I’ve never really understood the magnanimous praise heaped on the 1962 film To Kill a Mockingbird. To be honest, I’m not even that enamored of the 1960 Harper Lee novel. Both the film and its literary source trumpet the foundational values of early sixties White liberalism loud and proud, and as I have worked my way, sometimes painfully, through both works alongside a generation that followed their release by over half a century, I sense that mainstream U.S. society still clings to the courtroom story, not just in terms of the obvious judicial inequities, but also in White culture distancing itself from racism while practicing borderline idolatry for overt racism’s White idealist opponents. It’s a convenient identification, but one that limits the complexity of the theme and restricts the depth of characters actually facing the racial oppression. As a result, we get a central White hero and a peripheral Black martyr, a trope that trudged its way right into the 21st century. I certainly don’t dislike Atticus Finch, but isn’t it time that someone gave us the story from Tom Robinson’s vantage point? But that isn’t the focus here. Instead, I want to share my tremendous shock – experienced during a classroom viewing of the film – at the final act revelation of Boo Radley as portrayed by Robert Duvall. I had completely forgotten Duvall was in the film at all and even failed to recognize the actor when he sheepishly appeared from behind Jem’s bedroom door.
In reading TKaM, I never once envisioned the borderline mythical village idiot as a sad-eyed, black & white version of Ryan Gosling, complete with the improbable blonde hair. My surprise wasn’t limited to Boo Radley, however; the sensual astonishment extended right to the actor playing him. While I have always admired Robert Duvall’s talent (Coppola’s The Rain People!), never have I felt such an acute, groin-centered attraction to him. Little did I know such provocation simply required some stunning b/w photography by Russell Harlan and an intense, imploring, silent gaze from the performer. Note regarding the wrongness of the hotness for Boo Radley: Nearly mute simpletons with big hearts but brutish tendencies have turned up on my crush list for years, despite my best efforts of suppression. See Crush File #2 for elaboration.
Nathan Radley (Older Brother) Arthur "Boo" Radley is a neighbor who lives on the same street as the Finch family. Boo's defining characteristic is his literal and symbolic invisibility. Although he is a relatively normal person, from the narrator's (Scout) point of view, he is a superstitious figure. Personality[]He is an innocent, childlike, and somewhat shy person who has not had much interaction socially. Background[]Arthur Radley is Scout's mysterious neighbor who keeps to himself, never bothering anyone, and never sets foot outside his house, which makes him the target of cruel gossip. Boo dominates the imaginations of Jem, Scout, and Dill, despite them being warned to keep away since his father and brother would like to keep him from accessing the outside world. However, he does what he can to make sure Jem and Scout are safe throughout the book, and leaves presents for them. At the beginning of the story, rumors are spread, and he is depicted as a frightening man who is completely insane. Scout and Jem begin to fear him, but a strange longing for connection shows through in the kids' obsession with him. Acting out of the life and times of Boo Radley could be a way of trying to understand him by "trying on his skin", as Atticus always says. Of course, this is not meant to be taken in a literal sense. Instead, what Atticus means is more akin to understanding the point of view of another. Throughout the book Boo Radley is a mysterious character. The kids are scared of him, spread rumors about him, try to break into his house among other things, so when Atticus says this to Scout it’s him desperately trying to get Scout to understand that Boo Radley is not a monster. Of course, Scout doesn’t understand this at the time. But as we see near the end of To Kill A Mockingbird, she no longer sees Boo as this monster but instead sees a scared child who simply didn’t have the resources to learn how to function normally in a world that doesn’t accept difference or change. Scout begins to understand not only the sadness in Boo’s life but also the circumstances that cause him to act the way he does. The short interaction between Scout and Boo also solidifies Atticus’s words Scout near the end of the book when he tells her that most people are nice when you finally see them. In the end, however, you find that he has connected with them indirectly, which leads him to save Jem and Scout's lives in the children's time of need. Trivia[]
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