Boo Radley: Symbol of Kindness

Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird is among the greatest of all Great American Novels. Lee’s only book shines light upon the best and worst traits of humanity & is an exceptional criticism and an insightful commentary on contemporary American society.

To Kill A Mockingbird is a Bildungsroman novel told from the perspective of Jean and Jem Finch. They are the story's deuteragonists, and the novel's events have a resounding impact on those young minds. The novel touches upon exceptionally sensitive subjects and showcases how such events affect & influence developing psyches. Jeremy and Jean Finch's interaction with the different characters in the novel is also a major aspect and plot point in To Kill A Mockingbird. The sibling's interactions, discussions, and encounters with various characters take the story forward and help evolve our protagonists.

Probably, one of the most striking and prominent of all the interactions & encounters the children had was with Arthur 'Boo' Radley. An enigmatic entity, he is rarely seen but plays a critical role in the story. Radley is a symbol of fear & mystery for the siblings & their friends, and at the end of the story, he comes across the savior.

This article analyzes Arthur Radley's character thoroughly and tries to unearth the ideas, symbols, & aspects of humanity that he stands for. But before that, it's best to mull over the entire plot.

A Quick Summary

To Kill A Mockingbird takes place in the fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama, during the Great American Depression.

The family and characters under the spotlight are the Finches – patriarch Atticus Finch, a dignified lawyer, a liberal thinker, a fearless man with strong moral convictions, and a caring father; his son Jeremy ‘Jem’ Finch, a headstrong, intelligent, idealistic, sensitive but surprisingly mature child who takes upon his father, and his daughter, Jean ‘Scout’ Finch, the chief protagonist & observer who is also a tomboy and unusually intelligent, thoughtful, and good at heart. The family also has a black maid in their service, Calpurnia, who helps Atticus raise the children after their mother's death.

The community respects the Finch family. Like any other American siblings, the Finch children play around the neighborhood with their friends and love to explore & go on thrilling adventures. Of particular interest is the strange and reclusive Arthur ‘Boo’ Radley. The children play around the Radley residence with fear and excitement and are amazed at the unbelievable stories about Radley, but they never come face to face with this strange man. Unbeknownst to the kids, Boo Radley keeps an eye on the children and starts leaving small gifts for them.

The story unfolds further when Atticus Finch is tasked with defending a black man, Tom Robinson, who has been accused of raping a white girl, Mayella Ewell. Atticus agrees to defend Tom and find out the truth to the best of his abilities, despite strong objections from the community. Atticus' determination and benevolent attitude towards Tom Robinson create more and more tension with many families across the town of Maycombe – the family is called ‘nigger-lovers’, and even the children are not spared.

The Finches stop a mob from lynching Tom Robinson. The children then attend the trial wherein, despite Atticus' strong arguments & evidence to the contrary, Tom is convicted and sent to jail. This demoralizes Atticus and shakes Jeremy Finch's beliefs & views of the justice system & the very society.

Tom Robinson is killed while trying to escape prison. Still, the Ewells, Bob & his daughter Mayella, who were already considered unreliable and disgusting ‘white trash’ by the townsfolk, suffer one indignity upon another from all quarters. Bob is humiliated at the trial and blamed by the entire community for being an unworthy father and a sly schemer who uses his daughter to gain prominence in society. He has lost all credibility due to Atticus’ scathing accusations and spits on his face out of spite. Ewell also threatens Atticus with dire consequences.

Things take a dark turn when Bob Ewell attacks the Finch siblings on Hallow’s Eve. Ewell breaks Jeremy Finch’s arm and knocks him out when Jem tries to defend his sister. A mysterious man comes to their rescue, saving the children and stabbing Ewell to death.

Everybody, including the children, Atticus, and the town Sheriff, realize that the rescuer is not Arthur 'Boo' Radley. They keep his identity secret to protect this unique & reclusive from all the hassle. For the first time, Boo Radley talks with Scout Finch and asks her to accompany him to his house.

After a final goodbye, they part ways for the last time as Scout never sees Arthur Radley again. Scout stays on the Radley porch for some time, her intelligent mind trying to contemplate the world from Boo Radley’s perspective.

To Kill A Mockingbird has an incredibly complex narrative as it touches upon some of the most sensitive and dark aspects of human society and addresses them through children's eyes. The simplicity of a child’s viewpoint was used to talk about adult emotions and several other complexities of the human mind & society. Lee tackles this challenging aspect of the narrative by using humor, irony, & satire to address & describe sensitive subjects and situations.

However, one character symbolized pure, unadulterated simplicity – Arthur ‘Boo’ Radley.

Let’s find out why and how the character of Boo Radley is considered a beacon of all that’s good in humanity. View Examples

Understanding Arthur Radley

The character of Arthur 'Boo' Radley is a social recluse. He does not interact with anyone in the neighborhood or even leave his house. In all probability, Boo is intellectually and emotionally challenged & cannot connect with or understand how society works. However, given his role in the story, Harper Lee may have used this character to symbolize pure & absolute goodness that has removed itself from this increasingly corrupt, intolerant, demented, and self-destructive society.

