Why Is Boo Radley Misunderstood In To Kill A Mockingbird

Judging the Wrong People
Have you ever known what it is like to constantly do good things but never rewarded? Never acknowledged? Always assumed to be bad? To be a mockingbird means to not cause any harm to the society and do good deeds. Most mockingbirds don’t even want to be recognized. Boo Radley is a perfect example of a metaphorical mockingbird. Not everyone knows what being misunderstood is like; especially when you’re misunderstood for the wrong reasons. Just because a man keeps to himself, should he be marked as an outcast? Just because a man is rumored to have done a dark deed, should he live a lonely life? Boo Radley, a man who has been labeled by a myth, truly encompasses the qualities of a mockingbird. His status as an outcast not only leads to his misunderstood reputation, but also to his self-dependent, lonely lifestyle. Yet, the town doesn’t know he’s a harmless man who just keeps to himself. This misunderstood citizen of Maycomb, who all in all, ends up being a harmless stranger trying to help, resembles a metaphorical mockingbird.
Boo Radley is a man of solitude, but that’s not a reason to judge him.
The judgment he obtains from the people of Maycomb is the reason for his privacy. The citizens start rumors about him because they never see him in person or out and about town, so their suspicions arise to stories, which circulate the small town. But even though he keeps to himself most of the time, he inconspicuously affects the people of Maycomb in different ways and generally they are of a positive manner. His habit of sitting back and watching the happenings of the town is in resemblance of how a mockingbird sits and watches its
surroundings. Along with being a loner, he is also highly misunderstood by all the people of Maycomb. None of the townspeople understand his actions or the reasons he hides in his home all day, so their judgment is harsh and undeserved. They all believe Boo Radley is a killer, so they are scared of him for no reason. In the end, Boo does become a killer, but it saves the children, Jem and Scout, from being murdered by Mr. Ewell. And even though he does commit the act of saving the children, he doesn’t want any recognition for his actions, just to be move on and go home. All in all, Boo Radley is as harmless as a fly. He commits many acts of kindness throughout the story like putting gifts in a tree for them and covering Scout up with a blanket while she is outside watching Miss Maudie’s house fire during the snowstorm. In the end, he even saves Jem and Scout from the murderous Mr. Ewell, who was plotting to slaughter both of the children. Never once did Boo Radley lift a finger to harm anyone or put anyone in harm’s way; he truly was an innocent man.
To conclude, Boo metaphorically resembles a mockingbird in several different ways. The town judges him severely, causing rumors to be spread about “things” he may or may not have done and somewhat forcing him into a life of solitude. Then, due to his tendency to sit and watch over the town from his house, the town also creates opinions of him. But in all reality, Boo is a harmless fellow who is just misunderstood for his choice to live in solitude and act as the watchful eye, which is all in all how he metaphorically compares to a mockingbird.

Work Cited
Lee, Harper. To Kill A Mockingbird. New York: Warner Brothers, 1982. Print.