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Why Is Bob Ewell Angry In To Kill A Mockingbird

295 Words2 Pages
Throughout the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, Mr. Ewell lied because he’s angry with Mayella and Tom Robinson. First, Bob Ewell is angry with Mayella because she is hugging Tom Robinson when he arrived home. In addition, one possible reason is Bob Ewell had obscene Mayella and does not want her to get help from others. Tom Robinson says, “‘Naw suh, another one. Most as tall as the room. So I done what she told me…when I say it Mr. Ewell yonder hollered through th’ window’” (Lee 259, 260). After Bob Ewell sees what is going on in the house he yelled at Mayella and tried to catch them, but Tom Robinson ran away when he got into the house. Consequently, this might cause he lies on the trial because he was too angry or afraid that other people know
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This act of hers has left Tom in jail, and his children and wife alone. We hope you listen carefully and thoughtfully to seek the truth of Mayella Ewell's crime. Now, jury members, I will go over the evidence while the county reviews it. Mayella Ewell was under oath on August 21st, over the case of Tom Robinson when she lied. She is said to have called Tom over to bust her chiffarobe, when he had gotten on top of her, then attacked and taken advantage of her.

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Next, it is easy to tell that Mr. Bob Ewell and his daughter were more concerned about arresting Tom Robinson rather than the actual case. They were quick to point fingers, but they had trouble paying attention during the trial. When asked by Mr. Gilmer (the solicitor) if he was ambidextrous, Mr. Ewell responded by saying, “I most positively am not, I can use one hand good as the other.” Also, Mayella didn’t hesitate to accuse Tom of hitting her left eye even though Mr. Heck Tate clearly stated that her right eye was blackened. The two witnesses were ignorant and nervous throughout cross-examination.

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He instills fear in Mayella, therefore she feels obligated to lie during the court trial, blaming Tom Robinson for raping and choking her, causing the bruises along her neck and face. Mayella stutters when being interrogated by Atticus, almost revealing a sliver of truth when she says, “No I don’t recollect if he hit me. I mean yes I do, he hit me” (Lee 248). This proves to Atticus and those viewing the trial that Mayella is indeed untruthful and nervous to deliver answers with her father overseeing her. Because she was present for the court trial, Scout Finch learns that Bob Ewell is guilty, especially after Atticus reveals that Bob is left handed.

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Because of the fear that her father’s beatings will become more aggressive, Mayella Ewell is forced to accuse Tom Robinson of rape. In chapter 19 of To Kill a Mockingbird, Tom Robinson testifies about what Mayella said to him during the incident: “She says what her papa do to her don’t count” (Lee 197). Mayella attempts to conceal that Bob Ewell, her father, physically abuses her. However, the insinuation is verified in Robinson’s testimony and proves he forced her to lie about the rape. Earlier in chapter 18 of To Kill a Mockingbird, Mayella suspiciously does not answer a question asked by Atticus: “‘Who beat you up?

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Because of Mr Ewell’s way of life and his pattern of abusive behaviour, Mayella and her siblings “lived like animals”. This sad living situation is what led to Mayella’s desperate attempt at a relationship with Tom, therefore bringing the blame back to Mr Ewell. Though it is not stated it the text explicitly, it is likely that it was Bob Ewell, rather than Mayella that came up with the plan of accusing Tom of rape, as it would give Mr Ewell a chance to simultaneously publicly denounce a black man and make himself out to be the hero of the story. This is why, despite Tom’s conviction, Mr Ewell is infuriated by the results of the trial, as Atticus was still able to destroy “his last shred of credibility”, the exact opposite of what Bob had planned for the trial. This would suggest that Bob Ewell was willing to have Tom killed, not because he truly believed he had committed a crime, but rather so he could promote his own prejudiced narrative at the trial and restore to himself the power that the social structures of Maycomb had taken away.

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In Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird, a young woman by the name of Mayella Ewell suffers under her father’s manipulation. Mayella grew up with a terrible home life, no mother, 7 children to raise, and a drunken father. Throughout the book, Mayella displays strong characteristics of being abused and lonely. She had little kindness in her life, but the one person who showed sympathy toward her was Tom Robinson. Tom slowly grew on Mayella, so she tried to make a move on him, and her awful father, Bob Ewell, caught them in the act.

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“Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. ”(Exodus 20:16) God is very clear about how much He abhors lying. I disagree with Sheriff Heck Tate’s decision because no matter how bad of a man Bob Ewell was, he should have been innocent until proven guilty. He had a right to go to trial. Even though Mr.Radley is referred to as a Mockingbird in the book, we cannot just dismiss the fact that he murdered someone.

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Change occurs in weather, seasons, years, fashion, but most importantly of all change occurs in people. While some characters stay the same, throughout the course of any novel, there are characters in which they, or the way they are characterized, changes. This was made evident in Harper Lee’s classic novel, To Kill A Mockingbird. In To Kill A Mockingbird, the character Bob Ewell is first characterized as an uneducated and selfish individual, but by the end of the novel, he developes into a daring, quarrelsome man.

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The fictional story, To Kill a Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee includes an evil character, Bob Ewell. The story takes place in Maycomb, a southern town in Alabama in the 1930s. The Ewell family is among the poorest in Maycomb, and is low on Maycomb’s social hierarchy. The family name is not very reputable. Bob Ewell is a drunken father of the family.

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During the dark walk home, Jem and Scout fall victim to something that only the most cowardly of men would do. They get attacked by Bob Ewell. He, armed with a kitchen knife, tries to “get back at Atticus” for his humiliation by trying the lowest possible act. Killing the innocent children of the grudge. His plan, however, fails, because of someone, who Scout assumes to be Jem.

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In this paragraph I will be questioning the Ewells’ reasoning for lying. While reading the court scenes, I got the feeling that Mayella and Bob had separate motives for trying to convict Tom. There are quite a few reasons that Bob would want Tom Robinson convicted. His most demanding motive would have to be the need to cover up the fact that he abuses his children.

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Why did Mayella Ewell Lie? In my opinion Mayella could have lied for many reasons. First, I think she lied because she wanted to protect her father. If people found out that her father was the one who raped her; Bob would be seen as a monster in the small town of Maycomb. Bob’s social ranking in the society could have depleted.

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Land Use Final Paper: Urban Sprawl Urban Sprawl, which is sometimes also referred to as sprawl or suburban sprawl, is the rapid expansion of the geographic extension of cities and towns. It is not a very personable layout of land and space, and many people believe that it damages social interaction wherever it may occur. It causes a disconnect in the area of living no matter how close the people may actually be to each other. This happens because although you may be neighbors or acquaintances with these people and want to interact or hangout, there may not be space in the area for such things to occur.

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Bob Ewell, is Mayella’s father, the villain of the novel and most figures that struts hatred to the African Americans. Bob Ewell has no money, no education, he wants his life to be better, and he pours his anger on whoever is weaker than him. He bashes his daughter when he discovered her intentions towards Tom Robinson; he also tried to hurt Scout and Jem. "I see that black nigger yonder ruttin' on my Mayella!" (84)

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