She is intelligent and, by the standards of her time and place, a tomboy. Scout has a combative streak and a basic faith in the goodness of the people in her community. Scout eventually develops a more grown-up perspective that enables her to appreciate human goodness without ignoring human evil. Read an in-depth analysis of Scout Finch. A widower with a dry sense of humor, Atticus has instilled in his children his strong sense of morality and justice. He is one of the few residents of Maycomb committed to racial equality.
When he agrees to defend Tom Robinson, a black man charged with raping a white woman, he exposes himself and his family to the anger of the white community. Read an in-depth analysis of Atticus Finch. Four years older than Scout, he gradually separates himself from her games, but he remains her close companion and protector throughout the novel. Jem moves into adolescence during the story, and his ideals are shaken badly by the evil and injustice that he perceives during the trial of Tom Robinson.
Read an in-depth analysis of Jem Finch. A recluse who never sets foot outside his house, Boo dominates the imaginations of Jem, Scout, and Dill. He is a powerful symbol of goodness swathed in an initial shroud of creepiness, leaving little presents for Scout and Jem and emerging at an opportune moment to save the children.
An intelligent child emotionally damaged by his cruel father, Boo provides an example of the threat that evil poses to innocence and goodness.
Read an in-depth analysis of Boo Radley. If they don't gain more respect from the community, at least Bob won't have to live with talk in the black community about a white woman making a play for a married black man. Unfortunately, all of Ewell's plans backfire. By the end of the trial, he and his daughter are proven liars, he's been publicly identified as a sexually and physically abusive father who fails to provide for his family, and the entire town knows that Mayella made sexual overtures toward Tom.
Instead of improving his life, Ewell cements his family's horrible reputation once and for all. In this situation, Bob Ewell can do little but try to recover his own pride. He makes good on his threats to harm the people who embarrassed him in court. He rejoices in Tom's death. Bob Ewell is the kind of person who actually seems to enjoy being despicable. Next Character Map. Respect for others is as foreign to Ewell as personal hygiene. His statement of Tom's supposed crime is couched in the most offensive terms possible, calculated to stir up people's emotions and fears to evidence-ignoring levels of irrationality.
See " Race " in " Quotes " for more on Ewell's accusation of Tom. After the trial, Ewell isn't satisfied to have gotten Tom sentenced to death; he wants revenge on those that would give him a fair trial.
It's likely that Ewell is the shadow Judge Taylor sees at his house one night, but Atticus and Helen get the brunt of his rage. Atticus doesn't say much about his confrontation with Ewell, so his kids get the Miss-Stephanie-enhanced version: "Atticus was leaving the post office when Mr.
Ewell approached him, cursed him, spat on him, and threatened to kill him" Well, when we put it like that, it's probably not enhanced at all.
We can definitely buy that Ewell would say that. While the Maycomb community is happy enough to return to ignoring the Ewells after their day in court, Ewell won't go quietly back to the dump. He's had a taste of power, and he wants to keep asserting it through threats of violence to anyone associated in his mind with Tom Robinson. It's as if what Tom did in Ewell's mind is so horrible that destroying Tom himself isn't enough. Or maybe it's just revenge—after all, Scout and Jem don't have much to do with Tom directly, but attacking them is a powerful way to hurt Atticus.
The oldest child in her family, it falls to her to care for the younger children. She accuses Tom Robinson of beating and raping her, though Atticus , through his questioning of her and of Robinson, shows that Mayella was unloved, abused, starved for attention.
Ewell has, in fact, sexually abused Mayella in the past. Though Mayella comes close to admitting that Mr. Ewell beats her when he drinks, she refuses to change her testimony and admit that she accused Robinson of rape, so that she can escape the fact that she broke an important social code as a white woman tempting a black man.
For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:. Chapter 19 Quotes. Related Characters: Tom Robinson speaker , Mr. Gilmer speaker , Bob Ewell , Mayella Ewell. Page Number and Citation : Cite this Quote. Explanation and Analysis:. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter Ewell called him out because Tom raped his daughter. Tate found Mayella beaten up on the floor and she identified Tom as her rapist, so he took
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