Symbolically, Boo Radley represents the innocence of
childhood. When the children are younger, before they learn how the world really works,
Boo Radley is their resident monster. As they get older, they lose their innocence when
they learn about poverty (though the Cunninghams and Ewells) and racism (through the
trial of Tom Robinson and people’s reaction to it). Poverty and racism are the real
monsters, and as they are revealed Boo Radley becomes less of a monster. He begins
reaching out to the children by leaving them the presents in the tree. He protects Jem
from punishment by sewing his pants, and he protects Scout from death when Bob Ewell
attacks her.
Boo Radley becomes less and less mysterious
throughout the book as the children age and mature. At the end, he comes out. This is
the point at which they realize that there are good people and bad people in the world
but they are not the ones they thought. Racists are the real monsters. Boo, one of the
story’s Mockingbirds, is actually the innocent one. He has been victimized by society,
and this is the result of severe abuse from his parents. He is socially stunted as a
result.
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