sort of like shootin' a mockingbird, wouldn't it," (370)? This statement concludes to how she has grown to learn more about Boo Radley and how situations in the town work. Scout like Boo Radley and knows that what he did was to protect her and Jem and well as himself. Furthermore, after Scout is on her way home after walking with Boo to his house she thinks about what Atticus had told her about steeping into someone's shoes, "Atticus was right. One time he said you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them. Just standing on the Radley porch was enough," (374). At this point Scout takes in the real meaning of that lesson. She never really understood everything about Boo, but she has matured and understands the life of …show more content…
To start off, when Atticus caught the children by Boo Radley's house he made Scout realize seomthing, "What Mr. Radley did might seem peculiar to us, but it did not seem peculiar to him," (65). Atticus makes Scout and the other kids realize what they were doing wasn't right. This moment sticks in Scout's mind, and it sparks the beginning of her realzing that what they were doing was something she wouldn't want done to herself. Additionally, while Scout is walking home from school she imagines hvaing conversations with Boo, "'Hidy do, Mr. Arthur,' I would say, as if I had said it every afternoon of my life," (325). Scout has come to respect Boo in the way that she would start to call him Mr. Arthur because he was an actual person to her now, and not just a mysterious recluse who she was once fearful of. She has never actually talked to Boo, but she anticipates it because she is not afraid anymore. Lastly, when Atticus and Mr. Tate are trying to figure ot what happened to Bob Ewell Scout sees Boo, "His lips parted into a timid smile, and our neighbor's image blurred with my sudden tears. 'Hey Boo,' I said," (362). She sees Boo and shortley after Atticus introduces Scout to Boo. I think she realizes he was the one who saved her and Jem, and starts to cry because she had just now relaized the respect she should've had for
"She had her own views about things, a lot different from mine, maybe.son, I told you that if you hadn't lost your head I'd have made you go read to her. I wanted you to see something about her-I wanted you to see what real courage is instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand" (128). Scout's change of maturity level is defined by a progression towards understanding Atticus' life lessons, which halt at the ending chapters of the book when Scout recognizes Boo Radley as a human being. After the night when Bob Ewell's life ends, Boo Radley exposes himself as a kindhearted man who Scout can relate with.
they both explained that there was a ‘..long jagged scar that ran across his face; what yellow teeth he had were yellow and were rotten his eyes popped, and he drooled most of the time.”(Lee,13) Boo Radley and is a shy man that does not like getting out much but he always wanted to have friends, but he was to afraid to talk to be people, but scout and jem are two people that caught his attention to be friends with, so to give them hints Boo Radley leaves them little presents in a tree so they both can find them so he can show that he wants to reach out to them so they can have a friendship this can relate back to the Mockingbird because the mockingbird has the qualities like Boo Radley. In the book To kill a Mockingbird ...”mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy they don't eat up people's gardens, don't nest in corncribs, they don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us.”(Lee,90) Boo Radley is similar to these qualities because he also keeps to himself and does not bother any body. He also likes to bring joy by the gifts he gives to Jem and scout.
Atticus continuously tells her that this is wrong and that she needs to learn to control her anger, “You might hear some ugly talk about it at school, but do one thing for me if you will: you just hold your head high and keep those fists down. No matter what anybody says to you, don’t you let ‘em get your goat? Try fighting with your head for a change” (Lee 101). The day after this discussion with Atticus, Scout is approached by a fellow student who had previously made a mean comment about her father. “I drew a bead on him, remembered what Atticus had said, then dropped my fists and walked away.it was the first time I ever walked away from a fight” (Lee 102).
“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view . . . until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” This quote is one of the most famous quotes throughout the influential book of To Kill A Mockingbird. Harper Lee wrote this book to instill her ideas in. She used many different methods to explain one same idea, change. Through the idea of change Lee uses a young girl named Scout Finch. “Scout's narrative relates how she and her elder brother Jem learn about fighting prejudice and upholding human dignity.” Scout is the idea of change and development. Scout goes through three stages of evolution: innocence from corruption, exposed to society’s flaws, and realization about the truth of Maycomb.
