The True Character Of A Society Exposed In To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee

As the wise Nelson Mandela once said, “The true character of a society is revealed in how it treats its children.” This means if children aren’t taught or treated the right way, the current and upcoming society will be damaged. This is seen in many cases when fathers neglect their child’s problems and do not want them to change. In the Story, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee shows this when Bob Ewell manipulates and handles his daughter Mayella which leads to Tom Robinson going to jail and getting shot 17 times. Later Bob attacks Jem and Scout which results in his death. This is further portrayed as child abuse and neglect being ignored due to the economic status of Maycomb, and how future generations will continue this if not taught otherwise.

He attacked them after the school play when they were walking home, breaking Jem’s arm and shoving Scout. After he broke Jem’s arm Boo Radley came to help Jem and Scout. Boo stabbed Bob, and he died moments later. Boo rushed Jem to Atticus and explained to him what happened. When Scout got home Sherrif Tate was there asking what happened. After Sherrif Tate investigated the crime scene he came to the conclusion that Mr. Ewell fell on his own knife. The sheriff was protecting Boo from being charged or accused of murder. Harper Lee continues to give reasons for how Bob Ewell is an evil character. She also builds his reputation on how the people of Maycomb view him. Harper Lee also continues to use the cause-and-effect format by negatively affecting Tom

When Tom Robinson when to jail Harper Lee wrote, “They fired a few shots in the air, then to kill. They got him just as he got over the fence. They said if he’d had two good arms he’s have made it, he was moving fast. Seventeen bullets hit him”. This excerpt portrays what Atticus was told by the racially motivated police that shot Tom 17 times. When Atticus was told Tom would have got away if he had two good arms, they were referring to his arm that was mangled in a cotton mill accident when he was younger. Atticus and Jem went to tell Tom’s family. Tom had been convicted of rape, a crime he did not commit, sent to jail, and shot 17 times. The events of ignoring child abuse in Maycomb negatively affected Tom and his family in many different ways throughout the book. At the end of the trial, the reader receives the verdict. Tom Robinson is convicted of rape and assaulting Mayella, a white woman. Scout says, “I shut my eyes. Judge Taylor was polling the jury: “Guilty…guilty…guilty…guilty…” I peeked at Jem: his hands were white from gripping the balcony rail, and his shoulders jerked as if each “guilty” was a separate stab between them”. Scout describes each “guilty” as a stab. When Harper Lee does this she is portraying how Jem feels to the reader. Many of the people in the court felt the way Jem did, including