In my opinion, Richard is not a "bad" boy. Yes, he does do many things that are inappropriate such as kill a cat, wander to saloons, get drunk, run away from an orphanage, and yell obscenities and write naughty words on windows. That could be enough evidence to point and say, yes, Richard is a "bad" boy, but in my opinion, he just didn't know any better. His actions were based on his surrounding environment.
Behavior should be blamed on the person when that person has grown up in an environment where there have been strict lines distinguishing between right and wrong. On the other hand, behavior should be blamed on environment when children are deprived of time with their parents and no one has told them the difference between what is socially acceptable and what isn't. Their behavior comes from only seeing and doing what they are told because they are naive and ignorant of how their actions effect others because no one has told them differently.
