What Does Mrs Merriweather Symbolize In To Kill A Mockingbird

Representatives
Symbolism is an interesting tool. Completely fictional works can embody complex concepts, lofty ideals, or even real-world issues. Within To Kill A Mockingbird, real-world issues are brought up and critiqued by Harper Lee through her characters. Almost every character throughout the story represents a different part of society during Lee’s time, and the views Lee holds of them are reflected in Scout. In particular, Tom Robinson, Mrs. Merriweather, and Bob Ewell represent three important parts of society. An elitist, elderly Southern woman, Mrs. Merriweather represents the hypocrisy of the elite and of the United States itself during the early 1900s. Merriweather is a high-class Southern woman who preaches helping others, as

Through little fault of their own, African Americans such as Tom Robinson are constantly deprived of equal opportunities, falsely accused of wrongdoing, & unfairly discriminated against, which is clearly shown through how Tom Robinson is cross-examined: “‘You testified that you were resisting Miss Ewell. Were you so scared that she’d hurt you, you ran, a big buck like you?’‘No suh, I’s scared I’d be in court, just like I am now.’ ‘Scared of arrest, scared you’d have to face up to what you did?’‘No suh, scared I’d hafta face up to what I didn’t do.’ ‘Are you being impudent to me, boy?’”(202). Mr. Gilmer’s brutal cross-examination does little to reveal any concrete evidence for Mayella Ewell’s rape, but it does show the contempt Mr. Gilmer has for Tom Robinson. The ingrained prejudice Mr. Gilmer - an agent of the legal system - shows towards Tom is a representation of the discrimination and prejudice that African Americans in the 1930s could expect to face. The contempt and condescension that Tom faces from Mr. Gilmer is no outlier either. Mayella Ewell shamelessly uses Tom Robinson as a scapegoat for her abuse despite Atticus’ almost concrete evidence incriminating her father: “‘I got somethin‘ to say an’ then I ain’t gonna say no more. That n****r yonder took advantage of me an‘ if you fine fancy gentlemen don’t wanta do nothin’ about it then you’re all yellow

A degenerate, immoral, abusive, lazy, and neglectful man, Bob is willing to take advantage of almost anyone, going so far as to commit perjury to avoid conviction: “‘Well, Mayella was raisin‘ this holy racket so I dropped m’load and run as fast as I could but I run into th’ fence, but when I got distangled I run up to th‘ window and I seen—’ Mr. Ewell’s face grew scarlet. He stood up and pointed his finger at Tom Robinson. ‘—I seen that black n****r yonder ruttin’ on my Mayella!’”(175). The desperate acts Bob Ewell takes are reflective of not only his status in society but of his opinions of others. Taking advantage of the inherent prejudice within Maycomb, Bob portrays Tom Robinson as a brute who savagely beat and raped his daughter, showing how he views Tom as nothing more than a patsy to take the blame. Bob’s deplorable actions do not stop at just racism or lying. After being humiliated by Atticus in front of the majority of Maycomb and vowing revenge, Bob attempts to murder Scout and Jem: “‘Jem hollered and I didn’t hear him any more an‘ the next thing—Mr. Ewell was tryin’ to squeeze me to death, I reckon’”(274). Instead of confronting Atticus, Bob Ewell chooses to attack two small children, the cowardliest and scummiest move he could take. While Tom Robinson and Mrs. Merriweather may represent historically significant parts of an older society, Bob Ewell is the embodiment of the pervasive