Literary Analysis Essay on To Kill a Mocking Bird

Introduction

In the novel, To Kill a Mocking Bird, two children reside with their father, Atticus in a small town deep south in Alabama. The town is called Maycomb. Boo Radley, their neighbor and is described as a reclusive, psychotic and is rumored to be a very dangerous man. Though the children view Boo as an enigma, a few noteworthy occurrences occur that dramatically change their perception about him. This paper seeks to analyze the relationship between Boo Radley and the children by looking at the children developing maturity, social prejudices and role of the adult in children lives.

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The Gradual Maturity of the Children

The relationship between them is depicted as one showing the gradual maturity of children. In the beginning, Jem and Scout are frightened by Arthur Radley, a mysterious person that never lives his dwellings. His presence in their neighborhood occupies much of the children's thought. They conceptualize Arthur's appearance and life story. Jem description of Boo is that he is about six and a half feet tall and based on his roadway he dined with squirrels and cats that he caught. The children occupation with Arthur allows them to escape the monotony of their lives hence providing them with some adventure and excitement. As the story develops, Arthur becomes more involved in the children lives. For example, they receive small gifts from Arthur at Radley's tree. The gifts mark the beginning of their anonymous relationship. The night of Miss Maudie house fire, Arthur wraps a blanket around Scout to keep her warm, but she is entirely unaware. Jem informs Atticus that it was Boo that mends his pants; hence he cannot harm them. the end of the novel e after the Tom Robinson case an encounter with their attacker, Bob Ewell, the children are illustrated as being able to comprehend their environment and how people behave the way they do. The author uses the relationship between Arthur Radley and the Finch to demonstrate the children's evolving maturity. Their relationship with Arthur is a crucial learning experience for them. They conclude that Arthur is a good-natured man who was looking for companionship.

Revealing Social Prejudices through the Relationship

The relationship between Boo and the children is used to make evident the prejudices that exist in society. The child perspective, though easy to mislead, is depicted as on that probes events and behaviors closely towards truth than adults are capable of. Dill assertion that he is old though little symbolizes that children may have a wider grasp on events than their elders. The facet of childhood is physically represented when Jem dares to rush into Radley's yard which is fundamentally condemned and shunned by the entire town. The efforts by a child to go against the ill judgment of a man is commendable. During the trial of Tom Robinson, an African American man convicted of rape, Jem says "I think I am beginning to understand why Boo Radley stayed shut up in the house all the time." (p.231). They conclude that he wants to stay inside away from the society that condemns him and people like Tom Robinson. The children come to see Boo as a real person when he protects them from Bob Ewell, who attempted to kill them in revenge. He stands out as a hero and not the monster he was initially portrayed. Scout comes to see him as a neighbor. Just as Atticus had said, "You never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them," she now understood Boo. Boo watched over them and was there when they needed him. Boo comes out different from how society depicts him.

The Role of Adults in the Lives of Children

The author has used the relationship to show the interaction between adults and children. Children and adults see Boo as a mysterious man. He, however, is an introverted person who shuns himself from society. Scout, Jem, and Dill in their summer, attempt to interact with him so that he can have ice cream. The children want to make a relationship with him so that they can understand him. Boo in his capacity as an adult turns out to be caring towards children. Moreover, he plays a significant role in being a protector. Boo came out of his house to protect the children he loved since he had watched them as they had watched him. He risked his life for the children in a world that held no place for him. Scout in her narration notes "He gave us two soap dolls, a broken watch and chain, a pair of good luck pennies and our lives." (p.282). Apart from the gifts, scout acknowledges that he gave them life; this follows from the Bob Ewell attempt to harm them. The relationship between Boo, towards the children, concludes that adults should be protective and caring.

The essay has analyzed the relationship between Boo Radley and the children. It has looked at the relationship as illustrating their maturity from a childish obsession with Radley to them understanding the society. It has also analyzed how the relationship reveals the prejudices in society and the active role that adults play in the lives of children.

References

Lee, H. (2015). Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. London, United Kingdom: Cornerstone.