What Are The Similarities Between Ewell And To Kill A Mockingbird

Harper Lee is a famous author who wrote the award winning novel To Kill a Mockingbird. She grew up in the heart of Alabama and tied in many aspects of her southern childhood into the novel. There are historical and biological influences in the book To Kill a Mockingbird that reflect Lee’s life and the society around her during the 1930s.

Historical events support the theme of Challenging the power structure in both Pleasantville and To Kill a Mockingbird because power can be defined by a structured system that is challenged by the urge for change within it. Stifled oppression and control leads to a need to challenge ”the system” and status quo. As this occurs progression becomes inevitable and irreversible.

This can be seen when Atticus announces to the judge, “I have nothing but pity in my heart for the chief witness for the state, but my pity does not extend so far as to her putting a man’s life at stake, which she has done in an effort to get rid of her own guilt” (Lee 271). Atticus is almost positive that Mayella is trying to cover up what she did, but Atticus does not poke around too much. Atticus reveals what is necessary to help his case and nothing more. While Atticus could have targeted Mayella to get her to reveal more information, he simply infers what he thinks happened. Atticus is very fair to Mayella in the fact that he doesn’t destroy her reputation by continuing on further with his idea of the way things went one night when Tom was at her house. Atticus believes that Tom and Mayella need to be treated equal, regardless of whether Mayella is going to hurt Tom or not. Atticus says that he has no sympathy for Mayella, but the rest of the book says otherwise. This shows how Atticus treats everyone equally, whether it be Tom Robinson, Mayella, or even the

Have you ever been too filled with hate and pride to see the obvious truth right in front of you? The year was 1935 in the small town of Maycomb Alabama. During this time an important trial would be taking place. The trial of Tom Robinson, an African and American who had been promptly accused of rape by the one man who had seen the incident. Bob Ewell a despised person throughout the community and the father of the victim, Mayella Ewell, Bob’s abused, lonely, unhappy daughter. Though one can pity Mayella because of her overbearing father, one cannot pardon her for her shameful indictment of Tom Robinson.

“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.

Mayella Ewell is living in a racist southern community in the 1930’s. During this time no one was treated the same because of their skin color or if they were intelligent. Mayella has one thing that makes her powerful, her race. Laws back then was harsh. Between white and Negroes, both were wrong and mean to each other. Whites had more power than the Negroes because of the history it has behind them. They were not considered to be equal citizens. Atticus even knows the trial should not be happening, he knew the jury was going to side on with Mayella because she’s white. As Atticus is closing his argument he says, “[The Ewells]....have presented themselves to you, gentlemen, to this court….confident that you gentlemen would go along with them on the assumption-the evil assumption- that all Negroes lie, that all Negroes are basically immoral beings, that all Negro men are not to be trusted around our women…”as said in chapter twenty. Mayella only goes through all of this because of her father.

Aside from tugging at the heartstrings of his listeners, Atticus discusses ethos with the characters of his opponent and the accused. First, he described Mayella’s mentality in the matter. As stated above, she had lived a difficult life and, consequently, this had shaped her character into a desperate one. She possessed a desperate character and when paired with a

Although characters may not appear to be similar on the surface, some can be found by digging deep. Two unexpected characters in Harper Lee’s, To Kill a Mockingbird, clearly have many similarities along with differences. To Kill a Mockingbird captivates a racist town through the eyes of six-year-old Scout. Tom Robinson has been accused of raping Mayella Ewell, the daughter of Bob Ewell, an alcoholic living on welfare. Scout’s father Atticus, is attempting to prove the innocence of Robinson, a black man, who is accused of rape; an almost hopeless case in such a segregated city. Atticus Finch and Bob Ewell both have a reputation that precedes them, and both face discrimination. Atticus Finch and Bob Ewell have different personal

