Who is Boo Radley's elder brother in To Kill a Mockingbird?

Nathan Radley is Boo Radley’s elder brother in To Kill a Mockingbird.

Nathan is the adult brother of Arthur “Boo” Radley, the mysterious recluse who lives near the Finch family. The children’s frightening stories about Boo gradually give way to a more compassionate understanding of him, while Nathan remains one of the adults controlling access to the Radley house.

Nathan discovers that Boo has been leaving small gifts for Jem and Scout in a tree’s knothole. He seals the opening with cement, claiming that the tree is dying, and thereby cuts off Boo’s quiet attempt to communicate with the children. This action helps preserve the children’s mistaken image of Boo as dangerous and unknowable.

Nathan is not the same person as Atticus Finch, Link Deas, or Judge Taylor’s court officials. His later help during Miss Maudie’s house fire also shows that he is more than a purely sinister figure, even though his treatment of Boo is restrictive.