How Does Bob Ewell Use Discrimination In To Kill A Mockingbird

Superior Essays
In To Kill A Mockingbird, discrimination is just one of the many topics of concern that come to mind when reading this fascinating novel. Such issues have been occurring throughout history, repeating itself over and over, for example, the case of George Zimmerman, a white American male, who was brought to trial because of his actions of discrimination, and murder, of a black unarmed young male. Though because he was white, there was no charges of any kind, and he was not convicted of murder. Except in the story of To Kill A Mockingbird, a black man who was supposedly guilty of rape, was convicted because his word meant nothing against the word of two white people. Harper Lee, the author of this book, grew up to know a world of discrimination …show more content…
Many people do not cope with the subjects of discrimination and bullying as well as others can. Which can potentially lead to the harm or death of many loved ones dear to everyone. In the book To Kill A Mockingbird, Burris Ewell uses discrimination against his teacher, just because she was afraid of a simple “cootie” that she had seen in Ewell’s hair (Lee 27-28). Lee also uses Bob Ewell against Atticus, using a very descriptive pick of words saying that Atticus is a “nigger lover” because he is a lawyer defending a negro male(Lee 40). Harper Lee uses discrimination in her book to prove that discrimination should never be used as a last resort to hurt or make someone feel better or worse. Through all this name calling, and very descriptive wording, Lee has somewhat painted a variety of pictures with this book. For example when using discrimination in the entirety of this book, it sums up to be just as bad to kill a mockingbird as it is to harm someone. Which in a young mind, the painting may be a variety of pictures such as hurting an innocent person, or publicizing the good that someone doesn’t want to be known for, same as the

Related Documents

  • Superior Essays

    To Kill a Mockingbird and Scottsboro Trial Essay Every now and then a case comes across in which it is race against race. This issue is becoming less frequent; however, the issue still exists today. Harper Lee’s…

    • 1265 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Harper Lee, in the book, To Kill a Mockingbird (1960), argues via the closing statement of Atticus Finch against the mistreatment of black people. In his closing argument, Atticus argues that the defendant, Tom Robinson, is innocent, and should not be so quickly accused or condemned simply because of the color of his skin. Lee supports her argument by illustrating that the townspeople's beliefs about black people are obviously false. The author's purpose is to show the immorality of the oppression of black people. The author writes in a formal tone, using Atticus's diction to make an emotional appeal to Maycomb county, and America by extension, that black people are no more criminal than white; that the prejudice against them besmirches the…

    • 438 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    As history has proven time and time again, racism and fear have disastrous effects on the society in which it’s established. To Kill a Mockingbird is about a father with two children who must undergo the racism in their hometown of Maycomb, to win the trial of Tom Robinson, an innocent black man accused of rape. While the trial takes place, the discrimination starts to arise and the people of Maycomb are blinded by fear. In Harper Lee’s most famous book, To Kill a Mockingbird, she shows how racism and fear are far more powerful in society than morality and reason. Racism and fear override morality and reason many times in Harper Lee’s literature.…

    • 904 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The famous children's novel and winner of the Pulitzer Award, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a perfect example of how blacks were treated back in the 1930s, and really, during that entire era. This story is about injustice and racism towards the so called “negroes”. A white man named Atticus Finch is given the task to defend a black man accused of rape, and acts as his lawyer. This is not easy for Atticus or his family, as they are repeatedly taunted and made fun of for taking the side of the African-American, something that was considered absurd back in the day. This alone just makes you wonder how it would be to roam the streets in a different colored skin.…

    • 807 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Atticus Finch Hypocrisy

    • 600 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird chronicles the childhood of Scout Finch, specifically, her father, Atticus Finch, and his involvement in Tom Robinson’s rape trial. Atticus Finch, virtually the moral compass of the novel, and his decision to seek justice for Tom despite the sensibility he has on what the outcome of the trial will be ultimately speaks not only to his character, but also frames the novel with the theme of balancing good and evil. Despite the eventual loss of the case, Atticus Finch’s search for justice leads him to expose both the racial bias of the white community in Maycomb, and allows Lee to lay out her own case against the hypocrisy that existed in the 1930s. While Atticus Finch is unable to prevent Tom Robinson from being convicted, he is able to definitively prove that Robinson is innocent and that the only possible reasoning for the jury to convict him would be due to their conscious racist beliefs.…

