The night that the children go into the backyard of the Radley home is found in chapter six. Right before that, at the end of chapter five, Atticus gives a very strong lecture about leaving the Radleys alone. In fact, he says the following:
"What Mr. Radley did was his own business. If he wanted to come out, he would. . . Furthermore, had it never occurred to us that the civil way to communicate...
The night that the children go into the backyard of the Radley home is found in chapter six. Right before that, at the end of chapter five, Atticus gives a very strong lecture about leaving the Radleys alone. In fact, he says the following:
"What Mr. Radley did was his own business. If he wanted to come out, he would. . . Furthermore, had it never occurred to us that the civil way to communicate with another being was by the front door instead of a side window? Lastly, we were to stay away from that house until we were invited there" (49).
This lecture sinks in for Scout, but it does not sink in for Jem and Dill. On the last night of summer vacation, and the night before Dill is to go back home to Meridian for the school year, the boys decide to go peek into a window and give Dill one last chance to see the mysterious Boo Radley. Scout can't believe that Jem still wants to do something like this after Atticus's lecture. She says the following:
"Jem was not one to dwell on past defeats: it seemed the only message he got from Atticus was insight into the art of cross examination" (51).
Not only does Scout disapprove of going into the Radley yard because Atticus told them to stay away, but it's nighttime and the children have never done anything as daring as this. They started out being afraid to walk past the house during the day! Now they are breaching the all physical boundaries and going right up to a window at night? Scout's better sense doesn't talk her out of it, though. She goes along with the boys to see what happens.
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