Essay for That Book

Liam Broderick Ms. Rosenka
Embedded assessment What would you do if someone spit on you, cursed at you, and threatened to kill you? In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, in Chapter 22, Atticus Finch is faced with this decision. As he was leaving the post office, Bob Ewell approached him. Angry and upset that Atticus had publicly humiliated him, Mr. Ewell proceeded to spit on, curse at, and threaten to kill Atticus. Without batting an eyelash, Atticus pulled out his handkerchief and did not retaliate. When Ewell asked if Atticus was too proud to fight, Atticus responded by saying, “No, too old.” Miss. Stephanie Crawford tells this to Jem and Scout who initially seem indifferent. They don't believe that Atticus was brave by walking away from Bob Ewell, and they even start to get worried for him. Jem and Scout start to take little interest in everyday activities and they stop eating. Realizing how deeply frightened his children were, Atticus confronts Jem about, and in doing so, allows Jem to understand Bob Ewell's reasoning behind what he had done. It also allows Jem to see how Atticus really was brave by walking away from the situation. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses the literary elements of characterization and conflict to establish the theme, Bravery is not always shown by physical strength. One element that is used frequently throughout this passage is characterization. Characterization is the portrayal of a character. One example of characterization in this passage is when Miss. Stephanie said, “Atticus didn't bat and eye, just took out his handkerchief and wiped his face and stood there and let Mr. Ewell call him names wild horses could not bring her to repeat.” This quote helps to characterize Atticus as being brave, even though he did not fight back. By holding in his anger , it shows that he was mentally strong and had the fortitude to refrain from using violence when faced with an abusive man like Mr. Ewell. Another example of characterization used by Harper Lee in this passage is when Atticus says, “Jem, see if you can stand in Bob Ewell's shoes a minute. I destroyed his last shred of credibility that trial, if he had any to begin with. The man had to have some kind of comeback, his kind always does. So if spitting in my face and threatening me saved Mayella Ewell one extra beating, that's something I'll gladly take.” This also characterizes Atticus as being brave and accepting. In this quote, he is explaining to Jem how Bob Ewell had lost all respect from the town of Maycomb because he had proved Mr. Ewell wrong in every aspect of the case. The only logical response in Bob's mind was to threaten Atticus. This also shows how Atticus was willing to sacrifice his dignity in order to save Mayella from one extra beating at home. Again, this quote characterizes Atticus as being brave even though he does not fight back to Bob Ewell. This is not the only literary element used in the passage from Chapter 22 of To Kill a Mockingbird . Another literary element that is used in this passage is conflict. Conflict is used for expressing a resistance the protagonist of the story finds in achieving his or her goals. One example of conflict in this passage is when Bob Ewell says in a nasty voice to Atticus, “Too proud to fight, you nigger-lovin' bastard?” and Atticus simply replies, “No, too old.” This quote represents the main conflict of this passage. It shows how Atticus is being brave by not fighting back. He wouldn't dare stoop to Mr. Ewell's level because he would find no satisfaction in that. By refusing to fight back, Atticus shows that he has morals and he does not need to resort to physical violence in order to solve a conflict, such as the one at hand. Another example of conflict used by Harper Lee is when Scout says, “But when he noticed us dragging around the neighborhood, not eating, taking little interest in our normal pursuits, Atticus discovered how deeply frightened we were. He tempted Jem with a new football magazine one night; when he saw Jem flip the pages and toss it aside he said, “What's bothering you, son?” The conflict of this quote is that Jem and Scout stop taking part in their everyday activities because they are worried for Atticus. Jem and Scout think that since he didn't react violently to Bob Ewell, that he will not be able to stand up for himself in their next encounter. This conflict reveals Atticus's bravery because he didn't react violently for a reason. Atticus was willing to let himself be publicly humiliated by Mr. Ewell, just to prevent him from abusing Mayella home. This quote shows just how brave Atticus is and that bravery is not always shown by physical strength. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses the literary elements of characterization and conflict to establish the theme, Bravery is not always shown in physical strength. In Chapter 22, Atticus Finch was faced with the decision of fighting back or walking away from Bob Ewell, after being spat on, cursed at, and threatened. Atticus chooses to walk away because he believed it was the right thing to do. In doing so, he saves Mayella Ewell from being abused at home and it also allows Bob Ewell to get out all of his anger after being publicly humiliated in the courtroom. The literary elements of characterization and conflict help to reveal Atticus's true morals and his thought process behind his decision to take the threats from Bob Ewell and walk away. His decision epitomizes who he is as a person, and shows that bravery is not always shown by physical strength.