To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee :: Free Essay Writer

To Kill A Mockingbird First impressions of people are often lasting impressions,especially in the minds of children. Unfortunately, these impressionstend to be negative, thus, discrediting the individual who conveys theimpression and causing the observers to inaccurately assess his truecharacter. Many times these impressions, aided by misunderstanding andprejudgment, cause unjust discrimination against an individual. Tokill a Mockingbird depicts the themes of misunderstanding andprejudice which portray Arthur (Boo) Radley as a villain. Through theprogressive revelation of Radley's character, the children realizethat their negative impressions and fears toward him were unfounded.Through gradual stages of change, Jem's, Scout's, and Dill'simpressions of Radley are dramatically altered, bringing them to therealization that he is not the evil man he was thought to be, butrather a caring individual of distinguished bravery, and truly, thehero of the novel. In the beginning of the novel many falsehoods portray Boo Radleyas a villain . These deluding opinions, very apparent in the adultcommunity, are well illustrated by Miss Stephanie Crawford. She helpsto mislead the children's impressions. Since Atticus, although ofteninterrogated, but not wanting to create a breach of etiquette, refusesto speak about the Radleys. Therefore, Jem receives most of hisinformation from Miss Stephanie Crawford, a neighborhood scold, whoinsists she knows the whole truth about the Radleys. It is fromCrawford that the children learn of Radley's scissor attack on hisfather and other such interesting rumors. Thus, Arthur Radley islabelled as a "hant", a possibly insane and dangerous man, and the"malevolent phantom." The latter, coming from the fact that Radley hadnot been seen for many years, and was believed to be responsible forpetty crimes around the neighbourhood. It is not solely Crawford whodisplays her distaste towards the Radleys, Calpurnia, also sharesthese feelings of hatred. Her dislike of Radley is well described inan offhand remark to the children: "T here goes the meanest man everGod blew breath into." (p.12) The children, aided by neighborhoodlegends, make their own conclusions about Radley. Based on prejudiceand myth, Jem compiles a very detailed description of Radley: Boo was about six-and-a-half feet tall, judging from his tracks; he dined on raw squirrels and any cats he could catch, that's why his hands were bloodstained-if you ate an animal raw, you could never wash the blood off. There was a long jagged scar that ran across his face; what teeth he had were yellow and rotten; his eyes popped, and he drooled most of the time. (p.13) Dill, through his curious and innovative character, also helps toheighten and shed light on the mystery around the Radley house.