Kate and Merle at Ferris BeachKate's perspective and understanding of deceptive appearances is strengthened by her meeting and subsequent relationship with Merle Hucks. Kate had gone to school with Merle and been his neighbor for many years, but she had never known him as anything other than a bully and a Hucks. However, Kate finally meets Merle one day at Mrs. Poole's house and learns that all of her judgments and fabricated perceptions about her were based on her appearance and rumors, and that they were far from intended. When Kate finally meets Merle, she discovers that he is a very compassionate young man who has nothing to do with what she had judged. Her understanding of Merle becomes clear one evening as she watches Dexter, RW, and the rest of the vigilantes rape Perry Loomis. In an attempt to save Perry from the violent unfolding, Merle is brutally beaten by Dexter's companions. Merle's chivalrous behavior demonstrates to Kate that he is certainly not one of them; he is different. " Shortly after the rape, Merle and Kate meet for the first time at the Whispering Pines Cemetery to discuss what happened to Perry. The cemetery is important because it serves as a symbolic refuge where the young people of Fulton can escape from the society around them, exploring their minds and using their imagination Her meeting with Merle at the cemetery initiates her first real relationship with a boy and also confirms the very reality of the rape she witnessed a few nights earlier. The rape bears witness to. the bitterness of the dark side of Kate's surrounding society, which becomes very clear to her. Kate's understanding of Merle marks a new stage in her education, as she realizes how appearances can be deceiving. gets the chance to dig beneath Merle's deceptive facade, she learns that he has a character much different than she ever imagined. Kate and Merle are very close to each other when tragedy strikes. about their lives again, this time with Merle's arson. Merle's house and the murder of his brother Dexter. The Hucks' tragedy serves as a threshold that allows Kate to better understand relationships and the importance of family. As the drama unfolds outside the Huck house, Kate stands by Merle to comfort him until he leaves her to care for his family..