Boo Radley Trial

In To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, The Finch children Scout and Jem are curious about the many rumors they have heard of the “monster” Boo Radley, a local man who is very much a hermit, and decides to take it upon themselves to figure out what the real mystery is with the help of their friend Dill. Meanwhile, their father Atticus, who is a lawyer, takes on a case to defend a black man whose name is Tom Robinson, who has been accused of rape of a young white women. Due to the time period, Atticus defending a black man causes ramifications to not only himself, but the children as well and the events cause this to be a story of overcoming adversity, standing up in the midst of trial, and good versus evil. First, all of the characters in
When Robinson is convicted of rape although it is not the truth, Atticus’s reputation is put to the test and it is clear that sometimes evil is more powerful than good. Another example is Mrs. Maudie, one of the Finch’s neighbors, house burning down. This is an important moment because it is one of the first good deeds the reader hears of from Boo Radley when he puts a blanket around Scout’s shoulders to keep her warm while standing out in the cold. Also, the attack of Scout and Jem by the evil Bob Ewell has a huge effect on how Radley is perceived when he stops Bob from killing the children and ultimately kills Ewell instead and is seen as a hero by the Finch family. The sheriff decides to rule Ewell’s death as suicide. Altogether, the theme of To Kill a Mockingbird is the moral difference between good and evil. The prejudice, inequality, and adversity in this story cause the reader to really assess what is right and wrong. This story ultimately caused an emotional reaction because it is hard to read about so many unjust situations occurring and to see innocent people being treated