What are some details about Boo Radley's actions in Chapter 1 of To Kill a Mockingbird?

In Chapter 1 of Harper Lee's novel, Scout describes Boo Radley initially as a "malevolent phantom" because he is credited with acts of vandalism committed in the night. Superstitions about him exist; he has a mysterious history that leads to his reclusive life.
Here are some details:

• Jem and Scout have never seen him. They hear the "neighborhood legend" that Boo once ran around with the Cunninghams from Old Sarum, "the nearest thing to a gang" Macomb has ever had.
• One night this group were loud and chaotic around the town square; after their arrests, the judge charged them with disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace, assault, and other minor offenses.
• They were sentenced to the state industrial school, but Mr. Radley felt that such a sentence was a disgrace. So, after pledging that his son would be no more trouble, the father was allowed to take Boo home  "Mr. Radley's boy was not seen again for fifteen years."
• According to Miss Stephanie Crawford, the neighborhood gossip, when Boo was thirty-three years old, he stabbed his father in the leg as the man passed by him while he was cutting out articles for his scrapbook. Calmly, Boo wiped the scissors on his pants and continued his activity. When Mr. Radley ran screaming into the street, the sheriff came, only to find Boo calmly cutting The Maycomb Tribune. Nevertheless, the sheriff locked Boo in the courthouse basement, away from the men in the jail, where he remained for some time.
• Finally, some men in the community told Mr. Radley that Boo would die from the mold in that basement. So, somehow Mr. Radley secured Boo's release. After Boo finally returned home, he became "a ghost"; he was not seen or heard from.
• When Mr. Radley died, his son Nathan came from Pensacola and took his place. The house remains one that no one goes near.
• Miss Stephanie claims that Boo comes out at night and peers into windows and performs other clandestine activities.
• According to what Jem has heard, rumor has it that Boo is six-and-a-half feet tall, he eats raw squirrels and cats. His hands are bloodstained and his teeth are yellow and rotten-looking; furthermore, his eyes are popped, and he drools constantly.

What is Scout's view on Boo Radley in chapter 8 of To Kill a Mockingbird?

Her perspective changes from the beginning of the chapter to the end, but only slightly because she is still confused about what to make of the information she has. She has perceived him as a threat, and while she is still spooked by him, she now sees he may not be as scary as she thought.

At the beginning of the chapter we learn that Old Mrs. Radley has died and Scout seems certain that Boo was responsible. She and Jem are disappointed to find out that she actually died of natural causes AND that when Atticus visited the house after her passing, he did not see Boo. This shows that Scout views Boo as a bad guy, a psychopath, and a villain. Or at least she hopes he is for the sake of the stories they have been telling themselves. She is also genuinely a little spooked by the guy.

By the end of the chapter, it is obvious that Boo has snuck out of his house and put a blanket over Scout while she was watching Miss Maudie's house burn. When Atticus tells her it was Boo who wrapped the blanket around her, she felt sick:

"My stomach turned to water and I nearly threw up" (Ch. 8).

She, Jem, and Dill have all been telling stories about how crazy Boo is and up to this point she had no reason to disbelieve them. However, if he really did put the blanket over her, he might not be so scary. She's still nervous, though, about how close he got to her, given what she has felt about him.

In To Kill a Mockingbird, why are the children so interested in Boo Radley?

The children are curious about Boo Radley, but it also seems as if they bring up the story first to win over, scare or compete with the new little friend who appears at the fence line between their house and Miss Rachel's. For example, the first conversation that Jem has with Dill is about reading. Dill tells the kids that he can read and he's seven, but Jem has to one-up him by saying that Scout's been reading since she was born. Dill competes back by telling the kids that he's been to the movies and saw Dracula. Eventually Boo Radley comes up and Scout says that they "warn" Dill about Boo Radley, but maybe, as said above, it is a way to scare him or even initiate him into the neighborhood. Ironically though, it is Dill who uses the Radley house as a way to dare Jem to prove he is brave:

"'Let's try to make him come out,' said Dill. 'I'd like to see what he looks like.'

Jem said if Dill wanted to get himself killed, all he had to do was go up and knock on the front door. . . Dill bet Jem . . . that Jem wouldn't get any farther than the Radley gate. In all his life, Jem had never declined a dare" (13).

The above passage is only the beginning of future dares to come. The house and Boo Radley are like undiscovered country, and once Jem doesn't die from touching the house and running away, other strategies are used to get Boo to come out. The Radley house, therefore, also becomes a source of entertainment for the kids as they play out the Radley history as well as try to get the infamous phantom to come out.

In To Kill a Mockingbird, why are the children so interested in Boo Radley?

Arthur "Boo" Radley is an important person to Jem, Scout, and Dill because in many ways, he is a "blank slate" that their young imaginations can write on. He is a mystery, is almost never seen, and is the object of all sorts of crazy rumors about town. In reality, Boo is a gentle, mistreated soul, but the children imagine him to be a terrifying monster and even create a game around this false persona. When they give up their games and see Boo for who he really is, it is a sign that the children are growing up.

Another purpose for Boo's character is to serve as a parallel story to Tom Robinson's. Like Tom, Boo is an innocent man who has nevertheless been convicted in the court of public opinion. The reality of who he is is completely different than the public perceives him to be. They are both, symbolically, the "mockingbirds" of the novel.

What stories were told about Boo Radley in To Kill a Mockingbird?

