Bob Ewell Is The Antagonist In To Kill A Mockingbird

Bob Ewell is a wretched, two-faced, conniving most unworthy person to have the gift of life in all of Alabama. He drinks a lot, does not bother to work, and he just collects welfare checks and spends them on alcohol. Harper Lee wrote, “a little bantam cock of a man . . . A shock of wispy new-washed hair stood up from his forehead; his nose was thin, pointed, and shiny; he had no chin to speak of—it seemed to be part of his crepey neck”(Lee 227) Harper describes Bob Ewell as a apathetic, tipsy, Neanderthal that can’t keep a job to save his skin. During Tom Robinson’s trial Bob Ewell tried to say that he beat his daughter Mayella and then raped her; when in in reality Bob Ewell is the one who beat Mayella. Another reason Bob Ewell is terrible person is at the end of the story when he tried to kill Scout and Jem. Harper Lee had wrote, “What is it, Heck? Said Atticus. Mr. Tate found his neck and rubbed it. Bob Ewell’s lyin’ on the ground under that tree down yonder with a kitchen knife stuck up under his ribs. He’s dead, Mr. Finch. (Lee 357). Mr. Ewell had aimed to kill Scout and Jem but Mr. Author James Radley, more commonly known as Boo Radley, saved their lives. Mr. Ewell was mad at Atticus because he knew that it wasn’t Tom who beat Mayella and raped her, so Bob Ewell saw that he could get back at Atticus by taking the lives if the two most important people in the world to him. Bob Ewell illustrates the dark side of

These ?pretenses? may be misleading, consequently Scout is basing her beliefs about prejudice on the conceptions of others instead of what Scout truly believes. Although Scout?s perspective starts as childish innocence it soon develops in order to become aware of the racial judgments she is exposed to.

Because the Ewells are at the bottom of the class structure along with the African Americans, and are constantly sneered and despised by their higher-ranking white peers, Bob Ewell tries to seem better than his current situation of utter poverty by trying to appear as morally superior to Tom Robinson, an African American. In accusing Tom Robinson, he sees what he believes is a way for advancement in society. Not only does he i) clear his daughter of the ‘crime’ she has committed of tempting a black man, he also ii) elevates his societal status. In his mind, the town should think him a hero for saving Maycomb's white

“But remember, it's a sin to kill a mockingbird." (119) The mockingbird represents the symbol of pure innocence and beauty in the book, while the bluejay represents the vicious and the ruthless of society. "People generally see what they look for, and hear what they listen for..."(232) This quote represents how people view mockingbirds and blue jays. Although there are many shameless ‘mockingbirds’ the two that stand out the most are, of course, Tom Robinson and Boo Radley. Unlike the several ‘mockingbird’ characters, there is one clear blue jay, which is Bob Ewell. Representing the symbol of the mockingbird, Tom Robinson and Boo Radley are significantly impacted by Bob Ewell, the symbolic bluejay.

Matt Berman from Common Sense Media commented, “This richly textured novel, woven from the strands of small-town life, lets readers walk in the shoes of one fully realized character after another.” To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, one of the major messages is identity. Harper Lee lets the people look into the perspectives and identity of some of the characters that make it seem very life-like. In the novel, many characters possess both admirable and dislikable qualities which are shown through their actions. With the nurturing of her father, Scout contains the charming qualities of being courage and mature for her age. The father that instilled these characteristics in Scout, is Atticus Finch. While dealing with the stressful case of Tom Robinson, Atticus maintains to keep the likable aspects of sympathy and strong will. The antagonist in this novel fighting against Tom Robinson is Bob Ewell. Bob Ewell has instilled, in him, the terrible qualities of cruelty and racism. These life-like characters that Harper Lee illustrates gives people a clear vision of who the characters portray.

