How Does Bob Ewell Show Injustice In To Kill A Mockingbird

In a world full of racism would you choose to be a Bob Ewell, or an Atticus Finch? In the book to Kill a Mockingbird written by Harper Lee the author discuss a person of color wrongly accused for crimes he never committed. In this racially based time period, this book looks into the lives of Tom Robinson, Atticus Finch, and Bob Ewell as we view the injustices that were commonplace in that day and age. After Bob Ewell attacks his daughter and accuses Tom Robinson of assaulting and raping her out of spite, the lawyer Atticus Finch is the only one who will stand up for justice. Despite the fact that the Civil Rights movement ended in the year 1968 we still see examples today of African American’s being treated as scapegoats for the crimes of others. Tom Robinson, a husband and father to three children spent his days working the cotton fields. While on his way home from work Mayella Ewell ask for
his help to fixing a door in her home. While he was inside the house, Mayella jumped him and started kissing him inappropriately. While this interaction took place Mayella’s father watched on through a nearby window. After Bob brust in Tom ran from the property, leaving Mayella to suffer her father’s wrath. Bob had badly beaten his daughter for engaging with a man of color in such a way. Bob notified sheriff Heck Tate that his daughter was beaten and raped by Tom Robinson. It wasn't until Tom was on trial testifying that he was asked if he had committed the crime.
As Atticus was interviewing Tom on the stand he asked “Tom, did you rape Mayella Ewell?” (221) Tom responded with the truth, that he never touched Mayella. Tom was experiencing an injustice that none of us hope to see today, he was being accused of something horrible and unspeakable; but everyone knew he these accusations were lies. The only thing that made his word count for any less in that court was the color of his skin. “Did you harm her in anyway?” (221) His response to this was far more personal than to the previous question. In the middle of court he became incredibly emotional due to the fact that people are using his skin color as an excuse to look at him as something less than human. While this seems like a tragedy of the past one can see this all too often today.
Atticus Finch was a rare man to find in that day and age.
Capable of loving everyone no matter what they looked like he had no hesitations in taking up defense of Tom Robinson. “Before I am through, I intend to jar the jury a bit - I think we’ll have a reasonable chance on appeal, though. I really can’t tell at this stage, Jack. You know, I’d hope to get through life without a case of this kind, but John Taylor pointed at me and said, ‘you’re it’.” (100) Atticus explains to his brother Jack. He believes that even though this is what his career is, the true tragedy is that something like this has happened in his home. When people discover that Atticus is indeed representing a person of color they started to talk. One day while in school a student called Atticus a nigger-lover and it deeply upset his daughter Scout. “You aren’t a nigger-lover, then, are you?” Atticus responded with “I certainly am. I do my best to love everybody…” (124) This further shows why Atticus felt the need to stand up for Tom, and in that period of history, loving everyone was not as easy as it
sounded.
Bob Ewell was a widower who fathered eight children, which devastated his finances. Almost every cent he earned went toward his beloved farm, desperately trying to keep it from being claimed by the hard economic times. Everything else he earned went toward supporting his alcoholism. Mayella was his eldest daughter and when he saw her kiss Tom he was enraged and with the help of the alcohol he savagely beat his own flesh and blood. After he realized what he had done he knew he could not accept the consequences of his actions. He ran to the sheriff immediately and claimed that Tom was responsible for both the beating and the raping of his oldest daughter. “I seen that Black-nigger younder ruttin’ on my Mayella!” (196) Bob expressed angrily. He knew that no sheriff, judge, or jury would ever take the word of a person of color over his own, Tom was his scapegoat and that was how it was going to stay. “I holds with tate. her eye was blacked and she was mighty beat up.” (200) Although Bob never had an accurate or consistent story people still choose to believe him solely because of the color of Tom’s skin. Racism can still be found all over the world today, and people like Bob Ewell put people through situations just like Tom Robinson's.
Three men, all from different walks of lifes are all brought together by racism. Even though it has almost been a century since the setting of this book we still notice these tragic events going on all around us. Through stories like this one must learn that no matter what skin color you are there is a person in there. A person who has the same body, same thoughts, and same emotions. “A person’s a person, no matter how small” -Doctor Suess. So I’ll ask you again, in a world filled with racism are you going to be a Bob Ewell, or a Atticus Finch.