Character Analysis Of Bob Ewell

Anybody who opposes him has to hear and feel his ugly language. That is his rage he cannot simply hold in. Atticus asked Mr. Heck Tate, the sheriff, to describe Mayella’s injuries. “Well, she was beaten around the head. There was already bruises comin’ on her arms...”(168.) Mayella was supposedly beaten by her ‘attacker’, Tom Robinson. Though there is proof that Bob beaten Mayella. Firsty, Tom cannot use one arm/hand therefore he couldn’t have strangled Mayella. Secondly, she had a bruise on her right eye which only a left handed/ ambidextrous person can do. Tom can’t use his left arm and Bob is left handed. During Mayella’s testimony with Atticus she claimed her father was tolerable expect when he’s drinking. Since Bob Ewell has quite a temper. He abuses his own children to make himself feel better. He will go after anybody who stands in his way. “ This morning Bob Ewell stopped Atticus on the post office corner, spat in his face and told him he’d get him if it took the rest of his life”(217.) Bob was enraged by the people involved with Mayella’s rape case. He started to go after them by harassing, assaulting, and stalking them. Technically there’s nothing good about Bob Ewell. Not only is he a cruel coward, he shows little guilt in his

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

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

In the town of Maycomb, hereditary relations play a large part in one’s reputation, meaning that the social status of your family instantly becomes your own. The character of Mayella Ewell

As a result of the Ewell’s living behind the Maycomb county dump, Mayella is looked down on. “We’ll convict this Negro but get back to your dump (Doc A).” This quote shows that though Mayella had won the case against Tom Robinson, the Ewells were still thought of as nothing. “White people wouldn’t have anything to do with her because she lived among pigs; Negroes [the Ewell’s nearest neighbors] wouldn’t have anything to do with her because she was white (Doc E).” Powerful white people looked down on Mayella because she lived in filth; black people would not either because she was white. “Long as he keeps callin’ me Ma’am and sayin’ Miss Mayella, I don’t hafta take his sass (Doc C).” Mayella is not used to being respected as she is poor and is not treated fairly. This shows how Mayella’s class ties with her power.

Mayella Ewell is a tragic character in To Kill a Mockingbird. She is faced with many struggles involving her family and the people around her. Although Mayella is a poor white woman with an abusive father, no mother, and six siblings to take care of she does have power. Mayella Ewell is powerful as a character and continues to gain power in Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird when it comes to race, class and gender. Despite Mayella being very poor and in a lower class of the society in Maycomb Alabama she uses her status as a white female to manipulate others into deciding in her favor when dealing with her court case against Tom Robinson regarding him being wrongfully accused of

Mayella is forced to stay in her house and do chores and take care of her siblings since her father was too drunk to ever take care of them and their mother is dead. ¨Mayella Ewell must have been the loneliest person in the world. She was even lonelier than Boo Radley, who had not been out of the house in twenty five years¨ (256 Lee). The only person she ever comes in contact with is Tom Robinson because ¨white people wouldn't have anything to do with her because she lived among pigs: Negroes wouldn't have anything to do with her because she was white¨(256 Lee). The Ewells were the lowest class of whites, they lived in a black community and had no money or education. The only people they had power over where the colored people, such as Tom Robinson.

Mayella Ewell is often mentally, physically, and sexually abused by her father Bob Ewell. Even though Mayella takes care of her siblings each day, she is lonely most of the time, considering nobody wants to be around her. Her father abuses her and beats her often, and Mayella wants the abuse to come to an end. Mayella comes up with and fulfills a plan to end the abuse coming from her father. Her plan involved a Negro man named Tom Robinson. Mayella accuses Tom of beating and raping her, and brings Tom to court, and goes up against him in a trial. Her plan was successful and came out in her favor because she was manipulative, and she knew what it took to win the trial. Mayella Ewell, a poor, white woman, who lives on a dump, is seen as

Mayella Ewell was a victim of abuse and neglect. She wasn’t able to go to school or make any friends. She was stuck at home and was beaten and neglected by her drunk father. She tried to have a normal life, but was held back by her father. It was so bad that an African American named Tom Robinson pitied her terrible life. Tom stated that he, “felt right sorry for her, she seemed to try more’n

233). Atticus faces discrimination from almost the entire town of Maycomb for his decision to defend Tom Robinson. Mrs.Dubose’s comment is not the only racist one made to Atticus throughout the story. In the same way, Scout discriminates against Bob when she comments on Bob’s ability to comprehend what Judge Taylor had said to him. Judge Taylor uses advanced language and Scout assumes Ewell does not understand it because he did not finish school. Atticus and Bob both experience others judging them. Although Bob was not directly called a name, many comments are made about him behind his back. Given these points, it is clear that Atticus Finch and Bob Ewell display similarities.