Bob Ewell decided to get back at Atticus for the Tom Robinson case by attacking his kids. Boo Radley saved Scout and Jem by stabbing Bob but Heck Tate is insistent on saying that Bob fell on his knife. Atticus agrees and then explains the situation to Scout. Scout explained to him, “‘ Yes sir, I understand,’ I reassured him. ‘Mr.Tate was right.’ Atticus disengaged himself and looked at me. ‘What do you mean?’ ‘Well, it’d be sort of like shootin’ a mockingbird, wouldn’t it?’” (Lee 370) This excerpt depicts that Scout understands how turning in Boo for doing a good deed would be comparable to that of killing a mockingbird. Killing a mockingbird in these times was considered a sin due to the fact that they were completely harmless. This relates to the topic sentence because Scout compares Boo to a mockingbird, more specifically she compares the innocence of the two. She sees that a mockingbird does nothing except make music, similarly to Boo who does nothing except mind his own business and in the end save the Finch kids and the town from the burden of Mr.Ewell. Neither of the creatures cause any harm to anyone so they should not be punished for their simple ways. Another time Boo shows how he connects to Scout is when Scout walks Boo home after he saves her and Jem from Bob. She is standing on the Radley porch and reflects on the past years events through Boo’s eyes. Scout thinks, “ Autumn again, and Boo’s children needed him. Atticus was right. One time he said you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them.” (Lee 374) This quote shows how Scout begins to see things from other people’s point of view. She looks back at the past few years but this time from Boo’s perspective.This connects to my topic sentence because Scout finally sees the innocence of Boo. She sees that he is exactly like a mockingbird, this whole time they
However, she only believes this because of lack of being able understand different perspectives, and lack of maturity. After the kids are attacked and attempted to be killed by Bob Ewell, a hate crime that is directed to Atticus for shaming him during the court trial, Scout learns the one that has saved both Jem and herself was in fact Boo Radley. While walking Arthur home at the end of the book, she realizes the rumours being spread around about him were false, and he is just a recluse who has gotten his reputation destroyed by his father as revenge for “ruining” his families name when he was younger. These events that partake over the course of the book capture the essence of themes including: acceptance comes with maturity, and things are not always as they appear to
Before the statement, she liked to assume information and had little understanding of others. During her first day of school, Scout spoke to Miss Caroline and Scout stated,”Walter’s one of the Cunninghams” (26). She just assumed that Miss Caroline understood these things about Maycomb. However, after Atticus makes the statement about understanding from another’s point of view, Scout turns into a new woman. She even finds herself understanding Boo Radley when she recalled,”Atticus was right… just standing on the Radley porch was enough” (374). Scout has started to gain the quality of understanding people from their points of
Throughout the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, many characters develop and mature in unique ways. Boo, who fears talking to others, Aunt Alexandra, who is against people of other races or social classes, and Scout, who is young and is not aware of life’s challenges, constantly suppress their emotions and personality. Their life choices and decisions that they make throughout the book, lead them to be more accepting of others and less prejudice. As the book progresses, Boo, Aunt Alexandra, and Scout learn life lessons and develop into mature adults.
Boo Radley is thought to be a malevolent, soulless, deceitful person, but he proves to be a caring, good-natured person. In Chapter 1, Jem offers his perception of Boo Radley to Scout and Dill: " ‘Boo was about six-and-a-half feet tall, judging from his tracks; he dined on raw squirrels and any cats he could catch, that’s why his hands were bloodstained—if you ate an animal raw, you could never wash the blood off. 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’ " (16). Jem perceives Boo Radley as being a “monster” instead of being a man. Jem comes to this conclusion despite having never even seen Boo Radley in person. Jem’s understanding of Boo Radley is based on the rumors that he has heard about him. In Chapter 8, after the fire at Miss Maudie’s house, Scout notices that she was wrapped in a blanket that she did not have with she left the house. Scout asks Atticus who was the person that put the blanket around her. Atticus tells Scout, "Boo Radley. You were so busy watching the fire you didn't know it when he...
