Dill is the prankster of the group, the summer friend that completes Jem and Scout's dynamic. He creates most of their mischief, telling endless stories from his considerable imagination. He is the one obsessed with Boo Radley, inventing their game of acting out the Radleys' lives, & deciding that they needed to somehow get close to the house. Dill is unhappy in his home, feeling neglected by his mother and step-father. He creates stories of "new fathers": train operators, lawyers, etc., but none of them exist. The truth is that he gets any material things he wants, but no real emotional support. This leads to him running away to the Finches' house one summer, hiding under Scout's bed, & eventually telling her that he will marry her some day.
One of the most important things we learn about Dill is his sensitivity to injustice and cruelty. During the trial, he has to leave when he begins to cry at the way the prosecutor treated Tom. Dill is not subject to the learned racism of Maycomb like so many other children; he firmly believes that everyone is equal, & he is horrified by what he sees revealed in the trial. It is at this point that the children learn the secret of Dolphus Raymond, who praises Dill for his compassion.
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