In Maycomb lore, Boo Radley has taken on the role of local bogeyman. Most of this is the result of the reclusive and unfriendly nature of the Radley family as well as the shabby condition of their house. Scout describes it as looking very much like an archetypical haunted house. We are told that anything that goes wrong in the town is attributed to Boo.

Jem frightens Scout with exaggerated stories of Boo as a scar-faced monster who eats small animals raw. Jem also opines that Boo's father kept him chained to his bed at night, a story that Atticus says is unlikely. Atticus states that there are other ways to turn a person into a ghost.

Miss Stephanie Crawford reveals that the 33-year-old Boo stabbed his father:

As Mr. Radley passed by, Boo drove the scissors into his parent’s leg, pulled them out, wiped them on his pants, and resumed his activities.

Miss Maudie offers a more rational narrative than the town lore, telling Scout that Boo is more sinned against than sinning, the product of a man who became the wrong kind of harsh, judgmental Christian, breaking Boo's spirit.

All of the stories swirling around Boo encourage Scout in her prejudice against him. In the same way that many whites pre-judge Tom Robinson as guilty just because he is black, Scout believes all sorts of fantastic stories about Boo, even having never laid eyes on him. Because of her prejudice, even when Boo does kind things for the children, Scout persists in being frightened of him.

What stories were told about Boo Radley in To Kill a Mockingbird?

Jem and Scout got most of their stories from from Miss Stephanie Crawford. Among them:

• Boo peeped in windows at night.
• He breathed on azaleas during cold snaps, causing them to die.
• He was accused of killing and mutilating animals.
• He poisoned the pecans that grew in his back yard but fell in the schoolyard.
• He was accused of unsolved "stealthy" crimes.
• He joined other boys in stealing Mr. Conner's "flivver," and locking him in the courthouse outhouse.
• He was charged with disorderly conduct, disturbing the police, assault and battery, and using abusive language in the presence of a female.
• He stabbed his father in the leg with scissors.
• He mended Jem's pants after he lost them on the Radley fence.
• He put a blanket around Scout's shoulders on the night of Miss Maudie's house fire.
• He left presents for Jem and Scout in the knothole of the tree.

What do Boo Radley's interactions and actions towards the children in "To Kill a Mockingbird" reveal about his feelings and attitude?

Boo never verbally communicates with any of the children until he quietly "almost whispered... 'Will you take me home?' to Scout in the final chapter of To Kill a Mockingbird. Before that, he used the knothole of the tree to give Jem and Scout gifts. He also mended Jem's pants after the children's raid to the Radley porch, and he comforted Scout with a blanket on the night of the fire. His actions show his intent to remain invisible and silent, but they still showed the children that he was not the ghoul that town gossip dictated. When old Mr. Radley found out about the communication via the knothole, he immediately cemented it up in order to keep Boo away from any contact with the children; yet Boo still found a few ways (mentioned above) to show his tender side. His final heroic deed at the end solidified his true nature, though it would prove to be the last that any of the children would see or hear from him again. Boo apparently wanted to maintain his absolute privacy and secrecy once he knew his special friends would be safe with Bob Ewell out of the way.

What role does Boo Radley play in To Kill a Mockingbird and how does he affect the story?

On a plot level, the children's adventures with Boo Radley function as a parallel story to the Tom Robinson trial. If the Robinson story is the heavier, more adult tale of the way prejudice causes harm in a racist Southern town in the 1930s, the story of the children's frightened fascination with Boo and his reaching out to them is the lighter hearted counterpart.

Thematically, both are stories of prejudice or stereotyping a person. In the case of Boo, however, the story has a happier ending. He is important as the surprise plot device that saves the children from the murderous Bob Ewell. Boo, from his reclusive stance inside his home, keeps a close eye on the children and is there to intervene when Ewell attacks. Through Boo, the children also learn the lesson that their first judgments of others can be entirely wrong.

What role does Boo Radley play in To Kill a Mockingbird and how does he affect the story?

Arthur (Boo) Radley is a central symbolic figure in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. He represents mockingbirds, actually, because he never makes trouble for anyone; he never hurts anyone; and, he minds his own business--unlike many others in Maycomb. Atticus tells his children that it is a sin to kill mockingbirds, so if Boo is like a mockingbird, he is peaceful, yet vulnerable, to social predators. The way people treat Boo Radley helps to determine their own quality of character. For example, Miss Stephanie Crawford uses information on Boo Radley's past to spread rumors and make herself feel important. As a result, she adds rumors that he looks into people's windows at night, which hurts his reputation.

Boo Radley affects the story at the beginning because he is mysterious and spooky for Scout, Jem, and Dill. For two summers, the children's games and behavior are influenced by him and the mystery surrounding his life. When Boo makes an effort to befriend the children by placing gifts in the knothole of his oak tree, Jem and Scout slowly learn that people aren't what rumors make them out to be. He also gives Scout a warm blanket on the cold night of Miss Maudie's house fire, which is not the behavior of a bad man.

In the end, the ironic twist is that Boo Radley saves the children's lives from a deadly attack by Bob Ewell. The mysterious man of Maycomb is actually a hero and friend rather than a spooky boogieman. Without Boo Radley in the story, there wouldn't be a strong symbolic figure for the children to learn tolerance from. Sure, Tom Robinson also represents a mockingbird, but Boo Radley is closer to the children in proximity and lifestyle because he is a neighbor. Boo Radley's life and presence in the story also add a special type of mystery and suspense for the reader, so that by the time he saves the children in the end, the surprise is comforting and welcome.

What is the purpose of the character Boo Radley?

