2.
Mr. Bob Ewell is a member of Maycomb County’s poorest family, the Ewells. He is a drunken and ignorant man. Bob Ewell swears revenge against Atticus after Atticus decides to defend Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping Bob Ewell’s daughter, Mayella. Bob Ewell is annoyed at the fact that Atticus would defend a black man even though he knows that the man is innocent. Bob Ewell tells his plans of revenge to Atticus the morning after the trial.
Everyone in Maycomb seems to be weary of Bob’s threats except for Atticus. He assures his family that Bob Ewell will not harm anyone but he is wrong. Bob Ewell has been planning and plotting to make his words come true and eventually they do.
On there way home from the school play, Bob Ewell who is armed with a knife attacks Jem and Scout. Arthur “Boo” Radley rescues Jem and Scoit from their assailant and in his courageous act kills Bob Ewell. Scout survives the attack with little damage done to her and Jem escapes with a broken arm.
3.
Mrs. Dubose
Mrs. Dubose is an elderly morphine-addict. Due to pains she experiences doctors prescribe for her, morphine pills. She lives near to the Finches with a black girl who cooks and cleans for her. She is an ill-tempered, cantankerous, spiteful and nasty woman. She constantly teases Jem and Scout when their father takes on Tom Robinson’s case. Mrs. Dubose made remarks in reference to Atticus such as “nigger-lover”. These types of remarks that she made show that she is prejudice and racist against blacks also. Although having so many bad qualities, Mrs. Dubose has few that are good. She is strong-willed and courageous. Those two qualities give her the power to resist the temptation and to die morphine-free.
Aunt Alexandra
Aunt Alexandra is the sister of Atticus and the aunt of Jem and Scout. She seems to be the total opposite of Atticus. She moves from Finches Landing to Atticus’ home to bring what she calls a feminine influence into Jem and Scout’s life. The children do not like their aunt though. As are most people of Maycomb County, Aunt Alexandra is very prejudice, especially against blacks and poor folk. She does not like the idea that the children are left around Calpurnia, a black woman. Aunt Alexandra also is snobbish. She holds the Finch name in high regards and wants Jem and Scout to behave with more class than others. She insists in Scout behaving more ladylike. For this reason, Scout does not like her. Aunt Alexandra seems to be a cold, and cruel woman but underneath she has a kind and loving heart and she means well. She shows theses qualities on the night that Jem and Scout are attacked by Bob Ewell. She hugs them and gives words of comfort.
Calpurnia
Calpurnia is a black woman who works for the Finches. She is liked a lot by Atticus and his children. She is a sensible, hardworking, loving and caring woman. She offers motherly advice to Jem and Scout all the time. She is hard on Scout especially but it pays off as Scout learns life lessons from it. Calpurnia is one of the few educated black people living in Maycomb County. She can read and write well. She speaks properly around the Finches and her dialect around her congregation. She does her job properly and so Atticus finds no fault in her work. The Finches love Calpurnia so much that when Aunt Alexandra goes against her, Atticus defends her.
4.
Courage is one of the themes of the novel “To Kill A Mockingbird”. Different people displayed the quality in many instances throughout the story. Courage was shown when Scout ran into the lynch mob to defend Atticus. It was also shown when Atticus defended Tom Robinson although knowing the racial prejudices of the Maycomb people. The main exhibition of courage in the story though is Mrs. Dubose’s fight to end her life independent of Morphine pills.
Mrs. Dubose is an old lady that lives with a black girl who cooks and cleans for her. Mrs. Dubose ironically though hates niggers (black people). She is a morphine-addict. Doctors prescribed the morphine for her as a painkiller. When she learns that she will, soon die she makes a wish to die Morphine-free. Atticus hears of this and he decides to make Jem help her by reading to her everyday. He does not have to do this though because when Jem cuts off the heads of Mrs. Dubose’s flowers, she gives the job to him as punishment anyway. Atticus goes along with Mrs. Dubose’s punishment because he thinks that by Jem being around Mrs. Dubose and seeing her struggle to die morphine-free he would learn a life long lesson. Jem carries out his punishment by reading to Mrs. Dubose weekday for 2 hours. He watches her bare all the pain and watches her finally get over her morphine addiction. When Jem finished he learns why Atticus wanted him to carry out his punishment. Atticus tells him, “ I wanted you to see what real courage is instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand.”