The Role of the Radley Place

I agree that the Radley place played a big role in Scout and Jem's childhoods because they both grew up around it with lots of curiosity. Scout and Jem always wondered what Boo Radley was like since they were really little kids and it stuck with them as they got older. I think that when Scout and Jem were little, the house just really scared them, but after Boo Radley saved their lives, I think that in the future, Scout and Jem will look at the house and think of good memories.

The Radley place had a both positive and negative impact on Jem and Scout's childhood. During the first part of "To Kill a Mockingbird" The Radley place was terrifying and Jem and Scout avoided it, but eventually it became more of a positive place for them. So in a way both points of view are right. One could say that the Radley place changed as Scout and Jem matured.

The Radley house were a giant role in Jem and Scout's day-to-day lives. They grew around this myth that Boo living inside that house was some sort of monster's; only because it is what they heard. No proof was given, nor the slightest bit of idea that anything could be different. The house served the point of the fact that not everything is as it seems. Gossip is what made the kids fear Boo, but when they finally meet him that's when they realize that, that was all it was: gossip.

The Radley place's impact changed as Jem and Scout matured; it was a direct correlation between their perspectives and the world. Boo Radley is primarily a source of superstition, fear, and misunderstanding during the beginning, symbolizing Jem and Scout's innocence. He is described as a "malevolent phantom" and a criminal. So while the house and Boo Radley instilled fear into them, it was because their simplistic views were black and white. When they began to gain more compassionate perspectives through experience, knowledge, and simply the coming of age experience, Scout found the Radley place to be a house of life, not death. She discards her previous perceptions of evil and realizes the humanity of Boo Radley. Her father had reminded her that she had to walk in someone else's shoes to forget her prejudice, and when she stood on the threshold of the Radley place, her ignorance was replaced with compassion and empathy towards the Radley's. I believe that the Radley house always impacted Scout and Jem positively. It was a place of mystery and suspicion, but helped them gain new perspectives and humanity. The realization that not everything is black and white in the world transitioned Scout from ignorant to compassionate. It became a sanctuary that held a saint (Boo) who had saved Scout's life. Ergo, the house and the people inside it held a negative connotation, but always a positive impact.

i agree that the radleys had a major impact on jem and scout, but this impact was far more positive than negative. Especially after Boo had saved them from Ewell, this event taught them not to judge others on appearance or gossip but that even a seemingly dark and frightening character like Boo can also be a gentle and kind hearted one as well.

I think that the Radley place did have both positive and negative effects on Jem and Scout. Jem and Scout were sometimes scared by the thought of the Radley's and their house. They were afraid to go near the house or chase something across the fence. But also, in another sense, the Radley place challenges them to think about what the believed, and to think about safety, and obedience. And finally, Boo Radley even saved their lives, so although the house instilled fear, it also matured them.

I think the Radley residence, just further solidify the prevalent theme in the novel, of unjust fear and "pre-disposed" opinions. Like many of the blacks in the book, Jem and Scout gave Boo an unfair name and reputation, based solely on what they were told, and no real evidence. It just further illuminates the nature of humans, the want for superiority, and judging others prematurely.