In the novel, to kill a mockingbird, Harper Lee presents three very distinct types of innocence that are portrayed by different characters throughout the novel. A good part in this story’s brilliance is that Harper Lee has managed to use the innocence of a young girl to her advantage. She does this by telling the whole story from a child’s point-of-view. By having an innocent little girl make racial remarks and regard people of color in a way consistent with the community, Lee provides the reader with an objective view of the situation. As a child, Scout can make observations that an adult would often avoid. In addition, readers are also likely to be forgiving of a child’s perception, whereas they would find an adult who makes these

To confirm Scout’s thoughts on Maycomb’s citizens as being different than they portray, she goes through a heart-stopping event. After the trial, Mr. Ewell was upset with Atticus for Atticus had tried to pin the rape on Mr. Ewell. In Mr. Ewell’s mind, he had to get back at Atticus some way in order to ‘teach him a lesson’ even if it meant risking his own life. One evening as Jem and Scout were walking home, something spine-chilling took place. “Bob Ewell’s lyin’ on the ground under that tree down yonder with a kitchen knife stuck up under his ribs. He’s dead, Mr. Finch.” (357). Scout’s life had flashed before her eyes. One minute her and Jem are wandering home from school and the next they’re being chased down by Bob Ewell. For two young kids

First of all, Lee’s critical tone of prejudice is demonstrated by Scout’s innocent curiosity and perception of her surrounding society. Specifically, Lee’s critical tone is illustrated by Scout’s curiosity and the numerous questions she asks her family members throughout the duration of the novel. For example, when Scout raises questions to her Aunt Alexandra concerning her prejudice towards the Cunningham family, her innocence is exhibited by her desire to understand the world, but also to question it. A specific example of Scout’s curiosity is when Aunt Alexandra informs Scout not to invite Walter over for dinner, which leads Scout to ask “Why not, Aunty? They’re good folks” (223). Aunt Alexandra responds with: “The thing is, you can scrub Walter Cunningham till he shines, you can put him in shoes and a new suit, but he’ll never be like Jem” (224). Aunt Alexandra’s response exemplifies her prejudice towards the structure of the social classes in Maycomb County. However, Scout’s innocent nature enables her to remain uncorrupted by prejudice and to question the unquestionable. Lee’s use of a child as a narrator allows her to ask the tough questions regarding Maycomb County’s way of life and question why it is prejudiced towards a certain individual or group of individuals. Moreover, Harper Lee’s choice of narration

In the trial of Tom Robinson, we are given information that proves Mayella is being sexually, physically, and verbally abused by her father. At the trial, Mr. Ewell leans forwards in his chair when Mayella tries to tell the truth about how she’s being treated by her father. We can get a sense of feeling that Mr. Ewell is hiding something. (Doc B) In addition, Tom Robinson said that Mr. Ewell threated to kill Mayella.

The Ewell family is known as the students who only go to school for the first day then never show up again until the next year. Mr. Ewell lied about the truth because he wanted to show that the Ewells are helpless humans who need help, so if he made Mayella look like the victim, people will then get the impression that they need assistance. Mr. Ewell lied for Mayella and himself, he wanted to show that Mayella was the victim and that she should be treated like a victim. He lied for himself because he wanted to hide the truth, the truth was that he beat his daughter. One of the last reasons why Burris yearns for a better reputation is he knows that Maycomb sees them as the dirtiest and most poverty-stricken people in the town.

Birds, in itself, is thought-out to naturally be an animal of peace and prosperity. They are symbolic creatures to many. However, one bird in particular brings joy and music to all, and that is the Mockingbird. This bird in particular is mentioned many times throughout Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. The Mockingbird is a type of unique, songbird.

The way Bob Ewell's lawyer was speaking to and about Tom you could easily see that he treated him bad just because the way his skin color was, even dill couldn’t stand it that he cried. “No one should have the right to treat someone like that.” The law is the law. You can’t change it. You could tell who had done this near the ending of the book as the town figured it out. They would keep on repeating what they did if Boo Radley was convicted of killing Bob Ewells.

Lastly, Scout Finch is a very innocent young lady. Many things in the world are not known to her in full context, but she will eventually learn, and gain experience. An example of Scout’s innocence would be when she invited Walter Cunningham to dine with them. She observed how he poured syrup over his food and then asked him why he did so, followed by “But he’s gone and drowned his dinner in syrup” (Lee 32). She is then told by Calpurnia that you are not to comment on how other people eat. This is the transition from Innocence to Experience, and her innocence is

When Scout begins to notice the views of her peers and those around her, she is confused by people’s prejudice overruling their judgement.

In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout is one of the main characters and the narrator. During the time the book begins, she is a little 6 year-old girl who is mature for her age, and she continues to mature as the book progresses. Over the course of the novel, Scout develops an exceptional character which is constantly changing from the effects of different events and characters. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Lee uses the minor characters Boo Radley, Miss Maudie, and Aunt Alexandra to help develop Scout into a strong and compassionate human being from the innocent child she used to be.