At the beginning of the novel, the children view Boo Radley as the "malevolent phantom" and expand upon the rumors and legends they hear about him. They fear Boo and believe that he is a grotesque monster who wreaks havoc throughout the neighborhood. The children even create a game called "One Man's Family" in which they act out their imaginative ideas of what takes place in the mysterious Radley home. Dill is infatuated with the idea of getting Boo out of the house and the children attempt to make contact with Boo several times by looking into his window and leaving him notes.
As the novel progresses, the children's relationship with Boo gradually develops. Scout learns from Maudie that Boo's real name is Arthur and Maudie tells Scout that he was a kind child with a tragic life story. After Jem loses his pants while escaping from the Radley yard, he returns that night to find them sewn and folded neatly across the fence. Jem begins to wonder if Boo was responsible for mending his pants but is unsure. Jem and Scout then begin receiving small gifts in the knothole of the Radley tree. They aren't entirely sure who is leaving them gifts, but Boo's brother, Nathan, ends their communication by filling the knothole with cement. At this point, Jem is mature enough to believe that Boo is not the "malevolent phantom" they had once imagined while Scout remains naive and fearful of Boo. In Chapter 8, Miss Maudie's house catches on fire, and the children are told to wait in the Radley yard. It is a cold night, and Boo covers Scout's shoulders with a blanket to warm her without anyone knowing. The next morning, Atticus asks Jem and Scout who gave Scout the blanket, and the children are both unable to answer him. Atticus laughs and tells them that Boo Radley must of have given it to Scout. Scout nearly vomits, and Jem begins to make fun of her by pretending to be Boo. This moment is significant because Scout realizes that if Boo were the malicious individual they thought he was, then Boo would have harmed her instead of graciously giving his blanket to warm her.
For the remainder of the novel, the children's view of Boo drastically changes as they mature. Both Scout and Jem stop attempting to see Boo and begin to sympathize with his situation. They realize that he is simply a shy person who chooses to remain secluded in his house. At the end of the novel, Boo saves Jem and Scout's lives by stopping Bob Ewell's vicious attack. After the incident, Scout finally gets a chance to meet Boo face-to-face and sits on the porch with him before walking Boo home. For the first time in her life, Scout views their neighborhood from Boo's perspective and truly understands him as a person. By the end of the novel, both Jem and Scout are thankful to have Boo as their neighbor, and cherish their unique friendship with him.
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