Jem see if you can stand in Bob Ewell's shoes a minute. I destroyed his last shred of credibility at that trial if he had any to begin with. and rdquo?

Answer 1

Atticus is teaching Jem the same lesson he taught Scout- You never really understand a person until you climb in to his shoes and walk around in them. These are the ugly facts of life that Atticus talks about a couple of pages on in the book ( when it's a white man's word against a black man's, the white man always wins. They're ugly, but those are the facts of life.) Atticus is putting his own lessons in to practice, so effectively this is repetition from very early on in the book (i'm not too sure about that) about standing in people's shoes. This builds tension as well because of the words associated with violence (destroyed, threatening, beating)- it makes us fear for Atticus's safety.

Answer 2

Atticus is asking Jem to consider the situation from Bob Ewell's perspective, acknowledging that Atticus discredited him during the trial. This challenges Jem to empathize with Bob Ewell despite his deceitful behavior. By stepping into Bob Ewell's shoes, Jem might gain a deeper understanding of the man's motivations.