Bob & Mayella Ewell in To Kill a Mockingbird : Character Analysis

Two characters in the classic by Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird, are the most controversial and irritating, yet emotional, in their impact – Bob and Mayella Ewell. These characters contribute to the development of the moral and social conflicts of the story. Bob Ewell is portrayed as a vicious dishonest man, and Mayella is marked out as a more complicated character – a victim but also one who does harm. Their actions do not only refer to the life of Tom Robinson but also draw the reader’s notions of right or wrong.

Bob & Mayella Ewell in To Kill a Mockingbird : Character Analysis demonstrates how these characters are not just people, they are representative of higher social problems. Bob is the symbol of hatred, racism and ignorance. He falsely accuses Tom Robinson; telling lies and practicing prejudice to preserve one’s pride and cover up for one’s guilt. He is unambiguous villain: fear is his way of taking control of people. Mayella, on the other hand, is a character who is sad and afraid. She lives in horrible conditions, she takes care of many siblings, and she suffers on her father’s hands.

Her guilt in the trial doesn’t stem from her being female, that idea is just a human idea to cover it up, but from her lack of maturity, so she seems weaker than anyone could really expect, even for a female. Consider Bob & Mayella Ewell in To Kill a Mockingbird : Character Analysis teaches the readers to understand on how the people’s choices are made by them in relation to their conditions. Bob chooses hate, whereas Mayella chooses silence and lies hoping she will escape from the most painful reality. They both betrayed an innocent man, but they demonstrate the painfulness of a prejudice and fear.

These characters do not belong to a courtroom texture only; they represent actual issues that are still faced by people in the world. Harper Lee demonstrates the influence of lies, pressure and helplessness in the story of the Ewells, and this fact makes them an important example of the novel’s message about justice and human behaviour.