Analyze the relationship between Boo Radley and the children. How does this relationship change throughout the book? What are the causes of the developments in this relationship?
At first, the children imagine as the "malevolent phantom". They thrive on the gossip and make-up stories of their own. They even create a game about him. Over time, their view begins to change. Scout learns from Miss Maudie that Boo's real name is Arthur. She also learns about his tragic past.
When Jem loses his pants in the Radley yard, he goes back to retrive then and finds them sewn, folded, and waiting for him. Afterward, the children begin receiving small gifts in the knothole of the tree. Sadly, Boo's brother, Nathan, ends their communication by filling the tree's knothole with cement. Later, when Miss Maudie's house catches on fire, Boo covers Scout's shoulders with a blanket to warm her without anyone knowing, and when Atticus asks Jem and Scout who gave Scout the blanket, they are unable to answer him.
As time goes on, Scout and Jem's view of Boo changes as they mature. They stop attempting to lure Boo out, and they begin to sympathize with him, realizing that he is merely a shy man, who chooses to remain secluded. By the end of the book, Boo saves their lives when he intervenes during Bob Ewell's vicious attack. Afterward, Scout gets a chance to meet Boo face-to-face and hangs out on the porch with him before walking him home. Scout even takes the time to observe the world she lives in through Boo's eyes.
To Kill a Mockingbird
