Why Is Boo Radley Misunderstood In To Kill A Mockingbird

Harper Lee and Tate Taylor contend that those who do not fit into society are misunderstood and often have different realities. To Kill a Mockingbird is set in 1935 in Maycomb, a Southern American town where everyone attends church and socialises with people within their social hierarchy. However, the Radleys isolate themselves from Maycomb by not going to church and worshipping at home. Furthermore, the Radley’s house doors and shutters are always closed, which is “another thing alien to Maycomb’s ways.” As a result, the Radley’s do not fit into Maycomb societal standards. Boo Radley who “was not seen again for fifteen years”, is the most misunderstood person in Maycomb. His childhood mistakes marginalise him from society by a “form of intimidation Mr Radley employed to keep Boo out of sight.” To elaborate, Boo did not intend to separate himself and be perceived as a “malevolent phantom.” In truth, Boo is intensely lonely and wants to befriend the children in which he saves their lives. Similarly, in The

She grieves over her children with support from her African-American house-maid, then her husband Johnny. In a similar fashion to Boo, her abnormalities catch the eyes of her peers. Her revealing clothing, whereas the conservative clothing everyone else wears, provoke attention from the society. Moreover, her only friend besides Johnny is her maid, Minnie. Contrary to Boo, Celia is colour blind to racism and naive. She views Minnie as a friend and overlooks the racism. Additionally, she does not understand social cues that is hinted when no women answer her calls, whereas Boo accepts the fact that no one will accept him and “wants to say inside”. Whilst Lee suggests that those who do not follow societal expectations are misjudged, Taylor condemns that those who have a different reality are mainly