What Animal Does Scout Compare Bob Ewell To

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To Kill a Mockingbird Chapter 17

Chapter 17

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Mr. Tate says that on the night of November 21st Bob Ewell brought him to the Ewell house, where he found Mr. Ewell'south daughter, who had been badly beaten.
When Mr. Tate asked her who did it, she said Tom Robinson, and when he asked her if Robinson had raped her, she said yep. Mr. Tate went and got Robinson, had the Ewell girl identify him, and so arrested him.
Side by side, it'southward Atticus's turn to question the witness. He asks (three times) if Mr. Tate called a doctor to tend to the Ewell girl'south injuries, and (all 3 times) Tate says no. Then he asks Tate to depict those injuries, and he says she had bruises and a black eye. Atticus asks which center was the blackness one, and Tate, later on giving him a what-kind-of-stupid-question-is-this wait, says it was her left. Atticus gets him to clarify that it was the left from his perspective, which means information technology was the daughter's ain correct. Tate, after some other question from Atticus, goes on to describe her injuries further: the right side of her face up (where the blackness eye was) was heavily bruised, and there were finger marks all around her pharynx.
That ends Mr. Tate's testimony, and he leaves the witness stand.
Sentinel thinks information technology'due south all rather boring and dry out, not at all the high drama, Law and Orderlawyering she had expected.
Now it's Bob Ewell'due south turn for the witness stand. Sentinel gives u.s.a. some facts near the Ewells: they're ever on welfare and they live near an African-American settlement in a shack backside the dump.
Which they scavenge.
It's a pretty grim life. Beside the trash and the old cars in their front end yard, there's one matter that stands out, or rather six: a fix of chipped jars holding Mayella'south well-tended bright crimson geraniums.
Sentinel remembers that the nearby African-American houses are clean and inviting, only the Ewell residence is filthy. The point? "All the little human being on the witness stand had that made him any ameliorate than his nearest neighbors was, that if scrubbed with lye soap in very hot water, his skin was white" (17.67).
Mr. Ewell gives his version: he came habitation to hear Mayella screaming inside the house, ran to the window and saw Tom Robinson raping her.
At his last words the oversupply explodes, and Judge Taylor has to bang his gavel for a full five minutes before they calm down.
Mr. Ewell is pleased with the effect he has had on his audience, merely Estimate Taylor is non.
The judge says that in that location'south been a request to clear the courtroom, or at least to save the tender ears of the women and children by kick them out, only that he'll let everyone stay—unless they misbehave, in which case, he'll take them upwards for contempt of court.
More testimony: he ran to go into the house, but the human being ran out before he could catch him, so he ran for Mr. Tate.
Mr. Ewell is so eager to go off the witness stand that he collides with Atticus. Not then fast. Atticus is just set up to question him.
Hm, information technology looks like Mr. Ewell didn't look to get cross-examined.
Did Ewell call a doctor? Nope. He'due south never chosen a doctor for any of his family, every bit it would price v dollars.
Atticus continues by asking Ewell near his daughter'due south injuries, and he confirms that the sheriff'due south description was right.
The next question is whether Ewell can read and write. Ewell answers yep, with a joke about signing his welfare checks that seems to go over well with the crowd.
Scout is getting nervous, since she doesn't encounter where Atticus is heading with these questions.
Atticus has Ewell write his proper name, and then states what that action demonstrated: Ewell is left-handed.
Scout notices that Jem is excited, and he whispers that they've got him now, only Sentinel doesn't get it information technology; Tom Robinson might be left-handed, besides, and from where she's sitting he certainly looks strong enough to accept beaten upwardly Mayella.