Boo serves a couple of purposes within Harper Lee's novel.  It's possible that someone might think that Boo doesn't actually serve much purpose until the very end of the book, but that would be incorrect.  He does, for sure, serve a huge plot purpose at the end of the novel.  Bob Ewell attacks both Scout and Jem one night on their way home from a school event.  Boo Radley rushes to their assistance, saves them, and in the process he kills Bob Ewell.  Without Boo, it's likely that Scout and/or Jem may have been killed.  

Earlier in the novel, Boo serves as the stereotypical "weird neighborhood guy."  I had one growing up.  I'm sure most people did too.  That's what makes Boo and his house so relatable.  At first Boo and his house serve as place to avoid because of all of the weird stories about it and him.  Then Scout, Jem, and Dill decide that it's necessary to contact Boo and perhaps have ice cream with him.  

"Dill said, “We’re askin‘ him real politely to come out sometimes, and tell us what he does in there—we said we wouldn’t hurt him and we’d buy him an ice cream.”

Through Atticus's continued mentoring, Scout and Jem come to realize that Boo isn't a monster, but a man.  A reclusive man, but a man none the less.  From there a friendship of sort develops between Boo and the kids.  None of it is face to face. It's little gifts left in the knot hole of the tree.  

In the final chapter, Boo helps Scout take a final step into growing up and realizing that she can't judge people simply by stories and/or surface level observations.  She has finally learned Atticus's message of walking around in someone else's shoes.  She feels guilt about her initial impression of Boo and finally let's that go as she stands with Boo at his house.  

"Atticus was right.  One time he said you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them.  Just standing on the Radley porch was enough."

How does Atticus in To Kill a Mockingbird explain Boo Radley to Jem and Scout, and what do they learn from it?

Atticus' most famous quote is "You really never understand a person until you consider things from his point of view--until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."  Atticus told her this in chapter 3 referring to her teacher, but Scout applies it to Boo in the final chapter as she's on his porch.

When the kids get caught trying to give Boo a letter (with the fishing pole) Atticus says about that and their play that they keep putting on for the neighborhood, "You stop this nonsense right now, every one of you."  From that point on, the kids don't enact the play any more.  The only thing they do is try to sneak a peak in Boo's back window, but they don't pester him again. 

In chapter 11 Atticus tells them, "I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do."  This is applying at the time to Mrs. Dubose.  However, it also applies to Boo and how he stepped out and saved them, even though he doesn't leave the house.  He did it for them. That was true courage.

What role does Boo Radley play in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, to the varying perspectives of the children, other adults, and ultimately the reader?

In To Kill a Mockingbird, Boo Radley is symbolic of a mockingbird. The mockingbird, as Miss Maudie and Atticus tell the children, is a creature that does no one harm, but simply sings to bring pleasure to others:

...they don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us.

[This does not guarantee that others appreciate the value of the mockingbird: people like Bob Ewell who is so full of hate that he cannot see any beauty in the world. Tom Robinson is also symbolic of a mockingbird, and Ewell does all he can to see Tom destroyed.]

For Scout, Jem and Dill, Boo becomes a summer obession: they want to contact him, have him come out and meet them for ice cream. They role-play what his life must have been like until Atticus forbids them to continue. Boo is a source of mystery and even rumors from others in the community that have no compassion for the unfortunate Arthur "Boo" Radley.

However, regardless of how the children and the adults see Boo, Harper Lee allows Boo to not only be a source of curiosity and mystery, but she gives this ghost of a man the ability to have power over evil. It is, in fact, Boo who saves the lives of Jem and Scout when Bob Ewell tries to murder them. In this way, Boo is an unexpected hero. Almost like a mythological hero that shows up once every hundred years to accomplish a great feat, Boo comes out of his house to save the children he loves—for he has watched them as they have watched him. For the children, he will risk his life in a world that holds no place for him. And that quickly, he returns to that place again.

How does Boo Radley, a rarely seen character, develop the theme of To Kill A Mockingbird?

The character of Boo Radley helps to develop To Kill a Mockingbird as a coming-of-age story. Over time, the Finch children's interaction with him represents the successive stages of their maturation.

At first, Scout and Jem, being the young children that they are, see Boo as nothing more than a creepy boogie-man figure, an object of grim fascination. As they don't really seem him as a human being, they're not prepared to get to know him as one. Instead, they dehumanize him by making him a bit player in their little games.

As time goes by, however, and as Scout and Jem mature, their attitude towards Boo gradually changes. Boo is a catalyst in this regard, reaching out to the Finch children by leaving them little keepsakes in the knot of a tree. Scout and Jem respond by looking at Boo in a completely different way. Although they're still not quite sure what to make of him, at least they've now put behind them the frankly insulting Boo Radley game.

It won't be until much later on in the story that Scout and Jem will really get to know what kind of person Boo really is. But when they reach that stage, they will both have matured to a considerable extent.

How does Boo Radley, a rarely seen character, develop the theme of To Kill A Mockingbird?

This is an excellent question.

In Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, the character of Boo Radley is responsible for developing a number of themes in the story.

If you refer to eNotes' section on themes for this novel, you will note three that are directly related to Boo Radley.  They are prejudice and tolerance, courage and cowardice and loss of innocence.

Prejudice is a belief about someone where the facts are not taken into account: all blondes are dumb is an example of a prejudicial statement, or teenagers cannot be trusted. There is a bias present that is not based on facts.

