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The Role Of Punishment In To Kill A Mockingbird

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Murder is defined as “the unlawful killing of another human being with intent or malice aforethought” (4) Murderers have been convicted for their actions in most trials, regardless of the background or reasoning behind the crime. While murder is a sin and should be avoided, people who commit it have reasoning behind their actions that may not be connected to evil thoughts or origins. Although others think that all murderers are evil, murderers should not always be punished because of mental disability, self-defense, and the childhood or background of the person. Some people may believe that people should always be punished for a murder, regardless of mental state. This may be true in some aspects because people who murder others could be …show more content…

It can be a factor that explains why the person thinks and acts the way that he or she does. In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the main event of the end of the story consists of the enemy, Bob Ewell, coming after Scout and Jem and attempting to kill them. Boo Radley, the man who lives in the mysterious Radley house and has never been seen by any of the neighbors in Maycomb County, comes out of his hiding place and rescues the kids. In order to do this, he kills Ewell. Boo had never been exposed to any of the world for many years because of how his parents treated him in the past, so he didn’t see what was wrong with getting rid of a mean man. “Boo wasn’t crazy, he was high-strung at times. It was all right to shut him up, Mr. Radley conceded, but insisted that Boo not be charged with anything: he was not a criminal. The sheriff hadn’t the heart to put him in jail alongside Negroes, so Boo was locked in the courthouse basement.” (3) He had been locked away from civilization for a long period of time, and he had no understanding of the world around him due to the lack of exposure. Because of this, he did not understand why murder is a sin and should never be committed. Boo is also scared of the kids being killed by Ewell if he just sits in his room looking out the window at the scene, so he stands up for Scout and Jem and does what is right to show that he is a kind person to others, even if the stereotype of him is known as the opposite. Therefore, Boo Radley and other murderers who have a background of misunderstanding should not be punished for

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