Disappointment In To Kill A Mockingbird

Disappointment is constantly presenting itself. Like frustration, it reveals character traits, and a person's ability to handle difficult situations. In To Kill a Mockingbird, hope and empowerment are highlighted. So are disappointment and frustration. Written in the 60s by Harper Lee, the book is narrated by Scout, the daughter of Atticus Finch. Atticus is a lawyer who defends an African American man named Tom Robinson. The case of an innocent black man faced with rape charges against a white female provides the Finches, and town of Maycomb, with a chance to grow. However, when the trial is ultimately forgotten, it leads to conflict between the characters and town. It also leads to disappointment in the reader. Due to racial prejudice and

But when Scout comes home from school and asks Jem about her teacher, Ms. Gates, he lashes out. “Jem was suddenly furious. He leaped off the bed, grabbed me by the collar and shook me. ‘I never wanta hear about that courthouse again, ever, ever, you her me? You hear me? Don’t you ever say one word to me about again, You hear? Now go on!” (283) To the reader and Scout, this outburst seems sudden. Maycomb and the Finches move on from the trial, but Jem does not. He can not move on from the injustice because it still hurts him. The trial, the conviction, and the death of Tom are too much for him to handle. He believes in the cause, he believes in Atticus. Jem becomes passionate about the trial, and has so much hope for Tom. This makes the loss of the case and Tom heartbreaking. It makes Jem bitter about the entire situation. This causes him to lash out when Scout forces him to revisit this disappointment. Opposing characters are also unable to move on, for example, Bob Ewell. When it is discovered that Bob is angry with the people involved in the trial, such as Helen Robinson and Judge Taylor, the family becomes worried for Atticus. However, it is not Atticus that Bob targets. “We were nearly to the road when I felt Jem’s hand leve me, felt him jerk backwards to the ground. More scuffling, and then there came a crunching sound and Jem screamed… His stomach was soft but his arms were like steel. He slowly squeezed the breath out of me” (301). When he wins the case, Bob Ewell expects change. He expects respect and gratitude, but Maycomb's view of him does not change. This results in disappointment from Mr. Ewell. This disappointment causes instability: He breaks into Judge Taylor’s house, harasses Helen Robinson, and begins targeting the Finch’s. Bob Ewell’s personality is shown through his aggressive attacks at people involved in the trial, including the Finch kids. It is