Examples Of Simple Trick In To Kill A Mockingbird

Using Atticus’ “simple trick”, Scout grew throughout the book by using it, as seen by Scout’s interaction with Boo Radley. On their way home from the pageant at the school, Bob Ewell attacked Jem and Scout to get back at Atticus for making him look foolish during the trial. Arthur or “Boo” Radley heard the altercation and came running to save them. Following this, they met on the Finches front porch and Scout was introduced to Boo. He barely spoke but at the end of the night Boo turned to Scout and said, “‘Will you take me home?’ He almost whispered it. In the voice of a child afraid of the dark ... “Mr. Arthur, bend your arm down here, like that”’ (Lee, 372). Scout uses the “simple trick” or empathy to see that Boo was afraid of this world that he was not accustomed to.

Scout also understands Boo more when she arrives at his house. Standing on his porch after leading him home, Scout realizes the simple trick effect and thinks, “ One time he [Atticus] said that 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” (374). Scout literally stands in Boo’s position and understands how things my look from his stance in this world. Standing there, Scout understands that Boo was unaccustomed to the world around him and afraid of what it had to offer him, which is why he stayed inside. Scout used Atticus’ “simple trick” to better understand the world around and henceforth grew, allowing her to understand and be friendly to Boo at the conclusion of the