We see the theme of prejudice and tolerance with Boo Radley. There are many stories that circulate about Boo, and Scout and Jem are fascinated by them, tempted to believe everything they hear. (It is unfortunate to note that the stories are often things they hear from adults.) The children perceive Boo to be a scary man that eats squirrels and looks in women's windows at night. There is no evidence to support this information, but Scout and Jem are fearful nonetheless. Tolerance is exhibited when Atticus tells the children to stop trying to invite Boo out for ice cream, or infringe on the family's privacy by play-acting based on the rumors they have heard. Atticus tries to teach the children to be tolerant: take time to walk in a man's skin in order to better know him. (And at the end, Scout is easily able to connect to Boo when she notices him in the shadowy corner of Jem's bedroom on the night of the attack. She takes him by the hand, is able to understand how he might be feeling, and sees to his comfort as they visit and when she eventually walks him home.)

The theme of courage and cowardice is seen with Bob Ewell's attempt on the children's lives. He stalks in the dark as they are coming home from the school pageant. Ewell is a coward, taking out his anger at Atticus on two innocent, vulnerable youngsters. Boo is the unlikely hero who throws himself in harm's way to protect Scout and Jem, and in doing so, Ewell is killed. Boo is little more than a phantom: fearful of others, hiding in the shadows, a dim reflection of who he once was because of the abuse he suffered at the hands of his father for a childhood mistake, yet he becomes real to Scout when she recognizes him as a real person. And it is his courage, even in light of how he has been harmed, that saves the Finch children.

Loss of innocence is a theme that applies to Boo as well. Boo's innocence was taken from him when he was a teenager after he got in trouble one night driving around with some friends. Whereas the other boys were shipped off to a special school because of their behavior, able later to get on with their lives, Boo is left in the jail by his dad until the county demands Boo be taken home. Once Mr. Radley does so, Boo is locked away in his house for many years thereafter, imprisoned first by his father, and later by his brother Nathan. Boo, like Tom Robinson, is a symbolic mockingbird. He does no harm to anyone, but he is harmed. He is robbed of the remainder of his youth—a loss of innocence—and he will never be the same again.

Ironically, it is Boo who, by saving the children, protects not only their lives but their innocence as well. Certainly they will be changed with this experience, as Jem was with Tom Robinson's trial, but the world will remain a relatively simple and safe place a little while longer because of Boo's willingness to protect them.

Why is Boo fascinating to the children in To Kill a Mockingbird?

Scout records the beginning of the children's fascination with Boo Radley as follows:

But by the end of August our repertoire was vapid from countless reproductions, and it was then that Dill gave us the idea of making Boo Radley come out. The Radley Place fascinated Dill. In spite of our warnings and explanations it drew him as the moon draws water...

In other words, it was late summer and the children were getting bored—their usual summer game of making up and staging plays was getting "vapid," or worn out. The children were seeking a new activity. Second, we learn that Dill is the spark that turns them to Boo because of his fascination with the Radley house. Third, Scout informs us of the exaggerated reputation that dogs Boo Radley because he is a recluse:

Inside the house lived a malevolent phantom. People said he existed, but Jem and I had never seen him. People said he went out at night when the moon was down, and peeped in windows. When people’s azaleas froze in a cold snap, it was because he had breathed on them. Any stealthy small crimes committed in Maycomb were his work.

Dill becomes fascinated with what the mysterious Boo looks like, as none of the children has ever seen him. The fascination with Boo becomes even greater when Dill dares Jem to run up to the front door and knock. Overcoming their terror of Boo becomes a challenge that occupies the children's thoughts.

The Boo Radley plot shows how, without knowledge of another person or group of people, we tend to make up exaggerated stories about them that bear little relationship to reality. The Boo story, like the Tom Robinson plot, is another warning against prejudice. The real Boo is nothing like the monster that the children build up in their minds.

Why is Boo fascinating to the children in To Kill a Mockingbird?

Maycomb is a very small, very segregated Southern town. The Finch children know almost all the white people and they find it odd that anyone in their part of town doesn't mix in their society.

Even as children they know Miss Stephanie loves to gossip and that she exaggerates, but they are fascinated by her tales. Jem especially wishes their town were more exciting. Once he starts palling around with the new kid, Dill, his harmless curiosity gets out of hand and they start their elaborate game.

Arthur, known as Boo, is a recluse. What really happened to make him want to stay inside remains undisclosed. When he was young, he obeyed his father, who allegedly locked him in, but later apparently stayed in of his own volition.

Curiosity about a person they never see, combined with their lack of knowledge about evil acts, makes them bold. It takes a long time for them to realize that their actions have been cruel. When Boo begins to make friendly gestures that are later thwarted, Jem cries from remorse and genuinely tries to understand him.

What are Boo Radley's beliefs, values, and motivations in To Kill a Mockingbird?

Boo Radley serves as a physically absent, yet legendary presence for much of To Kill a Mockingbird. As the subject of much public scrutiny and gossip, most of Maycomb chooses to perpetuate the mythology around Boo: that Boo once stabbed his father with a pair of scissors and has since then chosen to prowl the town at night, feasting on small animals and lurking in shadows. 

In reality, Boo was severely punished by his father as a child; after a prank went wrong, Boo's father had him locked up in the house, an isolation which lasted for fifteen years. This abuse--as well as the cruelty of the townspeople of Maycomb--turned Boo into a reclusive man. Regardless, he is still an innocent, gentle soul who expresses curiosity about the children who play around his yard. Boo secretly does small acts of good throughout the novel, from mending and folding Jem's lost trousers to leaving chewing gum in the "gift" tree for the siblings. Ultimately, his motivation is to protect the children, and he ends up breaking his seclusion in order to rescue Jem and Scout from the murderous attack of Bob Ewell on Halloween night. 

