Richard is not a bad boy by any means, he is simply curious. When Richard lights the curtains on fire, is he attempting to burn down his house? No, he just wants to see what fabric would look like aflame. Who could have possibly known his family’s greatest monetary possession would be lost? Again when Richard spends his days outside the saloon, it’s just to see what excitement lies behind those moving doors, not to score free booze. Richard asks Ella about literature, not to anger his grandmother, but to explore the magical world which lies in the words of a book. Richard is not a bad boy, but sometimes his actions are frowned upon by others. Who is to blame for these actions?
Richard’s surroundings are definitely to blame for his actions, but they cannot take the entire burden. Richard must also take some responsibility for his life. Growing up Richard was rarely educated by his parents so naturally he took an interest in the things he knew nothing about. Lighting the curtains on fire, standing out side the saloon and writing the four letter words from school were all situations that could have been avoided if his parents had taken the time to answer some of Richard’s questions. On the other hand if Richard wasn’t so darn adventurous he probably wouldn’t put himself in these situations either. Richard also grew up in an environment where he learned violent was acceptable which is probably why it was so easy for him to kill the kitten. Although Richard makes all these bad decisions, he is not a bad boy because he doesn’t realize that his actions are wrong. Once someone explains to him that what he did was unacceptable, he is horrified at himself. Richard’s actions are mostly due to the environment that surrounds him, but that added to his personality creates a mischievous combination.
