When the novel begins, Scout is terrified of Boo Radley. She views him as a sort of legendary monster who lurks around in the night. She listens with fear to the many rumors about the man. She has never seen him, which adds to the suspense.
As time goes on, Scout's fear turns into curiosity. She wonders why Boo stays inside his house. He covers her with a blanket, mends Jem's pants, and leaves gifts in the knot-hole of the old tree. She eventually realizes that these are gestures of friendship. Scout begins to understand that Boo is a kind person and not a monster.
At the end of the novel, Scout meets Boo in the flesh. She sees him for who he really is. He is a quiet, timid man who saves her and Jem from Bob Ewell. For the first time, Scout calls Boo "Mr. Arthur." Scout walks Boo home at his request. She realizes she has never given him anything:
Boo was our neighbor. He gave us two soap dolls, a broken watch and chain, a pair of good-luck pennies, and our lives. But neighbors give in return. We never put back into the tree what we took out of it: we had given him nothing, and it made me sad (Chapter 31).
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