Question: What is the significance of this quote, "Mr. Radley shot at a Negro in his collard patch . . . Shot in the air. Scared him pale, though." (72)?
In chapter 6, Harper Lee highlights the extreme racism during the 1930's. On Dill's last day in Maycomb, Scout, Jem, and him decide to spy on Boo Radley through the Radley house windows. Mr. Radley thought someone was intruding his yard and shot a bullet in the air to attempt to scare the "intruder" off. Scout describes, "the roar of a shotgun shattered the neighborhood." (72) The kids escaped unharmed , but quickly ran to the crowd of neighbors that started to accumulate, crossing their fingers that they wouldn't get caught. Attempting to act like nothing had happened, Jem asked the neighbors, "What happened?" (72) Of course it was Stephanie Crawford that replied, explaining what Mr. Radley had said to her, "Mr. Radley shot at a Negro in his collard patch . . . Shot in the air. Scared him pale, though." (72) Basically, what Mr. Radley supposedly said was that a black person intruded his yard and when he shot the bullet in the air, he scared the African American person so much that their skin turned white. So really, Mr. Radley saw a white person, but because he is very racist, he took the time to find a way to blame the " intrusion" on a black person.
The scene involving Stephanie Crawford mention that Mr. Radley told her that a black person intruded his yard is very important in the plot of To Kill a Mockingbird. Harper Lee is trying to convey to the reader that racism was a part of everyone's life, 24/7, in the 1930's. It was not just a situation were someone said something that was racist every so often. It was more like, "Oh the weather is so nice today!" then a racist remark would be said and generally when it was said it would be completely unnecessary. For instance the racist observation that Mr. Radley made about "the black person intruding his yard" was totally unnecessary, meaning that he really didn't have to make it racist, but yet he did. Harper Lee does an excellent job showing racism in the 1930's through this quote and many others throughout the novel.
Do you think Mr. Radley really made the racist remark, or do you think it was just Stephanie Crawford spreading more rumors? Why or why not? What drove Mr. Radley to make the racist remark? Was it anger or just plain racism?
At that point in the story, Mr. Radley was not only angry, but an angry racist. He was a mix of both because like any Man from southern Alabama at the time he was racist, but also angry that his property was being trespassed. In this situation Mr. Radley was mainly mad, but still just saying it was a black person using the word he did is racist. Mr. Radley did have a reason for being mad though. If you put yourself in his shoes think of how angry you would be. Just a couple of dumb kids hearing some false rumors about your son, your wife, and yourself. Trying to leave a note to tell my son to come out. Taking a bunch of stuff from my tree. Trying to spy on my family. Think of how mad you would be. Mr. Radley was very Racist and angry but there was very good reasoning behind him being angry.
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