unseen poetry
‘Lee presents Boo Radley as a character who is deliberately misunderstood.’ How far do you agree with this interpretation? ( Chapters 1–16 only, AO1 + AO4 ) (AO1) • Boo Radley is presented as a character who is strongly misunderstood by the people of Maycomb , especially the children Scout, Jem and Dill. He is judged through rumours, fear and imagination rather than truth • Boo is described as a “malevolent phantom” , showing how the town turns him into something frightening and unnatural, even though he is never properly seen • the children create stories about Boo, showing how gossip and imagination shape his reputation , making him seem dangerous and mysterious • Boo is kept inside his house for many years, which adds to his mystery and makes people believe he is strange and possibly violent • however, Boo is shown to be kind and protective , which challenges his negative reputation. He leaves gifts in the tree for Scout and Jem (such as chewing gum and carved figures) • Boo also s...