Overall, Boo is one of the "mockingbirds" references by the book's title--an innocent creature who is sinfully destroyed by the cruelty of others. 

What is certain about Boo Radley in To Kill a Mockingbird?

Needless to say, most of the information Jem and Scout receive about their unseen neighbor Boo Radley--that he "peeped in windows," froze azaleas with his breath, mutilated animals and poisoned pecans--is merely speculative gossip spread by the "neighborhood scold," Miss Stephanie Crawford. We do know that Boo was arrested with some of the Cunningham boys from Old Sarum and

... came before the probate judge on charges of disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace, assault and battery, and using abusive and profane language in the presence and hearing of a female.  (Chapter 1)

Arthur Radley Jr. was released into the custody of his father,

... and Mr. Radley's boy was not seen again for fifteen years.  (Chapter 1)

Boo was next seen again after he apparently stabbed his father in  the leg with a pair of scissors, but old Mr. Radley "insisted that Boo not be charged with anything." Since

The sheriff hadn't the heart to put him in jail alongside Negroes... Boo was locked in the courthouse basement.  (Chapter 1)

Though Scout wonders if Boo is still alive, she is assured that he is since no one had seen his body carried out. Miss Maudie tells Scout that she remembers Boo speaking "nicely to me, no matter what folks said he did. Spoke as nicely as he knew how."

Most everything else about Boo is strictly speculative in Part One, including whether it was Boo that Scout heard laughing after she crashed on the Radleys' front steps; whether it was actually Boo's shadow the children saw on the Radleys' back porch; or whether it was Boo who placed the blanket upon Scout's shoulders on the night of Miss Maudie's house fire. In all three cases, it was probably Boo, but as always, the "malevolent phantom" was never seen.

In To Kill a Mockingbird, what do Jem, Scout, and Dill find so fascinating about Boo Radley?

At the beginning of the novel, Jem, Dill, and Scout are fascinated with their reclusive neighbor Boo Radley. After hearing the various rumors and legends surrounding Boo, the children become interested and make several attempts to look at him. Since Boo never leaves his house, the children become curious and begin to obsess over the identity of Boo. Jem describes Boo as a grotesque monster and Scout refers to Boo as the "malevolent phantom." Dill comes up with elaborate plans and schemes to make contact with Boo, and Scout fears that Boo will harm them if he sees them reenacting his life story in their front yard. The rumors surrounding Boo pique the children's interest, and their curiosity gets the best of them. They are also forbidden from bothering Boo Radley, which only heightens their willingness to see him and fuels their active imaginations. Boo represents the "unknown" and the children are fascinated with understanding who he actually is.

In To Kill a Mockingbird, what do Jem, Scout, and Dill find so fascinating about Boo Radley?

The answer to this questions is certainly a bit subjective.

I think it is fair to say, however, that Boo represented an element of excitement. In a town where everyone seems to know everyone, he remained a mystery. The stories about him were certainly enough the stir the imagination of children whiling away summer days in the lazy heat.

Check out E-notes character analysis for more details on Arthur (Boo) Radley as well as the three children. 

What truths do we learn about Boo Radley in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird?

In the beginning of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, all we learn about Arthur Radley, who the neighborhood children call Boo Radley, comes from "neighborhood legend" and Miss Stephanie Crawford, a "neighborhood scold" and gossip (Ch. 1). We learn that Arthur fell in with a bad crowd of boys during his teenage years and was arrested. While the other boys were sent to the state industrial school to receive "the best secondary education to be had in the state," Mr. Radley felt that Arthur should be put under house arrest instead. From Miss Stephanie Crawford, we learn that when he was 33 years old, while apparently still under house arrest, Arthur drove a pair of scissors into his father's leg. All of these rumors and myths serve to attempt to explain why the neighborhood never sees Arthur Radley. As a result of these rumors and myths, the neighborhood children have come to believe that Arthur is a dangerous madman who poses a threat to their lives.

As the story of the novel unfolds, while we never learn the exact reason as to why Arthur remains in his house, we learn a few very important truths about him. The first very important truth we learn is that Arthur is actually a very caring, benevolent person who has developed a genuine fondness for Scout and Jem through watching them play in the neighborhood from his home. We begin to see him display his benevolent and caring nature through gifts he starts leaving for the children to find in a knothole of an oak tree on his property. The gifts include chewing gum, two polished pennies dated 1906, bars of soap carved to look just like the children, as well as many other treasures. He further shows benevolence by mending the pants Jem rips on the barbed wire fence while the children make their escape while being shot at by Nathan Radley the night they decide to sneak on to the Radleys' property to try and get a look at Arthur through a window. Later that night, when Jem goes back to the fence to retrieve them, he finds his pants lying on the fence, neatly folded and mended.

The greatest act of care and benevolence Arthur accomplishes is rescuing the children from Bob Ewell the night Ewell attacks the children, planning to kill them. That night, Scout sees Arthur for the first and very last time, and through her description of him, we learn what some readers interpret as a new truth about Arthur: that he may be a person with albinism. We can deduce this based on the following details of Scout's description:

His face was as white as his hands, but for a shadow on his jutting chin. . . . and his gray eyes were so colorless I thought he was blind. His hair was dead and thin, almost feathery on top of his head. (Ch. 29)

All of these characteristics match the description of a person with albinism. Due to lack of pigmentation in their eyes, people with albinism have many vision problems, particularly sensitivity to light. Hence, sensitivity to light serves as one possible explanation for as to why Arthur Radley chooses to remain indoors all the time.

