Who Put the Blanket Around Scout?
In chapter 8 Ms. Maudie’s house catches fire, during this time Boo Radley puts a blanket around Scout without her noticing. At 1:00 AM Scout is woken up to evacuate the house and stand in front of the radley place, a safe distance from the burning house. Both Scout and Jem stood outside in the freezing cold in their pajamas. During the fire Jem and Scout discuss what is happening to Ms. Maudie’s house. Scout is intreiged and mesmerized by the fire and does not realize that someone put a blanket around them. The blanket that she was given was not hers and she had not see it before. After the fire is put out Atticus comes over to the children to take them home. When he comes over he notices the blanket. “ ‘Someday Scout maybe you can thank him.’ ‘Thank who?’ I asked. ‘Boo Radley. You were so busy looking at the fire you didn’t know it when he put the blanket around you.” (72) Harper Lee decides to have Boo put the blanket around Scout so that the readers and children know that he is a friendly figure. She is giving us insight to show that he is a friendly figure. You can also tell that he wants to be friends because he had been consistently leaving them presents earlier in the book.
This is my opinion of where the blanket came from. What is your’s? How does Scout end up with a blanket across her shoulders? Why would Harper Lee include this part in the book?
Free write question: Do you think that kids at school will tease Scout about Atticus helping a black man?
This is my opinion of where the blanket came from. What is your’s? How does Scout end up with a blanket across her shoulders? Why would Harper Lee include this part in the book?
Free write question: Do you think that kids at school will tease Scout about Atticus helping a black man?
I also believe that Boo Radley was the one that put the blanket around Scout's shoulders but I have a slightly different idea of why Harper Lee put this in the book. I agree that it was to make Boo seem like a friendly person, but I also believe that this line was put in to reassure Scout, Jem and the reader that Boo is not done. This action reassures both Jem and Scout that even though the hole in the tree is filled, it is not the end of their connection with Boo. It shows that Boo is still looking out for them, and has not just disappeared. One question I have is; do you think that Boo will find another way to connect with Jem and Scout and if so, how?
ReplyDeleteIt was Boo who placed the blanket around Scout. Despite having ever been with the children up close, he cares about their welfare, and seems almost fond of them. "'That's alright son.' Atticus grinned slowly. 'Looks like all of Maycomb was out tonight, in one way or another.'" (81)
ReplyDeleteBoo Radley likes the children. That much is clear. During the fire and chaos, Boo uses the moment to his advantage, and comes out. It can be assumed that while watching from the Radley house, Boo saw Jem and Scout, and upon seeing Scout shiver -came out with the blanket. Boo crept out unnoticed in the moment that Nathan Radley was not there. The "Monster" is not Boo, but Nathan -the one who keeps Boo in this position of fearful shunning by the town. Since Boo has no contact with the people, he is kept away and feared.
Harper Lee introduces this new theory as one that shows Boo in different light. She is slowly pushing this sense of Boo, not being a monster-like killer, but a victim almost, making him seem isolated and unjustified. Boo is a person, she shows. Boo wants to meet the kids. Miss Maudie indicates that he was always nice enough. He is friendly. He cares about them. The only reason Boo and the children have not met is Nathan Radley. Nathan is keeping them apart -he is firing at them and filling the cement knot-hole. He is keeping Boo away. Harper Lee is guiding us into the belief that perhaps Boo really isn't a total recluse, that maybe, just maybe, Boo might be good. This is a huge point for the children's understanding of his character.
What do you think Harper Lee is trying to show with this action? Do you think it is really Boo or Nathan who is the real monster?
It was Boo who placed the blanket warmly around Scouts shoulders. I think that Boo Radley was just trying to be friendly towards the kids and return the favor of "coming out." Nathan is definitely the monster in the Radley house, it isn't Boo. I think that it is funny that Boo has indeed come out of his dark, scary house, and yet he is still a mystery to Jem and Scout. Atticus did see him that night and hasn't described him to the kids which still leaves them hanging and wanting more from the Radley's.
DeleteHarper Lee is trying to show us all that Boo isn't the monster, he is simply a man who is not well known around Maycomb. This leaves him a mystery to others, only because Maycomb is an extremely small town. Nathan is the real monster, filling the tree with cement and telling a lie that the tree was dying. This action took away the fun and games of the Boo Radley mysteries.
What do you think the kids will try next to make Boo Radley come out again? What do you think of Boo now that we know him better?
Answering Josie's questions: I think that Jem and Scout will knock on the door of the Radley house next. They are more mature now and see that Boo Radley is not a "monster" that rumors called him. Harper Lee has not said or shown much about Boo yet, but from my point of view Boo is kind. I say this because on page 72, Boo secretly puts a blanket around Scout's shoulders when she is cold. Also, what is thought by Jem and Scout is that Boo was giving them presents in the tree. This represents Boo's character.
ReplyDeleteI disagree that Nathan Radley is the "monster" of the house. It seems as if, Nathan is only trying to protect Boo. One example is when Nathan shot his shotgun to get Jem off his property. He obviously was not trying to hurt Jem or he could have shot him. Another example is when Nathan fills up the tree-hole with cement. Boo has not been outside in the "real world" in a long time, and Nathan is making his adjustment easier so he does not have to deal with children so soon. Nathan may think the children are being harmful in some way to Boo, which is why he would have done all of this.
Do you disagree or agree with my comments? If so, which ones? Is Nathan Radley just trying to protect someone he cares for, or is he just a mean person?
I agree that Nathan Radley is trying to protect Boo, but he is being a little over protective. Boo has stayed inside for a very long time and for the first time, is trying to contact the outside world. He is making contact with children because they are the only ones that really care about him any more and want him to come outside. By filling the hole with cement Nathan was taking away Boo's hopes of being able to come out again but Boo will not give up as he has shown by contacting the children in other ways such as putting the blanket around Scout. Both Boo and the children have determination and i believe will find away around Nathan's over protecting.
ReplyDeleteHow do you think they will get around Nathan's protectiveness? Why is it that Nathan is so protective over Boo not coming outside?