Prison is not always something that can be seen, it is a thing that is close to or impossible to escape. Whether it is yourself, a memory, or a person, it seems to follow you everywhere: that feeling of being trapped or ensnared. In the world of Mayella Ewell, life was a prison. Within Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird there were three things shaped that sense of imprisonment for Ms. Ewell: Her father, poverty, and the Ewell name.
Bob Ewell was a drunk, an abuser, and ignorant. An example that reflects this personality of his would be this quote by Atticus about Bob Ewell: “It’s against the law , all right,” said my father, “ and it’s certainly bad, but when a man who spends his relief checks on green whiskey his children have a way of crying from hunger pains. I don’t know of any landowner who begrudges those children any game their father can hit.(page)" This statement here mentions Bob Ewell’s fondness of drink, enough that he would rather let his children starve so he can have a glass of whiskey. This by Mr. Gilmer and Mr. Ewell’s response will show clearly how Bob is ignorant: “ About your writing with your left hand, are you ambidextrous, Mr. Ewell?”, to which Mr. Ewell replies, “ I …show more content…
This quote is a reference to the Ewells:“[T]he Ewells had been the disgrace of Maycomb for three generations. None of them had done an honest day’s work in his recollection.(page)" This is common knowledge amongst the people of Maycomb, that is why Mayella Ewell is trapped inside this caged molded by the Ewell name. Everyone knows what the Ewells are, Scout even said: “ They were people, but they lived like animals.(page), showing us what it is like to be an Ewell and how the Ewells are seen by other people. This leaves poor Miss Mayella to run around trying to make herself presentable for an out of reach dream:
Bob Ewell was a drunk, an abuser, and ignorant. An example that reflects this personality of his would be this quote by Atticus about Bob Ewell: “It’s against the law , all right,” said my father, “ and it’s certainly bad, but when a man who spends his relief checks on green whiskey his children have a way of crying from hunger pains. I don’t know of any landowner who begrudges those children any game their father can hit.(page)" This statement here mentions Bob Ewell’s fondness of drink, enough that he would rather let his children starve so he can have a glass of whiskey. This by Mr. Gilmer and Mr. Ewell’s response will show clearly how Bob is ignorant: “ About your writing with your left hand, are you ambidextrous, Mr. Ewell?”, to which Mr. Ewell replies, “ I …show more content…
This quote is a reference to the Ewells:“[T]he Ewells had been the disgrace of Maycomb for three generations. None of them had done an honest day’s work in his recollection.(page)" This is common knowledge amongst the people of Maycomb, that is why Mayella Ewell is trapped inside this caged molded by the Ewell name. Everyone knows what the Ewells are, Scout even said: “ They were people, but they lived like animals.(page), showing us what it is like to be an Ewell and how the Ewells are seen by other people. This leaves poor Miss Mayella to run around trying to make herself presentable for an out of reach dream: