Question

What do Scout, Jem, and Dill know about Boo Radley? What parts of their understanding of Boo are based on facts and reliable information? What parts are based on gossip and legend? How can the reader tell the difference between the facts about the Radley family and the legends?

Answer 1

Rumors: They know hes a guy that stabbed his dad in his leg/Hes locked up in his house/scary
Facts: They don't know much except that there is a tree in his front lawn that constantly had toys in it
You can't really, but some of them just seem to wild to be true

Answer 2

At the beginning of the story, the three kids have heard all kind of frightening stories about Boo and come to believe in them, perhaps to escape the monotony of their own lives. The fact that Boo never left his house is another reason for the children to be afraid of him.

As the story continues, the reader sees some good actions from Boo: leaving presents for the children in the tree, covering Scout with a blanket after the fire, fixing Atticus's trousers. It is because of these actions that the reader can begin to understand the nature of Boo.