    • 600 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Throughout history, discrimination has played a large role in deciding the fate of many. It has caused many horrible lives and forced groups into fear and isolation. Due to the discrimination of others, problems rise as people try and form social change. This is shown in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird and the play “Inherit the Wind”. To Kill a Mockingbird is the story through the eyes of a young girl about the trial of an African-American man who is placed on trial for supposedly harming a woman, but is there simply because he is African-American.…

    • 910 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    To start, an an interview about how “To Kill a Mockingbird” impacted people’s lives , an Australian author says “It presents racism, violence and prejudice as not inevitable or inherent, but the natural consequence of fear, insecurity and selfishness, and courage as the willingness to remain kind and merciful when you would be persecuted for it.” (“The Impact of To Kill a Mockingbird”). Someone must have courage to help people who deserve it when it puts themselves in danger. Harper Lee showed readers this in her novel, and many readers have said that this message impacted their lives.…

    • 1320 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    For many generations people have grown up in racially prejudice environments and gone through life believing they are superior to other races. As a result, they tend to make choices that though in their minds are right and fair, are not in real life. Harper Lee’s book, To Kill a Mockingbird, is in the prime time for racism and it is demonstrated throughout the book that the concept of right and wrong can be blurred when a person is racially prejudice through the jury of Tom Robinson’s case, Walter Cunningham, and Bob Ewell. The jury of Tom Robinson’s case is a quintessential symbol of racial prejudice.…

    • 711 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Racism In Tkam

    • 1053 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Racism is unfair and everyone should have equal rights in court, in personal choices, and in society. In Harper Lee's novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus supports an African American man, which is very rare in the society because most white people do not support black people, and they think that they are better than black people. Everybody in Maycomb thought that he was wrong and a disgrace to the family. White people never lose to black people. Even though Atticus knew that a black man would never win over a white, he gave it a shot and tried his best to support Tom Robinson.…

    • 1053 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Scottsboro Boys Trial

    • 834 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Since the early 1900s, there is racism in the deep south like the State of Alabama. Several African Americans doesn’t have the same right as a white man does. Sometimes, this leads to violence and misjustice. The novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee wants to tell the people that African Americans don’t have the same rights as a white man. Harper Lee tells a story where a black man is convicted and found guilty because his race is black.…

    • 834 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, explores the role of heroes in unjust societies. The community of Maycomb, Alabama, the novel’s setting, is unjust, with inherent prejudice against many in the society. However, the character of Atticus Finch shows great heroism and fights the injustice that is prevalent throughout Maycomb, chiefly by electing to defend Tom Robinson, a black man falsely accused of raping a white woman. Atticus Finch deserves distinction as the greatest moral hero of all time. He demonstrates heroism by his willingness to oppose tradition and institutionalized racism.…

    • 1318 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    As a philosopher, Allan Bloom said, “reason transformed into prejudice is the worst form of prejudice, because reason is the only instrument for liberation from prejudice”. Harper Lee explores prejudice and how it affects society in her novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. The main character is a young girl named Scout, growing up in the 1930’s in Maycomb County, Alabama. Her father, Atticus is a lawyer, and tries to raise his kids to be unprejudiced. Having been raised this way, Scout and her brother Jem, struggle to understand the prejudiced ways of their society, sometimes showing their own prejudices themselves despite Atticus’ efforts.…

    • 1998 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    To Kill a Mockingbird Essay - Racism It doesn’t matter what race you are. In the dark we’re all the same color. In Harper Lee's book, To Kill A Mockingbird, there are many examples of racism. During this time in history racism was acceptable.…

    • 797 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    In Harper Lee’s book,”To Kill a Mockingbird”, there were social issues like discrimination, lack of equality, and human rights. These issues were really effectively illustrated in the book, and they are important for the world the know. In “To Kill a Mockingbird”, Harper lee explains how people of certain groups were discriminated against, stereotyped, and treated unequally. First, discrimination was very common in the book, For example,”In Lee’s novel of a small town, the Africanist presence is muted in the spite of the trial in which an innocent black man by the name Tom Robinson was accused of rapeing a white woman named Mayella Ewell, (Baeker).…

    • 991 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Tom Robinson Racism

    • 1045 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Maycomb County, the setting of To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, has a deeply ingrained culture of racism over reason. Tom Robinson’s death was unjust, yet few mourned and the eventual death did not shock anyone. The reason for this tragedy is that Tom was too confident that people would show good morals when faced with a complicated decision. He made a series of poor choices that placed him in a difficult situation that even the best lawyer could not get him out of. Although Tom was framed, it was his own mistakes that enabled Bob Ewell to prosecute him in the first place.…

    • 1045 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays