"'Scout, I think I'm beginning to understand something. I think I'm beginning to understand why Boo Radley's stayed shut up in the house all this time. It's because he wants to stay inside.'" ~Jem
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| Boo realizes how terrible man can be like in this picture of a riot, so he chooses to stay inside |
Background
After the Tom Robinson case ended and he was found guilty Jem starts to hit maturity and with this he looks upon Boo with a different perspective.
Rationale
Jem is growing up and realizes that the myths about Boo are unlikely to be true. Jem has also grown distressed by the lack of honor in society, and realizes Boo might prefer to live alone rather than among corrupt men. He looks upon Boo from an adult’s perspective rather than a child’s point of view. After seeing the way men like Mr. Ewell can be he knows why Boo stays inside. People can be so cruel to one another and mistreat each other just because of the color of their skin. Boo has been living indoors since he was 15, so he still possesses a childlike mentality and he doesn’t get it. So instead of going outside and facing the world he decides to stay indoors by his own free will. He made a conscious decision to avoid the unknown and to play it safe. The world can be a very scary place, especially without having someone to help guide you through those tough times. Jem sees that Boo isn’t being held prisoner. Boo has made up his mind to sit on the sidelines and observe for the most part rather then be actively engaged in life’s ups and downs. Jem doesn’t necessarily agree with it, but understands Boo’s rationale.
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