Scout’s maturity is shown through what she says and how it affects others. When a mob appears for Atticus, Scout,Dill and Jem defend Atticus. After speaking to Mr. Cunningham about the kind things that he had done for her family, Scout says “ I slowly awoke to the fact that I was addressing the entire aggregation. The men were all looking at me, some had their mouths half-open. Atticus had stopped poking at Jem: they were standing together beside Dill. Their attention amounted to fascination. Atticus’s mouth,even, was half-open, an attitude he had once described as uncouth. Our mouths met and he shut it” (205). This shows how Scout’s tone when addressing Mr. Cunningham really had an effect on the mob. Scout’s tone showed how she knew that what she had said was meaningful and had an impact on the mob. This comes with great maturity from Scout to understand that her tone had an impact to be firm on her stance about Tom but not to disrespect anybody's opinions. Harper Lee also shows Scout’s maturity through characterization. Throughout the novel she learns that all races should be treated equally but also every opinion should be respected. After a lunch party with many women who don't have the same opinions as Scout she thinks to herself “Well, neither of us was the Mayor of Birmingham, but I wished I was governor of Alabama for one day: I’d let Tom Robinson go so quick the Missionary Society wouldn't have to catch its breath” (313). Scout understands that she must respect all opinions even though she doesn't agree with them. In the town of Maycomb, almost everyone hates Tom Robinson except for Scout and her family and because of this Scout matures to respect every
Atticus, the father of Jem and Scout, was right when he said, ¨you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them.¨ Scout realizes that Boo Radley is not who everyone rumors him out to be. Scout learns that you need to spend time with a person to find out who he truly is. She learns this after walking Boo Radley home after the disturbing experience the Finch kids had been in. Scout finally understood what life looked like from Boo Radley's perspective when she is standing with him on his front porch. Also, when Scout talks to Atticus at the end of the book he shows her how she has turned into a wonderful young lady. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee develops the theme that believing rumors will lead you to false assumptions unless you have walked in that person's shoes through imagery, characterization, and point of view.
The people who lack empathy for the Radley’s are the kids such as Scout, Jem, and Dill. On page 16, Jem describes Boo Radley as a monster with yellow and rotten teeth, eyes that popped, drooling, blood stained hands, and having a long jagged scar across his face. They also dare each other to get as close as possible and make mean plays about the Radley family. When Miss Muadie’s house burns down Boo gives Scout a blanket and she sees that he is not a monster. Later when Atticus is defending Tom Robbinson the town seems to turn their backs on Atticus and his family, becuase he is defending a black man which is looked down upon in the town. Tom Robbinson is innocent, but because he is a black man the town views him as guilty anyway. When the town comes to a conclusion that he is guilty, Jem comes to the conclusion that the outside world is unfair, because he knows Tom Robinson is innocent. This is a good coming of age moment for Jem, because he develops empathy for Tom Robbinson and changes his mindset. Scout throughout the story is forced to develop empathy towards other people by her farther, Calpurnia, and Jem. In chapter 3, when she is beating up Walter Cunningham, she is forced to stop by her older brother Jem, who later invites him to dinner. Then later in the house, Scout was being rude to Walter for the way he ate. Calpurnia scolds Scout by
Another way Scout changed a lot was in the way she treated Boo Radley. At the beginning of the book Jem, Dill, and herself enjoyed playing "Boo Radley" as a game and tormenting him by trying to have a chance to see him or prove their bravery by touching the house. As time went on, Scout's fears and apprehensions regarding the Radley place slowly disappeared. She mentions how "the Radley Place had ceased to terrify me (her)..." As she matures and is more able to take care of herself, she realizes more and more that Boo Radley is a human being, just like herself.
As the book comes to a close, readers can see just how mature and empathetic Scout has become. After Scout and Jem, Scout’s brother, are saved by Arthur “Boo” Radley, the town shut-in, Scout walks Boo home and after he walks back into her house, she turns around and just stares out at the street from Boo’s point of view instead of from her own. Her father taught her that you should
Scout starts to understand people’s needs, opinions, and their points of view. In the beginning, Scout does not really think much about other people’s feelings, unless it directly pertains to her. Jem and Dill decided to create a play based on the life of one of their neighbors, Boo Radley. According to neighborhood rumors, Boo got into a lot of trouble as a kid, stabbed his father with scissors, and never comes out of the house. The children create a whole drama and act it out each day. “As the summer progressed, so did our game. We polished and perfected it, added dialogue and plot until we had manufactured a small play among which we rang changes every day” (Lee 52). Scout turned Boo’s life into a joke, something for her entertainment. She did not think about how Boo would feel if he knew what they were doing. Near the end of the book, while Boo was at the Finch house, Scout led him onto the porc...