To Kill a Mockingbird: Bob Ewell
In the book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Bob Ewell tries to get his own justice in the form of revenge against a family, the Finches, who have proven him wrong in front of their entire town. On account of this revenge, Mr. Ewell uncovers that his search and understanding of vengeance are done in an unjust way. In association with one of these attempts for revenge, Bob Ewell shows the true theme of the story - that it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.
Bob Ewell’s understanding of justice is seen in a bad light when he threatens Atticus. The first clear sign of Mr. Ewell wanting to get revenge on the Finches is when he spits in Atticus’s face. Mr. Ewell approaches Atticus “cursed him, spat on him, and threatened to kill him” (291). Atticus simply takes the abuse to protect Mayella from her dad, Bob Ewell. Mayella, being the reason for this conflict, gets abused by her dad from her mistake of kissing a black man. Mr. Ewell simply lets his anger get to him and releases it on people around him. Like he did
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His search for justice leads to the scene in which we find out the theme of the story. That scene being when Scout telling her dad “it’s be sort of like shootin’ a mockingbird” (370). Scout says this in a way that the reader knows the mockingbird is Boo Radley. Without Bob Ewell striving to get Scout and Jem, we would of never had that scene. Boo Radley had to step in and help Scout because “Mr. Ewell was tryin’ to squeeze me(Scout) to death”(361). Boo Radley killed Bob Ewell leading into the theme - it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird. Without Bob Ewell’s struggle to get his own form of justice we would never had that scene. In the book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Bob Ewell plays a significant role in theme of the story - it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird. He also shows his search and understanding of justice in the form of
To Kill a Mockingbird novel is a warm and humorous piece of writing though it deals with critical issues such as racial inequality and rape. The novel was published in 1960 by Harper Lee and it gained immediate popularity and success becoming a modern literature in American. The plot of the novel and characters are based on Harper’s perception of her neighbors and her immediate family. Also, it is based on her observation of events that took place near her home area in 1936 at the age of ten years. To Kill a Mockingbird symbolizes killing harmless and innocent people. Tom Robinson is an example of an innocent man falsely accused of raping a White girl known as Mayella Ewell (Lee 169). Another example is Boo who is misunderstood by the society
one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it is a sin to
Ewell. Towards the end of Chapter 3 after Atticus is done explaining to Scout that the Ewells are a part of an exclusive society and had privileges that they didn’t, Scout explains how she believes that is bad. With that, Atticus replies, “It’s against the law, all right, and it’s certainly bad, and when a man spends his relief checks on green whiskey his children have a way of crying from hunger pains. I don’t know of any landowner around here who begrudges those children any game their father can hit.” This analysis by Atticus helps demonstrate how Mr. Ewell doesn’t care much for his kids and may be characterized as selfish. When Mr. Ewell takes the stand in court, it is revealed that he is very stubborn, violent and rude. He describes Mayella as a “stuck pig” and even deems it appropriate to joke and say that he might not even be her real father. Later, at the beginning of Chapter 23, Miss Stephanie describes a confrontation that occurred between Mr. Ewell and Atticus. While Atticus stands his ground and stays respectful towards him, Mr. Ewell continues to spit and curse at him, yelling at him for defending an African American in court. This event helps characterize Mr. Ewell as disrespectful and rude, even when out in public surrounded by
“Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” (p.90) Miss. Maudie, one of the main protagonists in To Kill a Mockingbird, warns the young girl Scout that mockingbirds should not to be killed or hunted down because they represent those who are kind and innocent. So, on a broader spectrum, the term “to kill a mockingbird” symbolizes cruel and improper behavior towards people with good hearts and intentions. In the town of Maycomb, unethical behaviors, such as prejudice and gossip, are most commonly used against the “mockingbirds”. Three of those “mockingbirds” that are featured in this novel are Arthur “Boo” Radley, Tom Robinson, and Atticus Finch. Due to the depiction of the mockingbird symbol in the novel, the reader understands the consequences that immoral attitudes have towards those who are innocent and kindhearted.
The villainy continues when he tried to kill Scout and Jem. Scout and Jem were walking home at night, when they were attacked by Bob Ewell. Bob had threatened to kill Atticus and get back at him, so he tried to kill his children. He tries to harm others for revenge and to uphold his ego.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is an emblem of racial jurisdiction. All throughout the book it shows how the law applies to blacks as opposed to whites. Lee shows how unjust the treatment of blacks is and the disregard for their human rights. Though through the actions of the characters in the book; it can be said that their actions show a glimmer of hope for this very prejudiced society.
Both Tom Robinson and Boo Radley symbolized a mockingbird; it wasn’t however, until the ending of the story that Scout had realized it. When asked if she understood that Mr. Ewell fell on his own knife she responded with “Well, it’d be sort of like shootin’ a mockingbird, wouldn’t it?” (370). Although Scout knew that Boo had killed Bob Ewell she also knew that Boo had done it to save them. Like Atticus, Boo Radley stood up for what was right even though it had been 15 years since he had been seen outside his home. Innocence, represented by the mockingbird, Tom, and Boo, is not earned, though it can be forsaken; character, however, can only be earned through courage to stand for what is right when the only benefit is the exercise of one’s own integrity, which, in Atticus’s eyes is benefit enough.
