Harper Lee uses the blanket draped around Scout as a tool to show Jem and Scout’s continuing relationship with Boo Radley. During the fire at Miss Maudie’s, Scout and Jem are standing together by the Radley gate. Because of the unusually cold winter weather, both children are very cold. They return home after the fire to find that during the commotion, someone draped a blanket over Scout’s shoulders. After a moment of consideration Atticus realizes, “‘Scout can thank him for covering her up’ ‘Thank who?’...’Boo Radley. You were so busy looking at the fire you didn’t know it when he put the blanket around you.’” (96)
A blanket during a scary time implies warmth, protection and safety. Boo Radley, who the children once thought of as a monster because of the town rumors, has now made an explicitly kind, helpful gesture. Even though the knothole has been covered up, Boo continues to make an effort to connect with the children. Through gifts in the knothole and the blanket at the fire, Harper Lee shows an apparent change in Boo, who is attempting to interact with people in the town whose opinions have not yet been completely tainted. In this chapter, Boo very clearly makes the transition from a negative to a positive presence in Jem and Scout’s lives, even though they have yet to see him in person.
Do you think Scout and Jem will ever see Boo? Does Harper Lee want him to stay mysterious? Is there any truth at all to the negative rumors?
After this incident of Arthur covering Scout with a blanket, I have questioned whether the kids will ultimately see “Boo” in person. He begins with the reputation of being monstrous and scary. Then rumors get crushed. Arthur’s character shifts when Mrs. Maudie reveals that he was pretty “normal” as a young child. Now, Harper Lee is giving us a situation where Arthur is identified as a warm, caring, and protective person, but still the children don’t actually see him. Harper Lee wants to keep Arthur’s character as an unknown, to further continue the “Boo” Radley mystery. The kids will not see him in person but they will know that he is watching out for them. Harper Lee will continue to display “Boo” as a warmhearted man but his mystery will remain the same.
ReplyDeleteInstead of Jem and Scout, do you think someone else will see “Boo” in person? If so, who and why?
Boo Radley does continue to almost erase these rumors from Scout and Jem's brain. Through his acts of kindness and gifts he does so. I do think that Scout and Jem will end up seeing Boo. It is said that by the end of the book, you find out how Jem has broken his arm. Out of everything bad that has happened during the story, it seems that Boo Radley helps when he can. Once Jem breaks his arm, the character of Boo Radley will be revealed while trying to help Jem.
ReplyDeleteI do think Harper Lee wants him to stay mysterious, but as the book goes on she will show more and more about who Boo Radley really is. So far we have seen his acts of kindness. I think as the book goes on we will see much more.
Who do you think Boo Radley really is? Do you think he is a nice caring person or a monster people say he is?
To answer Haley's questions I think that Boo is a good person in his youth but is covered up by gossip and his goodness is only remembered by people like Mrs. Maudie. But the problem is that he was reckless and he was placed under Mr. Radley's supervision. Then, I think that after that gossip got the best of Arthur who was a good and generous person and transformed into Boo who "dined on raw squirrels and any cats he can catch"(Lee,16).From that point on very few people focused on the good of Arthur, but instead on the evil of Boo.
ReplyDeleteI have to disagree with you Olivia because after all this build up he has to come out. Harper Lee is putting these incidents in to keep us wondering about Arthur Radley's character. He will come out when Jem breaks his arm probably as a hero. Harper Lee is starting his appearances with this moment. I expect to see or hear of Boo being outside much more leading up to Jem’s injury. This situation changes the view of Boo Radley as a good person. Now that he has come out I think that the games trying to get Boo Radley out will start to stop.
ReplyDeleteBoo is a tool that Harpor Lee is using to make the reader want to keep on reading. To make people ask questions about Boo, she keeps him a mystery because if the reader has questions about the book, they have no choice but to further read and answer those questions so that their mind can be at rest. At the end of the book I think that Harpor Lee will reveal Boo to us and Jem and Scout. He is starting to appear more and more throughout the book and he is being revealed more as a human than a monster. He has been showing signs of kindness like the blanket over Scouts shoulder as well. Does Boo not being revealed make you want to keep reading?
ReplyDeleteI think that Harper Lee is purposefully having Boo remain an enigma in the Finch children's eyes. She also wants the reader to wonder about Boo, and thats what keeps us turning the pages. There is probably some truth to the negative rumors because most rumors and stereotypes derive from truth. However, it seems like Boo knows what he has done in the past is wrong, and he's now trying to make up for his wrong doings, and help out the Finch kids by forming a relationship with them. Granted, this relationship is mysterious and sketchy, but it is the best Boo can do given his circumstances. I predict that throughout the rest of the story we will witness more of Boo's random acts of kindness, but ultimately we will never see Boo Radley.
ReplyDeleteTo answer your question Miriam, yes, I think that the children will finally see Boo. We can see how Harper Lee has been playing a show not tell game with the different acts of kindness that Boo has bestowed. As the reader we see it from the perspective of the children and how their thoughts develop with the increase in their knowledge of who Boo Radley really is. With each piece of evidence that the children find, a rumor is erased and the facts are brought into the light. With all this rising action we can only assume that the Boo Radley episode will come to a climactic finish with the mystery man being revealed. Do you think that Harper Lee will wait until the end of the book or will Boo be uncovered sooner?
ReplyDelete