Chapter 17
Atticus makes Bob Ewell write his name in court to show that he is left-handed. This is to suggest that Bob Ewell was the one who attacked Mayella Ewell, since the injuries on her face were consistent with a left-handed person.
Bob Ewell yelled at Atticus Finch during the trial in "To Kill a Mockingbird." He accused Atticus of trying to make a fool of him in court.
In my opinion Atticus is dealing with the threats well. If he was to act out and attack or even make a stupid remark to Mr. Ewell then he would be able to use that against Atticus in the trial.
The comment that Mr. Ewell makes that is reported by Miss Stephanie is that he will not stop until Atticus gets paid. This is from the story To Kill A Mockingbird.
Jem does not want Scout to tell Atticus about Bob Ewell's comment because he fears that it might upset Atticus and cause trouble. However, it is not wise to keep such important information from Atticus, as he is their father and can handle the situation appropriately. It is important to communicate openly and honestly with trusted adults when dealing with serious matters.
Atticus wants Jem to understand the importance of empathy and looking at situations from another person's perspective. By standing in Bob Ewell's shoes for a minute, Atticus hopes Jem will learn compassion and develop a deeper understanding of why people behave the way they do, even if they make poor choices.
1. Chapter 10: Atticus speaks to Scout and Jem as they begin to use the guns given to them as gifts: "I'd rather you shoot at tin cans in the back yard, but I know you'll go after birds. Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird."2. Chapter 10: Scout is puzzled by what Atticus has said (i.e., the comment quoted immediately above) and she asks Miss Maudie Atkinson about it. Miss Maudie says that: "Your father's right. Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don't eat up people's gardens, don't nest in corncribs, they don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird."3. Chapter 30: Atticus is sure that it was Jem who stabbed Bob Ewell. Although it was "Boo" Radley who felled Ewell in an act to protect Jem and Scout, Sheriff Tate tells Atticus that he intends to report that Ewell fell on his own knife. Sheriff Tate tells Atticus that he will not let "Boo" Radley be exposed to the publicity of a charge and trial; that it would be a SIN to drag him into the limelight. Atticus begins to understand that Jem did not kill Ewell. It was someone else: "Boo" Radley. In this context, "Boo" Radley surely represents the innocence of the mockingbird. Scout shows that she understands this and Sheriff Tate completely, when she says to Atticus reassuringly: "Well, it'd be sort of like shootin' a mockingbird, wouldn't it?"
Atticus said " I don't want you to remember it. Forget it." It kind of symbolizes that whatever he told the children before that - he is taking it back and does not want the children to make the change he just told them to.
In Chapter 15 of "To Kill a Mockingbird," Scout and Jem make the faulty assumption that Atticus needs protection from the lynch mob that shows up at the jail. They underestimate Atticus's courage and resourcefulness, as he is able to defuse the situation without their help. They also assume that the men in the mob are irredeemably racist and not capable of reason or empathy.
Bob and Mayella Ewell. SPOILER ALERT!!!!!! Because Mayella kissed Tom Robinson, a black man, she felt like she needed to "destroy the evidence" (Atticus's words) which in this case is Tom Robinson. Bob Ewell saw what happened and because he was afraid that his pride would be lost, he tried to make it seem like Robinson was in the wrong. And then at the end of the book, Bob Ewell tries to kill Jem and Scout, trying to hurt Atticus in a way that was incredibly cowardly - harming his children instead of facing him like a man. I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!!
We won't write summaries for you. To write your own summaries, start by making notes of the key points of each chapter as you are reading. Turn these notes into sentences to make your summary.
Scout promises Atticus that she will continue attending school, even though she does not want to go. This promise is made after Atticus encourages her to give school a chance and not to let her current frustrations with her teacher affect her attitude towards education.