Dolphus Radley's Actions

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Pages: 4
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Galindo Oliveras, Laila.

Mr. Shipp

English 1, Block 2

5/17/2024

Actions Can Be Deceiving

In life, we learn that many people may not be what we initially thought they would be like. An amazing example of this is Harper Lee’s novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird”. In the novel, we are introduced to many characters that turn out to be a lot more different than what one may assume. Aunt Alexandra, Mr. Dolphus Raymond, and Arthur (Boo) Radley are just a few of the many characters that show this theme throughout the story. To begin with, a character who shows themes of this behavior is Aunt Alexandra, who we learn has opinions against Atticus’ parenting style and Scout not being “lady-like”. She is a strong believer in social status and maintaining …show more content…
Dolphus Raymond outside of the courthouse. Mr. Dolphus Raymond offered Dill his paper bag to drink out of, which he did. Scout was about to scold Dill, but then he interrupted her; “Scout, it’s nothing but Coca-Cola” (204, Lee). It turns out that Mr. Dolphus Raymond was only pretending to be an alcoholic. He claimed that people did not like the way he lives, so he simply gave them a reason behind him doing so. This information helps the reader understand that Mr. Dolphus Raymond isn’t nearly the same person as what the people in Maycomb made him up to be. Last but certainly not least, Arthur Radley turned out to be a completely different person than what the reader had been made to believe. Throughout the novel, the children in “To Kill a Mockingbird” hear and make up many stories about the Radley house and refer to Arthur as “Boo” Radley. Arthur Radley was well known in Maycomb because of the fact that he hadn’t left the Radley house in over forty years. It was rumored that when he was younger, “Boo drove the scissors into his parent’s leg, pulled them out, wiped them on his pants, and resumed his activities” (11, Lee). The children played a game surrounding all of the …show more content…
Jem even had his own description of Boo; “Boo was about six-and-a-half feet tall.. he dined on raw squirrels and any cats he could catch.. his hands were blood-stained..there was a long jagged scar that ran across his face.. his eyes popped and he drooled most of the time” (13, Lee). It isn’t until much later that the reader discovers that Boo Radley wasn’t like the rumors that were spread about him. In the last few chapters of the novel, Scout and Jem were attacked by Bob Ewell on their way home alone at night. In the process of all of this, their attacker was stabbed with a kitchen knife by none other than Arthur Radley. He had saved their lives. After Boo carried an unconscious Jem home, Scout finally got to see what Boo truly looked like; “His face was as white as his hands.. his cheeks were thin to hollow.. his gray eyes were so colorless I thought he was blind. His hair was dead thin, almost feathery on top of his head” (274, Lee). It appears that Arthur Radley was actually an albino, which explains why he only came out during the night, a huge difference from the rumors that were made about him. In conclusion, the novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” shows amazing themes on why
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