I am writing to let you know about the trail of Tom Robinson, Scouts father Atticus is defending a black man. Tom was accused of raping Miss Mayella Ewell. Scout,Jem and I watched the whole trial. I’d never been in a courtroom before. Mr. Gilmer (Mayella’s lawyer) made my stomach lurch.It ain't right, somehow it ain't right to do'em [African-Americans] that way. After I left the courtroom, I met a man named Dolfus Raymond and he gave me a swig of his Coca

Whatever respect or sympathy the reader might have had for Bob Ewell is dispelled by his behaviour in the courtroom and the evidence that Atticus produces that he was the cause of Mayella's beating. Not only is he a self-righteous bully but he is prepared to sacrifice Tom Robinson's life for his own selfish ends. The reader is more likely to feel sympathy for Mayella as the trial progresses. Her loneliness and need for simple human contact are made painfully evident as Scout comes to understand that she is 'the loneliest

When Atticus asks Mayella ‘who are your friends?’ (p.245) she is perplexed by the question demonstrating to us how she must be ‘the loneliest person in the world’ (p. 256). Furthermore, Lee clearly explains to us she is accustomed to being treated poorly as when Atticus refers to her as ‘ma’am’ and speaks to her politely she believes initially that he is ‘mockin’ me’ (p.243). Reflecting on how Mayella is trapped in her improvised, friendless state with nobody who respects her, we realise it would not have been difficult for her to become fixated on and fantasise about Tom Robinson, as he ‘was probably the only person who was ever decent to her’ (p.257). We are also able to understand why she lies about Tom raping her during the trial when we take into consideration that Mayella is living in fear of what her drunk and abusive father, Bob Ewell, would do to her if she was truthful. As she has already been ‘beaten savagely’ (p.272) and possibly raped by her father, after she ‘kissed a black man’ (p.272), her trepidation is unsurprising. By climbing into Mayella’s skin and walking around in it we see Lee is helping us to learn the importance of considering people’s circumstances before judging their actions.

Today in Maycomb County, there was a trail against a local African American man named “Tom Robinson.” He was accused for raping and beating up a white girl named “Mayella.” His lawyer is “Atticus Finch” is facing off against “Mr. Gilmer” the district attorney. Judge Taylor, appears to be sleeping through out the trial, yet pays attention and tends to chew his cigar. The supposed crime occurred in Mayella’s home, when Tom Robinson went to fix something and then he raped her.

Racism is the overlaying and dominant theme of both “To Kill A Mockingbird” and Eight men”. Both authors use racism to influence the plot of their novel. In an example, both stories occur during a time where racism was very intense. “To Kill A Mockingbird” takes place during the early 1930s in Alabama, a time, and place where African Americans were still hated and treated in harsh slave like ways. “Eight Men” takes place sometime between The Great Depression and the Harlem Renaissance, although the conditions for African Americans during those times were similar to those in “To Kill A Mockingbird”. The plot of each story focuses on issues of a racial original. The injustice that occurred during Tom Robinson’s case, where he was still convicted of raping a white woman even though the evidence proved

To Kill a Mockingbird : Discuss Your Opinion Of The Ewells The Ewells play a significant part in this story of "To Kill a Mockingbird". In the first chapter, Scout mentions the Ewells to us that the "Ewells started it all". Scout means that the Ewells had an affect on the residents of Maycomb. The story will involve an allegation of rape and the way black and white issues (the prejudice that runs through the whole of the story) are covered.

The Ewell family has a few marked characteristics. For one, they are poor, and as a result, very dirty and unkempt. Atticus says he has no recollection of the last time that an Ewell did an honest day’s work. He says they live like animals, in reference to their lack of money. The town even allows Mr. Ewell to hunt and trap out of season, mainly because much of the money that would have otherwise gone to food goes to Mr. Ewell’s whiskey. Evidence that they are quite dirty stems mainly from their physical looks. Burris, for example, has a dark gray neck, rusty hands, and black fingernails. His lack of hygiene even results in him having lice in his hair. All this got so bad that Miss Caroline dismissed him from school on the basis of being