In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the Radley family is considered strict, reclusive, and eerie. Arthur Radley, one of the sons, got into some trouble when he was a teenager. Instead of sending him away to get help, his father decided to lock him away in their house. The story takes place 15 years later, in which Arthur Radley has not been seen by anyone for the duration of this time. Thus, turning Arthur Radley into the ghost named Boo. Three curious children, Jem, Scout, and Dill find themselves fascinated with the life of Boo. When the children thought Boo the ghost was actually dead, Atticus said to them, “There were other ways (besides physical incarceration) of making people into ghosts” (Lee 14). This powerful quote is not only
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Just the idea of Arthur Radley turning into some ghost named Boo is dehumanizing enough. He has no friends, no loving family, no place to get away to. He’s stuck with nowhere to go and no one to turn to. His life has been shredded of all happiness and normalness. Not only have his parents taken away his rights as a person by refusing to let him go outside or have any sort of contact with the world, but the town has also blown things out of proportion. No one actually knows what’s going on. The town just gossips about his life. Things they don’t actually know are true. The children make plays about Boo Radley, not knowing how offensive and disrespectful they are. His life has turned into a series of stories and gossip. This is very relevant in our world. Whether we acknowledge it or not, there are people who are being dehumanized today. If we go back to World War II, Jews were very much dehumanized. They were refused the essentials to live and thrive. They were treated worse than animals. In certain parts of the world, women are being dehumanized. They are thought of as less than men, therefore, the men believe it is ok to not treat them with respect or kindness. Dehumanization can be seen all throughout history. Even though the word dehumanization isn’t used in Harper Lee’s quote, “There were other ways (besides physical incarceration) of making people into ghosts” (Lee 14), it can be a hidden
Just the idea of Arthur Radley turning into some ghost named Boo is dehumanizing enough. He has no friends, no loving family, no place to get away to. He’s stuck with nowhere to go and no one to turn to. His life has been shredded of all happiness and normalness. Not only have his parents taken away his rights as a person by refusing to let him go outside or have any sort of contact with the world, but the town has also blown things out of proportion. No one actually knows what’s going on. The town just gossips about his life. Things they don’t actually know are true. The children make plays about Boo Radley, not knowing how offensive and disrespectful they are. His life has turned into a series of stories and gossip. This is very relevant in our world. Whether we acknowledge it or not, there are people who are being dehumanized today. If we go back to World War II, Jews were very much dehumanized. They were refused the essentials to live and thrive. They were treated worse than animals. In certain parts of the world, women are being dehumanized. They are thought of as less than men, therefore, the men believe it is ok to not treat them with respect or kindness. Dehumanization can be seen all throughout history. Even though the word dehumanization isn’t used in Harper Lee’s quote, “There were other ways (besides physical incarceration) of making people into ghosts” (Lee 14), it can be a hidden