Boo Radley

Boo’s real name is Arthur Radley. As a boy, Boo fell in with the wrong crowd; after some minor misdemeanours he was going to be sent away to the industrial school. His father saw this as bringing shame on the family, and instead of sending him away, kept him locked up at home. Since his father passed away he has been in the care of his older brother Nathan. Nathan is as strict and unfriendly as their father was. No one has seen Boo for 15 years.

Because Boo never came out of the house, stories and rumours sprang up around him; he was described as a “malevolent phantom…. Any stealthy small crimes committed in Maycomb were his work.” (p 14)

Jem described Boo as “about six-and-a-half feet tall… dined on raw squirrels and any cats he could catch…. There was a long jagged scar that ran across his face; what teeth he had were yellow and rotten; his eyes popped, and he drooled most of the time.” (p 19)

Miss Maudie presents a more reasonable picture of Boo; she insists that Scout call him Arthur, and says that the Radley house is “a sad house”. She says Boo “always spoke nicely to me… as nicely as he knew how.” (p. 51)

Later we have evidence of Boo watching over the children and doing his best to help them. Jem gets his pants caught in the fence sneaking around the Radley house one night, trying to get a look at Boo. When he goes back to get them, he finds them “folded across the fence…. They’d been sewed up. Not like a lady sewed ‘em, like something I’d try to do.” (p. 64)

The children are left mystery gifts in the tree outside the Radley place; chewing gum, dolls carved out of soap, twine, a pocket-watch that wouldn’t go, a spelling medal, a small coin… this comes to an end when Mr. Nathan Radley fills in the knot-hole with cement. Jem spends the day “deep in thought” and Scout relates “When we went in the house I saw he had been crying; his face was dirty in the right places”. (p 68-69) Perhaps Jem had guessed the truth.

More evidence of Boo’s shyness and generosity is seen when Miss Maudie’s house burns down. It is a freezing winter night, and the children are standing outside. It isn’t until Atticus asks “Whose blanket is that?” that Scout realises someone has put a blanket over her shoulders without her even noticing. (p 77)

Jem then reveals everything to Atticus; the gifts, the mended pants, all his suspicions. Atticus merely responds “We’d better keep this and the blanket to ourselves.” He doesn’t want to make Boo into the talk of the town; he respects his privacy. (p 78)

These events show us the gradual change in the children’s attitude to Boo. The next time Boo plays a major role in the novel is not until the end. Through this series of events and conversations, Boo is presented as a shy and misunderstood character. He is generous, shown in his small gifts and acts of kindness. He is also childlike, shown in his choice of gifts to the children – things of little but sentimental value, a child’s treasures.

The story of Boo is also a way of showing how Jem is changing and maturing during the course of the novel. At the beginning, he participates in spreading rumours about Boo, telling Dill everything he’s heard in grapic detail. He also persists in trying to “make Boo come out”, simply for his own curiousity and amusement. However, he gradually realises that Boo is a real person, with feelings; he learns to empathise with him, shown in his emotional outburst after he thinks Atticus might be angry with him. Jem has gone from a thoughtless and self-centred child to showing signs of becoming a caring and responsible young man.

To Kill a Mockingbird

Today we started our novel study with an overview of the key characters in the novel:
Scout - Jean Louise Finch, "almost six" at the start of the novel, a tomboy, smart (she can read).
Jem - Jeremy Atticus Finch, "nearly ten" and Scout's older brother, takes care of her. He changes during the novel.
Atticus - their father, a widower. He is a lawyer.
Minor characters include their friends and neighbours, for example Miss Maudie, Dill, Calpurnia, Aunt Alexandra, and Mrs Dubose.
The two other important characters in the novel are:
Boo - Arthur Radley, the mysterious neighbour who has spent most of his life locked in his house. The townsfolk spread rumours about him but he's really a shy person.
Tom Robinson - a black man accused of raping Mayella, a white girl. Tom is married to Helen and has children. He works for Link Deas. Tom's arm was injured in an accident when he was younger.

It is interesting to contrast the Cunningham family and the Ewell family. They are both poor, white families living near Maycomb. How does Harper Lee use them as an example of the idea that people should "not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character"?

Then we talked about the setting. Time, place and social context are important; this story could not have happened in a different time or place.

• Maycomb - a fictional small town. This is important because it's a small community, everyone knows everyone else's business, and there is a lot of pressure on people to conform to what the town expects of them.
• Alabama - this is important because it's in the southern United States, so there are a lot of racist attitudes and assumptions.
• 1930s - Slaves were freed less than 70 years beforehand; older people in the town might still remember the days when they had slaves. The country has not yet come to accept blacks and whites as equal. This is also the time of the great depression, when there was a lot of poverty, especially in rural areas.

Although set in the 1930s, this novel was written in the 1960s. What else was happening in America at that time? How is it relevant to the ideas in the novel?

Beyond the text

We've studied three poems which show how different cultures have different vaules, and perceive the land and its use in different ways. This is important to New Zealanders, because it has led to conflicts over the years since the Treaty of Waitangi was signed. This can still be seen today, for example in current news stories.

There are many other historical examples of differing cultural values leading to conflict, for example Bastion Point, the Raglan golf course, or the foreshore and seabed controversy.

