At the beginning of the novel, Jem, Scout, and Dill fear Boo Radley. They believe the false rumors that surround him and view him as the malevolent phantom. They do not fully understand the reason why Boo Radley is confined inside his home and choose to fear him. As they mature, they realize that Boo is simply a shy, misunderstood individual.
In Chapter 24, Mrs. Merriweather expresses her concern for J. Grimes Everett, who is a missionary in Africa working with the Mrunas tribe. She tells Scout, "you are a fortunate girl. You live in a Christian home with Christian folks in a Christian town. Out there in J. Grimes Everett’s land there’s nothing but sin and squalor" (Lee 141). Mrs. Merriweather does not understand foreign cultures and views any society whose populace is not predominately Christian as barbaric and uncivilized. She fears the Mrunas tribe because she is culturally ignorant.
Once Tom is charged with assaulting and raping Mayella Ewell, fear spreads among the prejudiced community of Maycomb. The majority of Maycomb's citizens believe that the African American population is dangerous and fears that they will attempt to harm white citizens. In Chapter 14, while Scout is walking past the drugstore she hears someone say, "They c’n go loose and rape up the countryside for all ’em who run this county care" (Lee 84). The ignorant, racist citizens do not understand the importance of tolerance, nor do they attempt to improve race relations throughout the novel.
No comments:
Post a Comment