In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, who is Boo Radley and why is he important?

Boo Radley's real name is Arthur Radley. He lives in a house a couple of doors down from the Finches and he never comes out of it. He is taken care of by his parents, until they pass away; then, his brother Nathan Radley moves in to take their place. He probably suffers from a mental illness or a mental disability, but no one is quite sure. Rumors and lies spread about him all over Maycomb to the point that children believe they will die if they eat nuts from his yard. Some adults believe that he comes out at night to do mischievous deeds or to peek into people's windows. He is significant to the story because he represents a mockingbird--someone who is innocent and harmless, but may receive ill treatment because of these traits.

The mystery that surrounds Boo Radley is a vehicle that drives some people to show their true character. For example, Miss Stephanie Crawford loves to gossip and tells Jem everything there is to know about Boo Radley simply to make herself seem important. How people treat Boo, therefore, determines what kind of values and beliefs they have about humanity. 

Scout and Jem are influenced by Boo Radley's story and existence because at first, they are scared of him and they believe the superstitions surrounding him. Eventually, though, he is key to their development as kind and tolerant people because they learn to move past the rumors and superstitions to see who the man is as a person and a friend. For instance, Boo Radley extends a hand of friendship by leaving Jem and Scout little gifts in a knothole in his tree. He even mends Jem's pants when they get caught in his fence. Once Jem catches on that Boo Radley is kind, he also realizes that Boo isn't the boogeyman that Maycomb makes him out to be. Jem's revelation is vocalized on the night of Miss Maudie's house fire. When Scout comes home with a strange blanket around her shoulders, Jem declares that it must be from Boo Radley.

". . . Atticus, I swear to God he ain't ever harmed us, he ain't ever hurt us, he coulda cut my throat from ear to ear that night but he tried to mend my pants instead . . . he ain't ever hurt us" (72).

Just like mockingbirds don't hurt or pester anyone, Boo Radley doesn't either. People should respect his name by not gossiping about him or spreading superstitious tales. In fact, Boo Radley is such a great guy, he saves the children's lives from Bob Ewell's knife attack on Halloween night. It turns out that the children learn not to judge a book by its cover because things aren't usually as they seem.

What is the significance of Boo Radley in To Kill a Mockingbird?

In Boo Radley, author Harper Lee has created a major, complex character who remains unseen until the final pages of the story--a true rarity in fictional novels. Boo's presence is nonetheless felt throughout To Kill a Mockingbird, and the first one-third of the book concentrates on the children's attempts to either get a look at Boo or make him come out of his house. Boo's lone appearance comes in heroic fashion, saving Jem and Scout from the murderous intentions of Bob Ewell in the final chapters. Boo serves as a reminder that rumor and innuendo are most often untrue, and in Boo's case, he reveals that he is actually quite the opposite of the man that Maycomb's stories describe. Feared by adults and children alike because of the terrible crimes that he is believed to have committed, Boo's acts of kindness toward Jem and Scout finally show the children that he is a man to be pitied and not feared. He is one of the innocent human mockingbirds created by Lee, relegated to the life of a recluse thanks to his father's punishments and the town's vicious rumors. Lee ties her two main plots together through Boo when he comes to the children's rescue to stop Ewell, whose false accusations against Tom Robinson led to the black man's rape conviction and eventual death (the primary plot of Part Two). Jem and Scout learn many lessons through Boo, none more important than the fact that people are not always what they seem, and that

"... when they finally saw him, why he hadn't done any of those things... he was real nice..."

In To Kill a Mockingbird, what is Boo Radley's role throughout the novel?

Throughout the novel, the character of Arthur "Boo" Radley is a shy citizen of Maycomb, Alabama who is unfairly discriminated against because of his taboo reclusiveness. Many rumors surround Boo Radley and children throughout Maycomb fear him. He is also the object of Jem, Dill, and Scout's fascination. As the novel progresses, Boo attempts to develop a friendship with the Jem and Scout by leaving them gifts in the knothole of his tree. At the end of the novel, Boo saves Jem and Scout's lives by wrestling Bob Ewell away from them during Bob's vicious attack. Scout finally meets Boo face to face following Bob's attack and realizes that Boo is actually a compassionate, shy individual.

Boo's character serves several functions throughout the novel. Boo is identified as an innocent being who is treated unfairly by his family and the citizens of Maycomb. Atticus' metaphor of not killing mockingbirds applies to Boo Radley's character because Boo is represented as a symbolic mockingbird. Percieving Boo as a kind, bashful individual, instead of a "malevolent phantom" is also an important breakthrough in Scout's moral development and maturation. Scout's ability to view Boo Radley as a caring neighbor is a significant moment in the novel.

What memorable events has Arthur "Boo" Radley witnessed in To Kill a Mockingbird and how do they affect him?

Only Boo knows for sure. We do know that Boo was watching over Jem and Scout on the Halloween night when they were attacked by Bob Ewell. Boo came to their rescue, killed Bob, and then carried Jem back to the Finch house. Boo was out and about on the night of Miss Maudie's house fire, stealthily placing a blanket upon Scout's shoulders. It was Boo's shadow which appeared on the night of the children's raid upon the Radley's back porch, and it was Boo who stitched up Jem's lost pants. Boo was peeking through the Radley curtains when Scout, being rolled in a tire, crashed onto the Radley steps.

