Arthur "Boo" Radley

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Arthur "Boo" Radley by Mind Map: Arthur "Boo" Radley

1. Acts Like

1.1. "Every move he made was uncertain, as if he were not sure his hands and feet could make proper contact with the things he touched"pg304

1.1.1. This lack of experience of the world that he was not apart of has made him unsure and hesitant about his movements and overall confidence

1.2. "He coughed his dreadful raling cough"pg303

1.2.1. He potentially could be sick and this could be due to the lack of vitamins or benefits that come from nature

1.3. "An expression of timid curiosity was on his face, as though he had never seen a boy before"pg304

1.3.1. This reinforces the fact that Boo Radley never spent time outside or in the world, so this timid curiosity displays his naive and inexperienced nature

1.4. "His hand came down lightly on Jem's hair" pg 304

1.4.1. This quotes suggests that Boo Radley is gentle and cautious, he is the opposite of what the rest of Maycomb thought about him

2. Textual issue or concerns linked to this character

2.1. "every scratch of feet on gravel was Boo Radley seeking revenge,every passing Negro laughing in the night was Boo Radley loose and after us;

2.1.1. This is a concern as it represents the overall perception of Boo Radley from Maycomb especially his behaviour.

2.2. "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 blood-stained.... There was a long jagged scar that ran across his face; what teeth he had were yellow and rotten; his eyes popped, ad he drooled most of the time"

2.2.1. This also links to the other quote although this mainly displays the perception of his physical appearance, people perceived him to look animal like and not only look like a animal but act like one.

3. Motivated by

3.1. 'Then somebody yanked Mr Ewell down."

3.1.1. This suggests that Boo Radley was on Jem and Scout's side and was against Bob Ewell, he is a good character

3.2. "Boo Radley. You were so busy looking at the fire you didn't know when he put the blanket around you pg78

3.2.1. This shows that Boo is willing to help and wants to help but would prefer to be unknown and unnoticed as he has been like that all his life so he would like to maintain that.

3.3. "His fingers found the door knob. He gently released my hand, opened the door, went inside, and shut the door behind. I never saw him again.

3.3.1. This quote represents Boo Radley's motivations as it also reinforces the fact that he doesn't want anything to change, he wants things to go back to the way they were. To be unknown and to never see anyone again.

4. Looks like

4.1. Somewhat sickly

4.1.1. "...his face was as white as his hands, but for a shadow on his jutting chin. His cheeks were thin to hollowness; his mouth was wide; there were shallow, almost delicate indentations at his temples, and his grey eyes were so colourless I thought he was blind. His hair was dead and thin, almost feathery on top of his head."-Pg. 294

4.1.1.1. The character of Boo Radley has not been seen out of his house for over a decade. Because of this, the lack of Vitamin D must have changed his appearance somewhat to become sickly-looking, as we see in his description here.

4.2. The fact that he never goes outside shows

4.2.1. "...he brought his arms down and pessed the palms of his hands to the wall. They were sickly white hands that had never seen the sun, so white they stood out garishly against the dull cream wall..." - pg. 294

4.2.1.1. Even as it is stated very clearly here, the comparison between the creamy-coloured walls and how pale his skin is creates a real, strong image of his pallor. Most people would be several shades darker, even in the South of America in the constant heat

4.3. When smiling, he looks friendly

4.3.1. "..tension slowly drained from his face. His lips parted into a timid smile..."

4.3.1.1. When smiling, he is described as 'timid', which could be seen as peaceful. When smiling, he has the same face as any other person.

5. Beliefs and Values

5.1. "Always spoke to me nicely, no matter what folks said he did. Spoke as nicely as he knew how." - pg 49

5.1.1. When Miss Maudie Atkinson speaks about the Arthur she knew as a child, it suddenly seems that the gossip is made up by people that have had nothing ever to do with the Radleys themselves. Because of this comment, we begin to like this character of Boo Radley more and more, and detest the rest of his family. This change causes more uncertainty within the ideas presented in Maycomb society: do they really know anything?

6. How Others See Him/Her

6.1. "Inside the house lived a malevolent phantom

6.1.1. Because very few people see the Radleys, especially Boo Radley, they have begun to see him as a phantom, perhaps even questioning even his existence. Their fear of the unknown could even influence how they see the sketchy, ghostly character of Boo.

6.2. "The Radleys kept to themselves

6.2.1. The Radleys are already seen as reclusive and silent, and thus the rumours of the elusive Arthur were untamed and free to become more and more outrageous as time went on

6.3. "...woven from bits and scraps of gossip and neighbourhood legend: Mrs Radly had been beautiful until she married Mr Radley and lost all her money. She also lost most of her teeth, her hair and her right forefinger (Dill’s contribution. Boo bit it off one night when he couldn’t find any cats and squirrels to eat)...."

6.3.1. This play that DIll, Jem and Scout put together is created from the scraps of gossip they hear in the neighbourhood. Because of the play they create, we can see that the gossip about the Radleys is far from complimentary - in fact, it makes them seem almost sinister, as if they were not human at all.