The children play the "Radley Game" because every kid needs to have that scary thing under the bed, a imaginative monster that they experiment with. Every kid deals with their monster in different ways. When Jem and Dill decide to take a peek into the Radley house, Harper Lee is showing everyones reactions, "When I protested, he said sweetly, 'You don't have to come Angel May.'"(68) Here Harper lee is exploiting that Scout is scared to death of the Radley house, while Jem and Dill act as if it is a challenge. Some kids take their games a little too far, Harper Lee exaggerates that when the kids go into the Radley's yard, "He put his hands over his head and went ridged. The shadow stopped about a foot beyond Jem... as I tripped the roar of a shotgun shattered the neighborhood."(71) To represent that kids sometimes take their imaginary monsters and get themselves into trouble, Harper Lee puts it into life and death. After that incident Jem and Scout's "monster" isn't so imaginary any more.
Who do you think was leaving them objects? Why? Why do you think Mr. Nathan blocked up the knot? Which Radley do you think sewed up the pants? Why? How did they know Jem would come back? Do you think Atticus bought their cover story? If not, why not?
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ReplyDeleteI think the person leaving the objects is Boo Radley. I think this because he seems to be almost imprisoned in the Radley house and in his spot I would try to find a way to communicate with the outside world too. He see's a chance in Scout and Jem and he wants to have friends, to communicate with someone else, maybe even to go outside and see the world with a view that isn't from behind a glass window. I think the presents and sowing of the pants is akin to a piece offering. He is trying to be kind to them so that when he appears to them and reveals the gifts were from him, he will not be as feared or at least that instead of running Jem and Scout might be cautious but willing to listen to him.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the person is Boo Radley. He his brother, Nathan, was the one who dug up the knothole in the first place and other than the tree dying there had to be another reason why it is dug. Boo sees potential in being friends with Scout and Jem since he doesnt really have any. In addition, i think the one who sewed up Jem pants was Nathan Radley since he was the "only one there" and the guy who killed a "negro", so as a result of kindness he did them a favor of sewing the pants back. It was a sense of logic that Jem would go back and get the pants because if atticus and the others found out that the pants were there, there would have been questioned asked about why they were there in the first place. I believe Atticus did believe their cover story.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think of Boo Radley so far in the novel? Good or Bad
I think that the person who has been leaving the messages in the knothole has been Boo Radley. The messages have either been sent when the children are at school or late at night when people are asleep. He has not been seen during these time periods. Also with Jems' pants being sowed improperly one may assume that someone with out much sewing qualification may have done so. Mr Radley falls into that category. Also Mr Radley says he did cover up the knothole with clay because the tree was dying right after the note was sent saying who is leaving these gifts. Its extremely curious that it was covered over admittedly by Boo Radley.
ReplyDeleteDo you think Boo is a trust worthy man why or why not?
ReplyDeleteIf Boo Radley really is being imprisoned in his own home then he would have great motives for trying to interact with the world outside of his own walls. Boo must have had a strategy for delivering the items so that they would not be noticed by his family. As soon as the tree was used as a portal to send items into the house it was noticed by Nathan and he decided to end the line of gifts to the children. That would justify his filling up a perfectly healthy tree with cement. The pants where also an act performed by Boo to try and communicate with other humans. A lousy job on the sowing could be explained by him hurrying so he wouldn't be noticed.
ReplyDeleteIf this is the case do you think Boo or the children will be punished for there interactions with each other?