... I had heard another sound, so low I could not have heard it from the sidewalk. Someone inside the house was laughing.  (Chapter 4)

If you believe Miss Stephanie, she

... woke up in the middle of the night one time and saw him looking straight through the window at her...,  (Chapter 1)

a sight that Boo could not have soon forgotten. Jem claims to have seen Boo's tracks, so Boo was probably witness to many nocturnal events that few other Maycomb citizens could have seen. As for the effect they had on Boo, it is clear that he developed a special interest in Jem and Scout, a bond strong enough to force Boo to risk his own life (and reclusiveness) to save their own. Boo made no other public appearances, and Scout "never saw him again" after that Halloween night. He had served his purpose as the children's guardian angel, and with Bob Ewell out of the way, Boo's work was done. He was still not ready to emerge into the "limelight" of the outside world. Perhaps the children were right: Dill decided that Boo didn't run off because "he doesn't have anywhere else to go"; while Jem determined that

"... Boo Radley's stayed shut up in the house all this time... because he wants to stay inside."  (Chapter 23)

How does Arthur (Boo) Radley affect the different characters in To Kill a Mockingbird?

Although Boo's reputation is well known in Maycomb, since he is never seen, he is most often a forgotten man--a "malevolent phantom" hidden away in the Radley House. It is Dill's first appearance in Maycomb and his extreme curiosity about the Radleys that spurs Jem's and Scout's own interests in Boo.

DILL HARRIS.  "The Radley Place fascinated Dill," and he was the first to suggest that the children

"... try to make him come out. I'd like to see what he looks like."

Dill's fascination led to the Finch children's own curiosity, and Dill soon inspired them to make contact with Boo. It was Dill who first came up with the "Radley Game," and it was he who first dared Jem to run up and touch the Radley House. Dill eventually comes to pity Boo, recognizing that he stays inside the house "because he doesn't have anywhere to run off to."

JEM FINCH.  Jem had grown up with the invisible Boo as a neighbor, but his curiosity was not peaked until Dill inspired him to find out more about him. Initially fearful of Boo, it is Jem who recognizes that the presents that begin appearing in the secret knothole must come from Boo. He understands that they represent an offering of friendship, and it is Jem who first comes to understand that Boo wants to be their friend--albeit an invisible one. Boo's mending of Jem's pants keeps him out of trouble with Atticus, and Jem is forever thankful. He eventually decides to give up his pursuit of Boo, recognizing his need for privacy, as Atticus has suggested.

SCOUT FINCH.  Scout mostly follows the lead of Jem and Dill, accompanying them on their exploits to the Radley Place, but she fantasizes about meeting Boo, how

... he'd be sitting in the swing when I came along. "Hidy do, Mr. Arthur," I would say... "Evening, Jean Louise," he would say...

Scout never expects her fantasy to materialize, but when she most needs Boo as she returns on the dark path following the Halloween pageant, Boo comes to her rescue.

ATTICUS FINCH.  Atticus sympathizes with Boo, knowing that he has been mistreated by his family, but he believes it best to allow the family secrets to remain within the Radley House. He demands that his children "stop tormenting" Boo, and they finally see the wisdom of his words. In the end, he humbly addresses Boo, the hero:

"Thank you for my children, Arthur," he said.

MISS STEPHANIE CRAWFORD.  Miss Stephanie supplies Jem and Scout with most of their information about Boo, and she claims that he peeks in on her in her bedroom at night--a notion at which Miss Maudie scoffs.

NATHAN RADLEY.  Boo's brother returns from Pensacola to live in the old family home after the death of his parents. He takes over as Boo's guardian, and he eliminates Boo's secret hiding place for the gifts he sends the children when he cements the knothole of the oak tree on their property. Although not as mean-spirited as old Mr. Radley, Nathan adapts the same methods of home imprisonment first started by his father--keeping Boo hidden inside instead of seeking other means of helping his brother.

In Harper Lee's novel To Kill a Mockingbird, why were Jem, Scout and Dill so fascinated with Boo Radley?

Early in the novel, when they were quite young, Scout, Jem and Dill were fascinated by the mysterious circumstances of Arthur "Boo" Radley; the fact that he never appeared, coupled with the gossip and (mis)information that occasionally circulated about town whetted their imaginations and inspired all sorts of ill-conceived but creative projects designed to "make him come out".  Daring each other to touch his house was one, trying to peek into his window at night was another (which resulted in gunfire, by the way, as well as the appearance on the street of a pants-less Jem), using fishing poles to send him notes yet a third.  Their childlike enthusiasm was particularly amusing the day that Dill suggested that he, Scout and Jem offer to buy Boo some ice cream in order to convince him that the three children aren't going to hurt him. 

In addition to trying to lure Boo out to visit with them, the kids enact what Scout refers to as "a melancholy little drama" where she, Jem, and Dill take turns playing the Radleys as they go through the dramatic events that led to Boo's seclusion.  Atticus figures out what they are doing and insists that they stop; later, Miss Maudie explains some of Boo's history to Scout, which begins to demystify him in her eyes, even as she begins to outgrow some of her fascination and fear.

Why is Boo Radley important to the children in To Kill a Mockingbird and what do they learn from him?

"Why is Boo Radley so important to the children?" Boo Radley's importance to the children changes as their perspectives change. In the beginning, he is an object to be awed and feared, like the "boogie man" or the "monster under the bed". As he communicates with him through his gifts in knot hole of the tree, he becomes more of a mystery then and object of fear. At the end of the novel, he is their savior, unwilling to let anything hurt them. As their eyes are opened by the trial of Tom Robinson, they are able to accept Boo as he is and view the world through his eyes. This is signified at the end of the novel by Scout's account of the world when she stands on Boo's porch.  

