Chapters 6&7: Why do Jem, Scout, and Dill play the Radley Game? What does it reveal about them (together and individually?) Ari Benkler 

Jem, Scout and Dill invented and play frequently the Radley Game, a tale of Arthur “Boo” Radley's life assembled through a patchwork of town legends and their own imagination, which reveals that they are deeply curious as to someone whose life habits are the opposite of their own. In Chapter 5, when Scout is sitting on the porch of Miss Maudie's house, she keeps asking Miss Maudie about Arthur Radley's past. She is determined to find out about him in any way she can, thus she, Jem and Dill resort to writing a play about him. Arthur Radley never goes out and never interacts with other people. He is a figure shrouded in mystery to them, as he never comes outside. This is very much the opposite of the way of life that Scout identifies with. She is very much in the same mind frame as Miss Maudie earlier in the book, when the author explains her attitude towards the outdoors: “Time spent indoors was time wasted.” (Lee, 47). Jem, Scout, and Dill put on plays about everything. They had put on countless different ones the previous summer. They are trying to understand Arthur Radley by writing a play about him, the only way they really know how to get at the core of what something really is. Their game is not just for fun, it serves a greater purpose than just dwelling on Arthur Radley, it helps them understand him through portraying him. Scout, Jem, and Dill know that it is a form of tormenting Arthur to play the Radley Game, as evidenced at the end of chapter four: “What are you all playing?” he asked. “Nothing.” said Jem. Jem's evasion told me our game was a secret, so I kept quiet. (Lee, 45) This is a very similar technique for trying to understand someone as Atticus gives Scout earlier in the book, “...you never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view...” (Lee, 33). The children are just trying to get to know Arthur Radley. Jem, Scout, and Dill play the Radley Game because they are curious about how a person whose lifestyle is so different from theirs would be as a person in the flesh.

How else might the Radley Game effect Scout, Jem, and Dill, or show something about their personalities? Does Dill have different motives for playing the Radley Game then Scout and Jem, because he isn't from Maycomb?