Who Really is Boo Radley?

Authors Note- I wrote a character analysis on Boo Radley. I analyzed how he affected other characters, how he affected the theme, and what type of character he was.
  

The fantasy of the Maycomb Monster, haunts  everyone in Maycomb County. He only comes out at night and kills everyone in his path. His hands are bloodstained from the raw animals he feasts on. He has a long jagged scar that runs across his face, and is teeth are rotten and yellow. Or so everyone thinks.  But who really is Boo Radley? In the book To Kill a Mockingbird, the author introduces Boo Radley as just that, a mysterious legend. But, as the book goes on you start to see that Boo is a powerful symbol of goodness, hidden behind a cover of evil.

Boo Radley has a big impact on the character development of Jem and Scout. At first, they believe that Boo Radley is forced to stay inside the walls of his house. But as the story goes on they start receiving gifts from him, and finally at the end, Boo Radley saves them from Bob Ewell and they start to realize that; "Boo Radley's stayed shut up in the house all this time……..because he wants to stay inside." As Boo Radley starts to reveal himself, Jem and Scout turn from innocent young children who want to see the "dreadful Boo Radley", to young adults who start to understand Boo Radley as a person.

Throughout the book, Boo Radley's image changes. He seems to be an average  character, but at the end you realize he is a dynamic character who undergoes a major change in society. He starts off as a monster who then changes into a innocent-goodhearted person. Although you can't see him change as a person, his image changes.

The theme of innocence is shown all through the book. It's first shown through Jem and Scout, innocent kids who are unaware of the evil in the world. Next it is shown through Tom Robinson who is obviously innocent in his trial, but is plead guilty. Boo Radley is finally another excellent example of innocence.  He is introduced as the Maycomb Monster until the kids see the real him. They see a good person who is looking for a friend  and totally innocent behind all the rumors.

 Although Boo Radley isn’t  officially mentioned in the book a lot, he is in it the whole way, helping Jem and Scout grow up. The rumors and legends were passed on and on until Boo became a monster and phantom. So who really is  Boo Radley? He is just a good hearted, innocent man, looking for a friend.