fraud. The town blames his many mixed race children and overall unspeakable behavior on a nonexistent drinking problem, which allows him to live the way he wants without question. Harper Lee creates a great depiction of a problem-riddled society through a child's eyes and shows how the characters deal with living in such a painful world. Harper Lee implies that isolation is more desirable than facing the perils of society, through her use of rhetorical questions, personification, diction, and italics.
After the court case, Jem realizes the towns hateful ways, because of this Harper Lee illustrates Jem beginning to sympathize with Boo Radley. All his life, Jem had known Boo to be an outright monster, due to constant rumors and Boo Radley’s choice of seclusion. As Jem matures, he begins to see the town in a different light and understands why Boo would want to stay away from a community that brings pain to others. Finally frustrated with his sister’s muddled mind, he lets out a defeated sigh. The smell of the outdoors wafts in through an open window as Jem ponders what he is going to say next. The words suddenly flick off his tongue, as if he is rehearsing lines from a script that he had gone over a million times. Scout, eager to respond, finds her ideas shot down. As Jem and Scout discuss their views on society, Jem comes to an interesting revelation:
If there's just one kind of folks why can't they get along
with each other? If they're all alike why do they go out of
their way to despise each other?... I think I'm beginning
to understand why Boo Radley’s stayed shut up in the
house all the time… it’s because he wants to stay inside
(Lee,304)
In a conversation between Scout and Jem, Jem reveals his true feelings toward the community and begins to understand Boo Radley, in that he knows that living in isolation is often easier than the truth.
The author makes a point by using rhetorical questions to empathize Jem’s passion on the subject. After maturing and experiencing more of what life is like, he begins to question what he originally thought about the world. The questions also show his exasperation with the subject and his confusion on how cruel people can be. Lee also uses italics on the word “wants” to highlight the realization that maybe Boo Radley wasn’t such a monster. In using the italics the author connects Jem’s thoughts and ideas to those of Boo Radley. Harper Lee’s use of devices shows how Jem felt happier when shielded from the truth, much like how Boo is happier when shielding himself from the
world.
When Scout meets Dolphus Raymond, The author reveals him to be
someone who has separated their life from a community. Although citizens know Dolphus Raymond as the town drunk that makes disgraceful decisions, he is actually far from that. The towns misconceptions about Dolphus Raymond, sprout from how he lives his life. Instead of having to explain himself, he thought it easier to live as a fraud. He basks in the shade of an oak tree just outside the courthouse, drinking cola out of a paper bag, and sighing as the sweet molasses flavor runs down his throat. He rests his head in his hands, and looks up, smiling at the clear blue sky, he was happy this way. He turns his head lays back down as two familiar children meander their way out of the courthouse. Scouts conversation with Dolphus Raymond, uncovers a secret she did not think were possible:
It helps folks if they can latch onto a reason…If I weave
a little and drink out of this sack, folks can say Dolphus
Raymond’s in the clutches of whiskey-- that’s why he
won’t change his ways...I'm not much of a drinker, but you
see they could never, never understand that I live like I
do because that's the way I want to live.(Lee,268)
Dolphus Raymond explains why he lives the way he does, and his reasons for it. The author uses the word latch to show how important reasons are to people. Without a reason, the citizens could not fathom living in a way that is different than their own. Harper Lee uses the personification “Dolphus Raymond’s in the clutches of whiskey” to imply that people believed that alcohol had great influence on one’s decisions. Both the townspeople and Dolphus Raymond use his supposed alcoholism as an excuse for his isolation from the general community. To Mr.Raymond it is simpler to live a lie, than have to endure the harsh judgment of others.
In conclusion, Harper Lee portrays Boo as a loner and misanthropist to show how shielded Jem and Scout were and also reveal many truths of the town. Dolphus Raymond has secluded himself from society, because like Boo he finds it easier to separate himself from the community. His believed alcoholism protects him from ridicule and allows him happiness.Throughout the book, the author continues to uncover secrets about life in Maycomb and shows that in order to truly be content, one must be sheltered from society.