Why is Boo Radley important to the children in To Kill a Mockingbird and what do they learn from him?

It is obvious that the children do not look upon Boo as a person desrving respect but instead as a convenient prop to manipulate in their cruel puppet theater. They objectify Boo, using him as a blank canvas upon which to project their own personal insecurites. Just as the town of Maycomb ostracizes the black community as a scapegoat for whatever social ills they perceive, the children use Boo as a neighborhood boogie-man. The final ac tof kindness shown by Boo bursts this image for the children. It would be best to read the book.

What is the most significant aspect of Boo Radley in To Kill a Mockingbird?

    Although Boo Radley only appears for a short time in Harper Lee's novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, he is nevertheless one of the primary focal points of the story. He serves many purposes in the novel: He is the town ghoul; he is the most gossiped-about character in Maycomb; he is the man who keeps Jem, Scout and Dill entertained during the summer months as they try to discover a way to lure him from the house or, at the very least, get a look at him. But most importantly, Boo is their protector, even finding a way to help out the Finch children without showing himself by mending Jem's pants when he loses them in the collard patch and warming Scout with a blanket on the night of the fire.
    Inevitably, Boo's most important role is as the saviour to the two children in Chapter 29, when he saves them from the murderous hands of Bob Ewell. By coming to their rescue, he visibly shows his courage and heroism to the kids who have always referred to him as Boo. He has long kept an eye on them, leaving them gifts and watching from the darkened Radley home, and when they need him most, Boo is there. Or, as Scout calls him thereafter, "Mr. Arthur."

What is the importance of Boo Radley (his function) in To Kill A Mockingbird

The importance and function of Boo Radley in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird is that of serving as a point of comparison of the usual behaviors of the people of Maycomb concerning things, or people, that they neither know nor understand.

It is through the town's reactions toward Boo that we can sense a tendency to give unknown people, or unknown things, a quality of mystery, enigma, and even lore. We also see how the people's perceptions of what they do not even know spread from household to household, strengthening the validity of what it simply is a rumor.

Miss Maudie, for example, tries to explain to Scout that Boo is just a normal person. However, Scout is not buying it

Arthur Radley just stays in the house that's all. Wouldn't you stay in the house if your didn't want to come out?

Poor Boo is a lonely man with what seems to be limited intelligence. He likes kids and leaves them small, insignificant, but well-meant gifts just to see them smile. However, he is a recluse in his own home. This is what makes rumors run amok. Yet, like Tom Robinson, he is never given the chance to be judged by his qualities as a human being. In Atticus's own words:

What Mr. Radley does is his own business. If he wanted to come out, he would. If he wanted to stay inside his own house he had the right to stay inside free from the attentions of inquisitive children.

How is Boo Radley crucial to Jem and Scout's maturity in To Kill a Mockingbird?

One could argue that Boo Radley was the most important character in Jem and Scout’s evolution from childhood to maturity because as they learn more about him, they also learn important life lessons.

At the beginning of the story, Jem and Scout are normal, naïve children who lack a complex understanding of social oppression and marginalization. Like all of the residents of Maycomb, they have heard rumors about Boo. It is said that he stabbed his father in the leg with scissors, and now, he never leaves the house, but not much is known about him. The kids use such stories to scare each other and dare one another to go near the Radley house.

As the story develops, Boo’s narrative fades into the background of the Tom Robinson trial. However, he is always there. Recall how he leaves presents for the kids in the tree. Such small but thoughtful actions gradually change Scout’s perspective on Boo, and she starts to realize that he is actually a kind, compassionate person. Then, at the end, when Jem and Scout are walking home from the play, they are attacked by Bob Ewell. It is Boo Radley who comes to their rescue, carrying Jem to safety and killing Bob. In the end, Scout realizes that Boo is actually “real nice.” She reflects on the lessons that Atticus has been trying to teach her about treating others with respect and thinks,

Atticus was right. One time he said you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them. Just standing on the Radley porch was enough.

Thus, although Atticus’s guidance and the experience of the Tom Robinson trial help the kids mature a lot, it is ultimately Boo Radley’s presence in their lives that helps them process important life lessons.

Explain the importance of Boo Radley in To Kill a Mockingbird. How is he one of the most significant characters?

Although Boo Radley does not make a physical appearance until close to the conclusion of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, he is one of the most significant characters in the novel for several reasons.

It is through Boo that we are first exposed to the xenophobic, prejudiced views and attitudes of (most of) the people of Maycomb. The townspeople gossip about Boo, spread rumors about him, and misrepresent him all because he is different. This foreshadows Maycomb’s treatment of Tom Robinson, who is also viewed as different by the townsfolk because of the color of his skin.

Boo indirectly serves as a bonding agent for Scout, Jem, and Dill, as they are joined by the common interest and shared goal of trying to get Boo to leave his house.

The children learn valuable life lessons because of Boo. At the conclusion of the novel, the children realize the error of their ways when Boo saves them from Bob Ewell. Upon meeting Boo, they realize that he is kind, gentle, and timid, a stark contrast to everything they believed him to be. The children realize they misjudged Boo and they learn not to base their opinions on the words and accounts of others, but to form their own, fair opinions. They also learn not to assume the worst of people just because they are different. Boo is the metaphorical mockingbird of the novel; in a sense, the book is named after him.