Nearly all of the characters in To Kill a
Mockingbird undergo some sort of change during the novel (except perhaps members of
the Ewell family). Boo Radley certainly underwent drastic mental and
emotional changes after he was arrested as a teenager. He seemed to be a normal kid before
falling in with the wrong crowd (apparently some of the Cunninghams). Miss Maudie
says
"He always spoke
nicely to me, no matter what folks said he
did."
Tom
Robinson's changes are even more obvious. A hard-working family man, he is falsely
accused of rape after trying to be a good Samaritan to Mayella Ewell. He is sent to jail, nearly
lynched, found guilty, and is then shot to death by prison guards. Atticus describes Tom's
dilemma during his summation.
readability="8">
"And so a quiet, respectable, humble Negro who had the
unmitigated temerity to 'feel sorry' for a white woman has had to put his word against two white
people's."
Scout
probably undergoes more change than any other character in the novel. These are formulative years
for any child, but she witnesses many revelations during the story. She is immensely disappointed
with her schooling (and teachers); she falls in love with Dill; she discovers that Boo is not the
terrifying character he is made out to be; she witnesses racism and persecution in many ways; she
discovers the hidden talents and witnesses the strong will of her father; and she is nearly
killed by Bob Ewell. When she stands on Boo's porch at the end of the story, she
discovers
I had never
seen our neighborhood from this
angle.
It was a new perspective
recognized only after the many events that transpired over the past two
years.
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