Boo Radley Meaning

In the novel “To Kill A Mockingbird” by Harper Lee the title has a significant meaning throughout the entire novel. As Miss. Maudie points out, “Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don't eat up people's gardens, don't nest in corncribs, they don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird” (Lee, 93). Numerous characters in the novel who can easily represent a mockingbird. For example, Jem, Tom Robinson, Dill, Boo Radley, and Mr. Raymond are just a few of the characters that are represented by the mockingbird. This ties in the theme of the coexistence of good and wicked, which can also be seen throughout the text. For instance, numerous relationships in the novel
demonstrate the synchronicity of the good people, who can be represented by a mockingbird, and rude people, who are sinful.

One example of the coexistence of virtuous and wicked is the relationship between Tom Robinson and the Ewell’s. In this instance, Tom Robinson is a poor mockingbird who the Ewell’s take out through a tortuous trial. Mr. Ewell is so wicked he even lies under oath “Mayella was raisin’ this holy racket so I dropped m’load and run as fast as I could but I run into th’ fence, but when I got distangled I run up to th’ window an I seen… that black nigger yonder ruttin’ on my Mayella” (Lee, 175). What actually happened is that Mayella Ewell flung herself onto Tom and tried to kiss him, saying “she never kissed a grown man before an’ she might as well kiss a nigger. She says what her papa do to her don’t count” (Lee, 197). In the end of the trial, the jury believed the white men over the black man. Tom was sent to jail where the evil of the Ewell’s clouded him and he tried to escape and was killed by guards. This is just one example the synchronicity of the kindhearted and sinister.

Another example of the synchronicity of the kindhearted and sinful is Arthur Radley, also known as Boo, and the rumors that circle around him.
“Boo drove the scissors into his parent’s leg, pulled them out, wiped them on his pants” (Lee, 11). This quote shows just one of the numerous rumors that surround Arthur. Consequently, these rumors are extremely shameful and false. The truth about Arthur is that he loves children and also saves them. “A man was passing under it. The man was walking with the staccato steps of someone carrying a load too heavy for him. He was going around the corner. He was carrying Jem” (Lee, 267). In this quote, Arthur has saved Jem by taking him back to the house where he could receive medical attention for his wounds. Furthermore, this, by all means, proves the rumors about Arthur wrong, which shows, rumors are evil and make the kindhearted look inadequate.

In conclusion, the mockingbird symbolism can be seen throughout the text. This symbolism represents the theme of the coexistence of righteous and evil. As shown in the text there are numerous examples of this. For instance Tom Robinson and the Ewell’s. Also Arthur Radley and the rumors that surround him. Evil corrupts people’s minds just like it did to Tom, who got killed because of the corruption, and Arthur who shuts people out. In the end, the synchronicity of virtuous and sinister is all around us, so just be careful to not let it corrupt
you.