They say it is a sin to kill a mockingbird because all they do is make music for us to listen to. In To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee there characters like a mockingbird that are harmed. One mockingbird was Tom Robinson and how he got accused for raping Bob Ewell's daughter, Mayella Ewell. Another mockingbird was Atticus Finch because all he did was find the good and believed in what he thought no matter what others said. Lee shows often the best lessons are learned outside the classroom.
There are no two characters in To Kill a Mockingbird that differ in identity as much as Atticus Finch and Bob Ewell. Atticus is a man of the law. He defends Tom, an innocent man wrongly convicted, despite the flack his family get from it. “‘ My folks said your daddy was a disgrace an’ that nigger oughta hang from the water tank!’” (Lee 76) He sets a good example for his children. He calls everyone he know ‘Sir’ or ‘Ma'am’.
In the novel, one of the main characters is the father of the narrator, Atticus Finch. He is portrayed as a just character with common social grace. As the novel develops, Atticus begins to portray courage and sacrifice that goes against all common propriety. The beginning of his bravery is defined by the offering of his services to a local African American man, Tom Robinson, something unheard of in 1930’s southern Alabama. Robinson gained much prominence during the trial, due to the accusations against him paired with his ethnicity. The entire town was aware of the accusations made by the plaintiff, Bob Ewell. Ewell stated that Robinson deliberately took advantage of Ewell’s nineteen-year-old daughter. Mayella Ewell states in court, "I got somethin' to say an' then I ain't gonna say no more. That nigger yonder took advantage of me an' if you fine fancy gentlemen don't wanta do nothin' about it then you're all yellow stinkin' cowards, stinkin' cowards, the lot of you”. Though Ewell’s daughter knows she is lying, she allows everyone to go on with the outrage toward Robinson, to leave...
It is a sin to kill a mockingbird, mockingbirds are innocent birds that do not do one harm thing, but makes music for ones to enjoy. Tom Robinson is one of the novel’s “mockingbirds”, he is innocent but he was falsely convicted of rape and got killed. In a court, black man had never won over a white person. Tom Robinson, a black man was accused of raping Mayella Ewell, Mr. Ewell’s daughter. Atticus defends Tom Robinson because he had been appointed to defend for him, but it is also because of his morals. “Mr. Finch, I tried. I tried to 'thout bein' ugly to her. I didn't wanta be ugly, I didn't wanta push her or nothing” (Lee 260). During...
In To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, Bob Ewell assumes the racist, biased, and unjust motivations in order to retain any scrap of dignity in Maycomb County. Bob Ewell sees that he has been bested, and that the town knows the truth, however, he is able to abuse his racial standpoint, using racism to scapegoat his actions. The town, even though they all are aware that Bob Ewell is guilty, has been racially obligated to oppress Tom Robinson, due to the racist roots embedded in the town.
The town gossip, Miss Stephanie Crawford, tells Atticus’ children what she overheard in downtown Maycomb: “Atticus was leaving the post office when Mr. Ewell approached him, cursed him, spat at him, and threatened to kill him.” This shows that he is furious with Atticus that he would go so far as to curse and spit and threaten him in broad daylight where anyone could watch and hear. Atticus then explains why Bob Ewell did these horrible things: “Jem, see if you can stand in Bob Ewell’s shoes for a minute. I destroyed his last shed of credibility at the trial, if he had any begin with. The man had to have some kind of comeback, his kind always does. So if spitting in my face and threatening me saved Mayella Ewell one extra beating, that’s something I’ll gladly take. He had to take it out on somebody and I rather it be me than that household of child.” This explains why Atticus did nothing at the post office and will do nothing against Bob Ewell. Later, Bob realizes that Atticus is not about to do anything back at him, so he kicks it up a notch and goes after his children instead. He almost got his revenge, but Arthur Radley came and saved the children from
Bob Ewell believes that Atticus is not a good man because he tries to stand up for Tom and the way he tries to get back at Atticus is by going after Jem and Scout on the way home from the pageant. “We were nearly to the road when I felt Jem’s hand leave me, felt him jerk backwards to the ground” (351). Jem and Scout were surprised by someone at a vulnerable time because it was dark and they were defenseless and taken by surprise.
In Harper Lee's novel To Kill A Mockingbird the protagonist Scout face offenses by others because of her father's justice for defending an African American in court. Scout Finch lives with her brother Jem, and their father Atticus, in the sleepy town of Maycomb during the Great Depression. As Atticus, the father of the protagonist faces the moral dilemma in chapter 29-30 of the incident with Bob Ewell. Atticus moral dilemma will reveal his character and his beliefs. Bob Ewell attempted to hurt Atticus children in order to get revenge on Atticus for defending the African American who was accused of raping his daughter in court. Atticus has a hard time of choosing whether to tell the town that Bob Ewell died of an accident, or his son or Boo Radley killed Bob Ewell. Atticus is a famous lawyer in Maycomb and he believes in legal justice.