Foil Characters In To Kill A Mockingbird

In a work of literature authors often use foil characters to show the strengths and weaknesses of main characters. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee, the author uses foil characters Atticus Finch and Bob Ewell to reveal the theme of racial inequality. Atticus, a man who takes care of his family and teaches them manners, is a lawyer assigned a court case dealing with a black man accused of raping a white woman. Bob Ewell, a prejudiced man who does not take care of his children, lives near the black man, Tom Robinson, who he accuses of raping his daughter. Throughout the novel, Harper Lee uses these characters to show the theme of racial inequality through the court case. Intelligent, respectful, and loving, Atticus