Do you think that Scout is being too naïve and should in fact fear the Radley Place? Do you think that the Radleys are a threat to Scout and Jem? Do you think that Atticus is not being strict enough with his restrictions on trespassing? Do you think he is being too lenient? If so, why?
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Chapters 26-27: "The Radley Place had ceased to terrify me, but it was no less gloomy, no less chilly under its great oaks, and no less uninviting." Explore this with reference to Scout's development.
The Radley Place use to terrify Scout, but now as she is getting older, it no longer does. Instead of looking at the Radley property in fear, she looks at it and feels bad for the Radleys. She feels empathetic for Boo Radley and his sad life. "The Radley Place had ceased to terrify me, but it was no less gloomy, no less chilly under its great oaks, and no less uninviting" (Lee 325). Scout's newfound empathy towards people she used to dislike shows how Scout is growing up. She considers things from all angles and never jumps to conclusions. She has an understanding mindset similar to Attiucs, her teacher and role model. When Scout was younger, Atticus taught Scout a trick about getting along better with folks. "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... until you climb into his skin and walk around in it" (Lee 39). Scout took her father's advice and imagined what it would be like if she was Boo Radley. She pictured how gloomy her life would be, and how lonely she would be as a person. She realized that he isn't in fact scary, and she almost begins to pity him. Her demonstration of empathy shows that Scout considers things from other people's points of view, and is able to feel sympathetic towards those less fortunate. Not only is she able to feel for the Radley's, but she is also able to empathize towards other minorities with less advantages such as black people and Jews. This skill that Scout now possesses will be very useful to her as she grows up into a young woman. She will encounter many people that she doesn't agree with, but in order to fully understand their point of view she must be able to "climb into their skin". Atticus as parent must continue to teach Scout these life skills so she can apply them to everyday situations that are challenging for her. Growing up in the south during the depression is very difficult, but Scout will have a much easier time if she puts these skills to use.
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Scout is not being naïve by not fearing the Radley house. Now that she understands Arthur Radley’s feeling and has put herself in his shoes, she has figured out that the house is not as scary as it had seemed. She feels sorry and empathetic for him. As Scout said, “I think I’m beginning to understand why Boo Radley’s stayed shut up in the house . . . it’s because he wants to stay inside” (Lee 304). By applying her dad’s lesson of empathy to her life, Scout is starting to show her maturity, and her new understanding of the world.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the post and the comment, but I also think that she is less scared of the Radley house because she has been through much more, such as the Tom Robinson's trial and death, and is starting to think of Boo Radley as a real person. I also think that she is beginning to be interested in Arthur (Boo) Radley, which makes her think of him as a person, and not just a scary mental animal. The adults in her life that she trusts such as Atticus and Miss Maudie also influence her point of view on Arthur Radley; they don't act scared of him, and try to present him as a normal person to Scout. They aren't like Stephanie Crawford who tries to make him sound scary. When Scout is thinking about how she wants to see Arthur Radley, she's influenced Miss Maudie and Atticus. She imagines herself saying " 'Hidy do, Mr. Arthur' [...] 'Evening Jean Louise' he would say as if he had said it every afternoon of my life" (Lee 325) Scout is becoming more mature, and wants to connect with Arthur Radley because she has empathized with him.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Lily. If anything I think she is showing herself to be more mature. She, as Lily said, is being empathetic, which is a big step to showing she has grown up. She later says "I sometimes felt a twinge of remorse, when passing by the old place, at ever having taken part in what must have been sheer torment to Arthur Radley," (Lee, 324). This proves that she is learning about empathy and applying it to her life. If she is now learning from her mistakes it proves she is maturing. I also feel as though she is proving something by putting herself in Boo's shoes. She is trying to prove that if the white people put themselves in the black peoples shoes they would see how wrong what they are doing is wrong. I think her realizing this is a huge life lesson for herself.
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