As the story develops, my understanding of Dill has also developed as well. From the beginning of the story, he was always a child who loved to be imaginative, and make up stories for Gem and Scout to act out. They asked him to make up stories and make up games to satisfy their boredom. Initially I had thought that Dill’s imaginative mind was Just a result of his dynamic and curious personality, and that he was creative because there was nothing left but to be creative, before Scout and Gem had found him all of those summers ago. The Raddled Place fascinated Dill. In spite of our airings and explanations it drew him as the moon drew water. ” (peg 10) Dill was mesmerism’s by the stories that had been told to him about the Raddled, and his curiosity had overcome his fear of Boo, caused by the many rumors that were spread. He wanted to know whether or not the rumors were true, and what Boo Raddled really was alive. He was not really fascinated by the Raddled house itself, but the truth inside of it, and the parts of it that were left to his imagination.
Imagination mostly occurs from curiosity, and Dill is a naturally curious child. When there is something that one isn’t know, they tend to imagine what it is, such as Gem’s description of Boo Raddled, “There was a long Jagged scar that ran across his face; what teeth he had were yellow and rotten; his eyes popped. ” (peg 16) Gem does not know for sure how Boo Raddled looks like, so he makes up what Boo appears to look like in his imagination. Dill does this not only with cases involving Boo Raddled but multiple other times as well.
But as the story develops, Dill has evolved from a child who is carefree and uses his imagination to satisfy his boredom and curiosity, to a child who uses his imagination to escape from his life full of neglect. Both Dill’s mother and new father show no interest in Dill, and do not enjoy his company, so Dill uses his imagination to create a better life than the one that he has. Dill uses his imagination to escape from reality and to not have to face the life that he does have, one that is not what he wishes to have.
The events in Chapter 14 help develop my understanding of why Dill behaves the way that he does because it explains why Dill uses his imagination so often, to the extent of lying. “Well, they stayed gone all the time, and when they were home, even, they get off in a room by themselves… But they didn’t want me wither. ” (peg 190) Dill felt neglected enough to run away to the only place where he knew that he wouldn’t be ignored: the Finches house.
Whenever Dill goes to their house he is never ignored and is praised and admired by Gem and Scout for having such a clever mind and imagination. At Dill’s house his parents don’t care for him, and only spend time with each other, as if they are the only two in the house. “They buy me everything I want, but it’s now-you’ve-got-it-go-play-with-it. You’ve got a roomful of things. I-got-you-that-book-so-go-read-it. “(peg 191) Dill’s parents buy him everything e wants with the intention for him to leave them alone.
They expect Dill to leave them alone if they buy him everything that he desires, and expect him not to require any love or attention from either of his parents. Dill wants his parents to pay attention to him, and not only care about each other but him as well, and as a result, Dill uses his imagination to create for himself a world where his parents do care auto ml, Ana winner nee does receive a lot AT attention Trot Don AT teen. He uses his creativity to escape from his harsh reality, so that it is not necessary for him to think about it or even acknowledge it.
