Even though the subject matter of  "To Kill a Mockingbird" is focused on a black man being falsely accused of a heinous crime in the South in the 1930s, the person I focused on was Boo Radley.

 Boo Radley is an agoraphobic, misunderstood, misfit, out-cast of his neighborhood. Agoraphobia is the fear of groups, crowds or people in general. This is a disabling mental disorder.  Because he didn't fit in with everyone else, he became a recluse. He stayed within his own house. Rumors were said about him. Some of these rumors and stories were:

1. That the Radley's just kept to themselves.
2. They wouldn't go to church, but possibly did their worshiping within their home.
3. No one knew how Boo's father made a living.
4. When animals were harmed, the blame went towards the Radleys.
5. Boo was supposed to go to an asylum.
6. He allegedly stabbed his dad in the leg.

People believed these rumors and thought horrible things about him. In the end he became a hero, by saving someone's life. Jem's.

I can relate to Boo. I suffer from agoraphobia. I do not like being around crowds. Anymore than three people I do not know, I hyperventilate and become fearful. I do not know why this happens. I am in a recovery process though.

The most violent person in the book is the father of the girl that accuses Tom Robinson of rape. This father had a history of a violent personality, and he shows this towards the end of the book even more. On the way home from the school, he attacks Jem and Scout. I believe this was due to the fact that their dad Atticus Finch is the one who represented Tom Robinson in court.

 

 Tom was a hard working, family man in the South. He was also a black man. In the south during this time. Racism was so much more prevalent than that of today. Segregation was still around. There was no Rosa Parks or Martin Luther King Jr. to make a stand against what was wrong. People seemed to be afraid to say, "Hey, a prejudice temper is wrong!".

Even though Tom was still accused, there was plenty of evidence that would have proved he was innocent. He fell victim to a racist society. His own peers seen him as guilty. The saddest thing is this distressed him so badly, that he took his own life. His family was left to suffer. Though he probably didn't want this, it was evident he just couldn't handle things the way they were. He was wrongly accused and sentenced and there seemed to be no hope. This was so sad.

 It goes to show you, from Boo to Tom..that a misunderstood soul, a man of color, any man in fact..can fall victim to rumors, hatred, violence from any form and anyone. This is still happening today. Until all people learn tolerance, acceptance and love will the world become a better place.