Bob Ewell Essay

There are those who do nothing, and there are those who lead regular lives. However, individuals occur that change the lives of many, and sometimes an entire population. These are people like Aristotle, who changed the thought process of the entire western civilization, and Martin Luther, who decided to create a whole new religion. ║In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, such a figure also exists. This is a man by the name of Bob Ewell, and this man is a man of low honour who lives in the small town of Macomb. The town is a slow-moving sort of place, until Bob Ewell comes along. ║Bob Ewell, low as he may seem, has the greatest impact on Macomb because he changes people’s views about African-Americans, Boo Radley, and Justice.

║Bob Ewell convinces the prejudiced people of Macomb that a black man can be better than a white man. ║Atticus Finch, a lawyer in Macomb, convinces many of his high-ranking friends that Bob Ewell has done something worse that a Negroe would. Thus, many people see this worse than anything the Blacks in this town ever would do. ║As Atticus is talking to his daughter about Burris, he proceeds to describe his father, and says the man ║“Spends his relief checks on green whiskey [and] his children have a way of crying from hunger pains.” (35). ║In the population of blacks in Macomb county, not one person described in the novel is so drunk that he or she cannot even feed his or her own children. This is a clear sign that the man is a terrible example and is in this way worse than Macomb’s blacks. He has affected not only himself but his children also, because he cannot keep them fed. This will surely reflect in their lives because children that grow up in such terrible conditions are usually mean and self centered. ║In another case, Bob Ewell meets Atticus in front of the post office and, ║“Mr. Ewell approached him, cursed him, spat on him, and threatened to kill him,” (220). ║In the entire novel, such disrespect is only demonstrated by Bob. Atticus, and honest man, took a case that did not physically harm anybody. Bob Ewell, however, decided that he was going to use force to punish Atticus for disrespecting him. This proves the blacks yet again to be greater than he, because the blacks are portrayed as calm and peaceful people. ║The final situation is when Bob Ewell tries to attack Atticus’s children, and Scout describes the event, ║“When we got under the tree… all of sudden somethin’ grabbed me an’ mashed my costume… they were bammin’ against the trunk, sounded like… Anyway, Jem hollered and I didn’t hear him anymore an’ the next thing – Mr. Ewell was tryin’ to squeeze me to death, I reckon,” (272). ║Clearly, only this figure in To Kill a Mockingbird has this kind of violence and willing to avenge. He has not only gone as far as to greatly disrespect Atticus, but he tries to further avenge himself by attempting the things that even a person in the state of mind he was in would not do. He is, therefore, the most violent man in the book and puts himself much lower than the black populace. ║When Atticus’s friends find out about all these evils deeds, they definitely put the blacks before Bob Ewell in their social ladder.

║Apart from making the Macomb town dwellers’ ideas about African Americans different, Bob Ewell also changes their idea about Boo Radley. ║When Scout is describing Bob Ewell’s attack to Heck Tate, the Macomb sheriff, she points out, ║“Somebody was staggerin’ around and pantin’ and – coughing fit to die… I thought Atticus had come to help us and had wore out–” “Who was it?” the Sheriff asked. “Why there he is, Mr. Tate, he can tell you his name.” (272 – 273). ║ Since Scout says that the person that was there helped them, in the end she points out that Boo Radley does a good deed. This shows to the people in the room with Scout that Boo Radley is very caring and has helped the children out of the goodness of his heart, which boldly contradicts people’s ideas about him earlier. ║This contradiction is evident when Miss Stephanie Crawford, the town gossip, recounts, ║“ ‘He goes out, all right, when it’s pitch dark. Miss Stephanie Crawford said she woke up in the middle of the night one time and saw him looking straight through the window at her… said his head was like a school lookin’ at her…’ Jem gave a reasonable description of Boo: boo was about six-and-a-half feet tall, judging from his tracks; he dined on raw squirrels and any cats he could catch, that’s why his hands were bloodstained – if you ate an animal raw, you could never wash the blood off. There was a long jagged scar that ran across his face; what teeth he had were yellow and rotten; his eyes popped, and he drooled most of the time.” (17) ║The change from this horrid image to a fine gentleman was bought on by Bob Ewell. Once Arthur has shown himself and committed his good deed of saving the Finch children by killing Bob Ewell, he has cleared His name. And now, Arthur Radley has now become a hero because of Bob. ║Finally, Scout adds to the greatness of Boo when she leads him home. She cleverly does this when, ║“I slipped my hand into the crook of his arm. He had to stoop a little to accommodate me, but if Miss Stephanie Crawford was watching from her upstairs window, she would see Arthur Radley escorting me down the sidewalk, as any gentlemen would do.” (281). ║Now that Stephanie Crawford has seen what kind of person Boo is, she will take back her previous description. Instead, the new image of Arthur Radley will be accepted throughout Macomb, and the legend of the evil phantom will disappear. ║This was brought on by Bob Ewell who destroyed a legend that survived for many tears. This is a great impact that only he could invoke.

║In addition to changing people’s views of African-Americans and Boo Radley, Bob Ewell also changed Macomb’s idea of justice. ║By winning his case against Tom Robinson, he forever changed what people thought was just. ║“[Insert quote here],” ([insert pg. # here]). ║The fact that all those people bring food for Atticus shows that they have finally realized that white men can be unjust even in the worst cases, when any other person would do otherwise. ║When Jem and Scout come back from the trial, Miss Maudie explains this to them about Judge Taylor, ║“[Insert quote here],” ([insert pg. # here]). ║Because the Judge decides to pick Atticus as the attorney shows that the judge himself thinks that his court is unjust. This makes him choose a lawyer that may bring it closer to justice. And, of course, being judge, he will pass on his opinion to many. ║When Jem, Scout’s brother, comes to Miss Maudie (a neighbour) after Atticus’s trial, she says, ║“[Insert quote here],” ([insert pg. # here]). ║The jury being out for such a long time shows that they almost changed their perception of justice. Bob Ewell’s behaviour almost made them say that it is just to pick a black man over a white man. When such an event occurs, it is evident that there is a great impact on society. ║Bob Ewell’s impact on Justice is very clear through people’s reactions. When one man almost changes the entire judicial system in Macomb, he definitely makes an impact.

║When a man changes people’s views about racial class, a public enemy, and the definition of justice he has made a great impact that will change the way the entire city functions. Bob Ewell is a man like this, and he has changed Macomb simply because of his hatred. ( This draft still needs some work still reviewing will be more difficult.)