The trial itself provides Harper Lee with the opportunity to examine the attitudes of people like the Ewells and the presumably more respectable members of the jury. Bob Ewell emerges as a drunken, bullying, child-abuser with little respect for the law and even less for truth and justice. But however low in the social order he is, Bob Ewell can still look down on black people. At the beginning of his testimony he complains about a 'nest' of them near him bringing down the property values of his shack by the town dump. Tom's account of Mayella's actions suggests that he may have indulged in some form of incest with his daughter, but the taboo against relationships between white women and black men is so strong that even Bob Ewell is shocked and horrified by it. He responds first by savagely beating his daughter and then by accusing Tom Robinson of rape.

Mayella Ewell lives behind the town dump that was once a Negro Cabin. She is the oldest sibling and was responsible for taking care of them. Mayella’s father is a drunk and spends his money and checks to buy alcohol. He leaves his oldest daughter, Mayella, to take responsibility of the family and the house. The suffers the Mayella goes through with her father, you could see that she was very patient and had a lot of strength within her family. Also, living in the dump and living very poorly, Mayella seems to get hatred, shame, and pity towards her and the family. The town knows how they live and what her father does to her. Even when the whole town notice that Mayella is getting hurt, they do not try to make a change and try to help her. Instead, the town watches from afar and ignores it. The reader can feel that Mayella had probably felt very embarrassed and sad. Through her abusiveness and problems that she had went through, she was still very strong and smart of what she was

Her father was abusive, and she had no one to talk to. Every day, she would do all the work around the house, and take care of the children, with no help. Tom was most likely the only person to ever show her kindness and politeness, the only one to ever stop to help her and talk to her. The black people wouldn’t have anything to do with the Ewells because they were white, and the white people wouldn’t have anything to do with them because they lived like pigs, among the blacks. The prejudices other people held towards them was what caused them to act the way they did in the first place. We see that although what Mayella was doing was horrible, she had reasons to do it. She is a victim of social pressures, of prejudice, and the effects these things have on her family.

Bob Ewell firmly believes that the death of Tom Robinson was caused by his daughter, Mayella Ewell. “I didn’t wanta harm her, Mr. Finch, an’ I say lemme pass, but just when I say it Mr. Ewell yonder hollered through th’ window.” (221). Tom was suggesting that Bob was yelling at Mayella and not himself. Again in the text it says, “Tom Robinson swallowed again and his eyes widened. “ Some-thin’ not fittin’ to say- not fittin’ for all these folks’n chillun to hear-” (Atticus) “ What did he say Tom? You must tell the jury what he said.” Tom Robinson shut his eyes tight. “ He says you g**d*** w****, i’ll kill ya”” (221) Bob wants everyone to think that he doesn’t harm Mayella in anyway and that Tom did.This shows that Bob Ewell blames his daughters attraction towards a crippled black man. Bob wanted Mayella to only love him, and only want him. Bob does want someone to be blamed for what’s happened to Mayella and he doesn’t want that to be himself even though

Earlier in the novel, Scout relates that Atticus views the Ewell family as “the disgrace of Maycomb” (33). However, as the Ewells are a white family, they are having a higher social status. During the trial, it is declared that Mayella seduces Tom Robinson, and her father, Bob Ewell, thought that his daughter would shift her warm feelings for a black man. In addition, Bob Ewell’s reaction to his daughter kissing to Tom Robinson displays the fear of miscegenation. Atticus, however, strives for justice. Atticus explains the ugly truth to Jem and Scout: “In our courts, when it’s a white man’s word against a black man’s, the white man always wins” (251-252). Atticus shows disgust with white people taking advantage of a black person’s ignorance” (252). Tom Robinson is facing a trial and the death sentence because he is black. Furthermore, Atticus makes it clear to his children that racism exists and tells Scout and Jem: 'In our courts, when it's a white man's word against a black man's, the white man always