Within the definition of heroic as involving recourse to bold, daring, or extreme measures, Boo Radley may be considered a hero. While his presence is subtle throughout most of the novel, it is felt, nevertheless. For, he becomes a central figure in the imagination of the children who play "Boo Radley games." And, despite Boo's reputation, he is a gentle person who leaves secret gifts in a tree, he mends Jem's torn pants when the boy is frightened after a dare, and he places a blanket over the shoulders of Scout after a fire. In a way, Boo is like a spectator in the lives of Scout, Jem, and Dill.
However, at the end of the novel when Jem and Scout are threatened by Bob Ewell, the reclusive Boo who has spent fifteen years hidden in his house, summons in himself the courage to take the extreme measure of leaving the safety of his house and heroically defend the children as a father would against a vicious man who threatens his family.
That this act requires heroism is evident in the movements of Boo after the incident. In Chapter 31 of "To Kill a Mockingbird," Boo
shuffled to his feet...Every move he made was uncertain, as if he were not sure his hands and feet could make proper contact with the things he touched. He coughed his dreadful railing cough and was so shaken, he had to sit down again.
He is so shaken that Scout has to lead him out of a room and he, child-like, asks her, "Will you take me home?" So, after the children are safe, Boo Radley is no longer heroic, but for a monumental time in the lives of Jem and Scout, he is their hero.
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