· Boo Radley IS ONE OF THE MOCKINGBIRDS!

Like Jem and Tom, Boo is also one of the mockingbirds that symbolize the loss of innocence due to the touch of evil. However, unlike the other two, Boo doesn't suffer much due to losing his innocence. The town sheriff and Atticus protect the last mockingbird of the story from indignity and hassles.

· Arthur Radley Is The Personification Of Goodness, Kindness, And Benevolence.

Despite scant appearances in the novel, Boo Radley comes across as a good guy because of his simple, good-hearted actions. He does not chase away the children playing around his house; instead, he leaves some presents for them. He comes to the rescue of the Finch siblings and becomes the ultimate nemesis of the evil Bob Ewell.

· He Leaves An Indelible Mark On The Finches.

In the early part of the story, Arthur Radley is a heavily misunderstood entity. The children fear him, everybody tells strange stories about him, and there’s loads of superstition associated with him. Any small crime or unexplainable negative incident would be attributed to him. The townsfolk universally shunned the Radley Family due to their reclusive nature, and there was always an air of mystery surrounding the house & the family.

Probably only Atticus Finch had a tolerant view of the Radley family. Given their age, his children still looked at the Radley house with fear and a sense of excitement.

Their fear and misunderstandings turned into confusion and amazement when Boo Radley began leaving little presents for them. And confusion and amazement turned into appreciation & a lesson in understanding the many facets of human nature for the children when Boo Radley rescues the Finch siblings and asks Jean to walk him to his house.

The character of Arthur Radley was not just a lesson and blessing in disguise for Jem and Scout but also l as a salve for their troubled psyche.

· Boo Radley Is The Perfect Example Of Not Judging A Book By Its Cover.

The children and the greater community dismissed the Radleys as an evil and demented family that perpetrated several unreported crimes. Yet, Boo Radley is a kind, golden-hearted man who loves children like his own. And he becomes a part of the heroic brigade of Atticus, Jem, and Jean.

Arthur Radley lets his actions speak for him. Though he and his family are misread and mistreated by society, Boo harbors no ill feelings toward anyone. He is brave, thoughtful, and extremely courageous, ignoring all risks to save the kids from trouble.

· A Misunderstood, Special Man With Superpowers!

An article by Eastern Kentucky University describes Arthur Radley as autistic. While Harper Lee does not mention Boo Radley suffering from any cognitive disorder, his reclusive nature, overtly silent nature, and near-zero interaction with others are typical signals of autistic spectrum disorder.

Autism is a spectrum disorder that affects different people differently. Autistic people are neurodivergent and look at & interact with the world differently from neurotypical people. They experience exceptional levels of empathy, are overly sensitive, and cannot register duality & deception.

All these behavioral and character traits are evident in Arthur Radley as well. He does not interact with anyone out there & is a complete recluse. Harper Lee likely created the character of Boo Radley as autistic to present a sharp contrast between these highly-sensitive and empathetic beings & the desensitized, self-centered, intolerant masses. Unfortunately, the way Lee depicts the town’s treatment of Radley accurately depicts how 1960s southern US towns treated people with nervous disorders.

In this world of supposedly normal humans, the empathetic, kind-hearted, simpleton Arthur ‘Boo’ Radley is a superhero with superpowers that very few possess.

· An Array of Other Exceptional Traits

Arthur Radley is surprisingly intelligent, hyperaware, and extremely impulsive in his actions. And all of these traits are symptomatic of an autism spectrum disorder.

Boo exhibits subtle intelligence, as depicted by the beautiful dolls he creates for the Finch siblings. The resemblance of the dolls to the children is strikingly uncanny. Boo's autistic nature makes him surprisingly proficient at certain tasks.

Hyperawareness is another special ability that his autism grants Arthur. He is extremely observant despite being a recluse and is affectionate about the children who play around his house. Boo Radley's autism-based impulsiveness is another unique trait that saves the Finch siblings near the end of the story.

Some Final Thoughts

Harper Lee's ideas behind this character's creation stem from her extremely observant nature, her liberal & tolerant outlook, and the need to highlight the multifaceted nature of American society in the 20^th century.

Harper Lee uses Arthur Radley:

To address the strong social stigma associated with mental disorders,
To portray that we should never be quick to judge others,
To highlight the flaws and failures of the commoner & the society at large,
To end the story on a positive note and let good & positivity triumph over evil & negativity,

Overall, the character of Arthur Radley, despite his minimal appearance, is a major character and plays a key role in conveying some of the most important of the author's messages.

Well, that's about it for this write-up. Hope this in-depth analysis was insightful and informative enough for everyone. All the best!