These poems also relate to the growing concern over the destruction of the environment. Everyone is now familiar with terms such as "global warming" and "carbon footprint". The popularity of these ideas can be seen in TV programmes like "Wasted". Another example that illustrates the ideas in "The Sea, to the Mountains, to the River" is Graeme Sydney's painting "Timeless Land", which he defaced to show the destruction of natural beauty by man.

Another common theme in the poems is the "taming" of the land by men. Glover's poem "The Road Builders" celebrates the fact that man has tamed the land. It almost sounds as if he was writing about the new Northern Gateway motorway - an impressive feat of engineering. On the other hand, Taylor's poem "The Womb" implies that the land can't be tamed. When he says "the fires of Ruapehu still live", it brings to mind the recent activity at the mountain. Although it's a popular holiday resort, we have never really tamed it, as shown when a man crushed by falling rocks had to have part of his leg amputated.

How else do these poems illustrate current issues in race relations, the environment, etc? If you have any other ideas, post them in the comments.

Useful websites for English students

You can find study help at www.studyit.org.nz. They have forums where you can get advice and encouragement from teachers and other students, exam timetables, and links to revision websites.

Past NCEA exam papers can be found at www.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/assessment.

For internal assessment resources, go to the Te Kite Ipurangi website.

For help with literature units such as To Kill a Mockingbird or Shakespeare, try www.sparknotes.com.

For details on a film study, your first visit should be to the Internet Movie Database.

If you find any other useful websites, share them with your peers in the comments.

How to write a short texts essay

Step one
Choose the right question. For example, a question on characters would not suit the poems we have studied. Make sure you can answer all parts of the question. If you choose a question that involves words like “think differently” or how your “opinion has changed” make sure you clearly state what you thought before, what you think now, and what made you change your mind. Remember “analyse how” means “what methods has the author used” – it is the perfect opportunity to bring in some language techniques.

For example, the question “For each of the texts, analyse how the writers presented a positive or negative view of society” would be suitable for the three poems we have studied.

Step two
Plan. Do not start writing before you have planned how you will approach the question. It is not “everything I know about the poems” but an analysis of an aspect of the poetry studied. You will need supporting evidence; jot down a few quotes while you remember them.

One possible essay plan could be:
Introduction – titles, authors, topic, summary of poems
Paragraph 1 – analysis of “The Womb”: negative view of humanity, destroying land
Paragraph 2 – analysis of “The Road Builders”: positive view of humanity, admirable qualities of builders
Paragraph 3 – contrast poems, give reasons for their different perspectives, relate to NZ society today
Conclusion – sum up main ideas, reflect on what you’ve learned from poetry study

Step three
Write your essay. Remember to underline or use quotation marks for titles of poems, leave a space between paragraphs, and use two or three quotes to support your ideas in each paragraph.

“The Womb” by Apirana Taylor presents a negative view of humanity by personifying the land to show how it has been destroyed by settlers. “The Road Builders” by Denis Glover, on the other hand, presents a positive view of humanity through metaphorical language. He shows us how difficult it was to build roads, and admires the unacknowledged builders.

Taylor’s poem “The Womb” shows humanity in a negative light. The reader feels guilty and ashamed when confronted with direct language such as “your fires burnt my forests”. Taylor uses personification in lines such as “your ploughs… scarred my face” to show how human action has damaged the land. The narrator in the poem is the land; by using the possessive adjectives “your” Taylor is able to present his point of view that humanity is a destructive force.

Remember the aim of this essay is to compare two poems; it shouldn’t read like two separate essays. Link paragraphs together to show a logical progression of ideas, for example “On the other hand…” “In contrast…” “A different perspective is shown…” “Although on a similar theme…”

In contrast, Glover’s poem “The Road Builders” presents a positive view of humanity. He uses words with positive connotations, for example “skill”, “strength”, “wonder” and “admirable” to present the road builders in a favourable light. Glover also uses personification, however unlike Taylor his references to “stubborn clay” put the land in a negative light. The extended metaphor in the second verse comparing road building to a war (legion, fighting, scarring) shows us that it was a difficult task, but men were triumphant due to their skill, strength and patience. Glover’s poem shows pride in the achievements of humanity.

So far it’s an Achievement level; we have analysed specified aspects of two poems. To get to a Merit or Excellence level, you should show an awareness of themes and author’s purpose; show your position as a reader; make links beyond the text.

Although both poems deal with the theme of man’s relationship with nature, they show very different perspectives. Taylor writes from a Maori cultural perspective, where the land is personified in the form of Papatuaanuku. He expresses anger at the way traditional Maori beliefs and values have been disregarded by European “settlers and farmers”, and shows us the desecration of the land with graphic images such as “charred bones” and “scarred my face”. Glover, however, shows us the European point of view. He sees humanity as a positive force, bringing order from chaos, “fighting the tangled bush” to make a better future for their descendants. This conflict is something that New Zealand society is still struggling with, as seen in Waitangi Day protests or arguments over ownership of the foreshore and seabed.

Apirana Taylor’s poem “The Womb” and Denis Glover’s poem “The Road Builders” present contrasting yet valid views of humanity. By studying them the reader learns that we must gain greater awareness of, and respect for, cultural viewpoints other than our own to avoid conflict in New Zealand society.

This example essay is 413 words long; your essay should be at least 300 words long, and to develop your ideas in sufficient depth, you should be aiming for 400-500 words. However, do not waste time in an exam or test by counting your words! You should have a good idea from your practice essays how long an essay should be. The marker will not count your words; they will only look at your ideas.