To Kill a Mockingbird is definitely many things: only to name a few, it is a touch upon racism, course, and the mafia mentality. With this brilliant story, there are a lot of well defined heroes whose goings on inside the fictional Maycomb County assistance to propel the story along. One of the interesting character types, in my opinion, can be Bob Ewell. At first, he appeared to me personally as the stereotypical antagonist. He is hurtful, rude, damaging, and an alcoholic. Also his explanation of being filthy and vicious fits perfectly with the villain idea. The antagonists in certain stories are most often slapped with each other, feel that they can be evil exclusively for the sake of being evil, and Joe Ewell appeared to be no exception. However , after the visitor who checks his characteristics with the help of contemporary psychology can realize that there might be more to him than is actually evident. When you look at his actions and character generally, you begin to realize that almost all of Bob Ewell’s traits could be symptoms of dependency on alcohol. What if to Kill a Mockingbird’s greatest villain can be described as comment on alcohol dependency? What if the downfall of Bob Ewell is but an example of the downfall of those unfortunate people coping with alcoholism?
It really is well established through the entire story that Bob Ewell is an alcoholic. An example of this is usually during the trial in chapter 18, the moment Atticus can be asking Mayella questions. When Atticus requests Mayella if she enjoys her dad, she says that he is tolerable. “‘Except once he’s drinking? ‘ asked Atticus thus gently that Mayella nodded” (Lee, 245). Mayella most probably didn’t disclose this information under your own accord because her father was sitting mere feet away at the time, yet she is established at ease to tell the truth by Atticus. Another sort of Mr Ewell being an intoxicating is earlier in the book, once Atticus is talking to Scout about the Ewells. Throughout this scene, he admits that “but when a man (Bob Ewell) usually spends his alleviation checks about green rum, his youngsters have just one way of crying via hunger pains” (Lee, 41). This is one more bit of proof that reveals us that Bob Ewell is a great alcoholic who rather your time finite amount of cash his relatives has on alcohol, instead of the food that his family will likely need to survive. Just a person who is addicted to alcohol would put getting rum ahead of getting food. According to the American Craving Center, this is a telltale sign associated with an addiction. Within their article around the signs of habit, they list “Spending excessive amounts of money on the substance” as one of the signs of an habit (American Dependency Centers, 1). Before long, liquor starts to entirely take over Ewell’s life. Phase 27 is usually where Ewell started the transition coming from a irritating, racist into a possible fantastic. An excerpt from page 332 of To Get rid of a Mockingbird points to just how this may possess started. In this scene, “Mr. Bob Ewell acquired and lost employment in a matter of days”(Lee, 332). Inside the same section, Scout feedback that “he was the only man that I had ever heard of who was fired from your WPA to get laziness” (Lee, 332). In line with the Illinois Company for Craving Recovery, one of many possible indications of addiction in the workplace is for the individual is “Withdrawn by responsibility. inch and they “experience a loss of interest. inches (IIAR, 1). While this is seen as “laziness”, really job performance is definitely described as “far below the anticipated level, inch (IIAR, 1) especially in the afterwards stages of alcoholism.
Another example of alcohol craving taking over Greg Ewell’s a lot more when Search is discussing Bob Ewell and she says that “Ruth Jones, the welfare girl, said Mister Ewell honestly accused Atticus of getting his job” (Lee, 332). This blame video game is almost the trademark of a late-stage alcoholic, relating to an document from The Recovery Village. On this page, it is stated that “When considering the blame game, alcoholics will be professionals. We can blame anyone and not ourselves in terms of the predicaments we find yourself in as well as the choices we all make. inch (The Restoration Village, 1). Finally, we come face to face with the climax of the tale, which is also the climax of Mr Ewell’s alcoholism. Through this scene, Joe Ewell attempts to kill Scout and Jem. We know that alcohol is the main influence behind Greg Ewell’s actions because of a number of moments in the chapter. Throughout the attack, Search accidentally touches Bob Ewell’s face, convinced that it is Jem’s, and records that “I smelled stale whiskey. inch (Lee, 352). This displays us that Bob Ewell has been having that night and it is presumably consumed.
We get further confirmation of Ewell being consumed when Scout and Jem arrive residence safely and start to unravel so what happened. When Mister Tate relates to the house and tells these people that Frank Ewell perished, he details him being a “Low-down skunk with enough liquor in him to create him courageous enough to kill twins. ” (Lee, 360). This kind of confirms that Ewell attempted to kill these people because of his alcoholism. This quote also shows all of us that dependency on alcohol can make a person go so far as killing children. He completely lost control of his inhibitions, as alcoholics do. He has gone further than he provides ever absent before. There ought to be no doubt in anybody’s head that Mister Bob Ewell is a loathsome character, but on the other hand we should feel sorry for him too. Not really because of his actions, which is why there is absolutely no reason. No, we ought to feel sorry for him because he is the sign of a very much bigger issue facing the world, the problem of alcoholism. His death, whilst an important one out of the novel, is perhaps crucial in the circumstance of alcohol addiction as it symbolizes the individuals who have died of alcoholic beverages addiction.
In experienced writing, including the writing of Harper Shelter, there are not any mistakes. Every characters in the novel are available for a purpose. Atticus will there be to portray the words of explanation in mayhem, Scout is there to represent the pureness of your child, and Bob Ewell is there to symbolize (on the top of racism this individual exhibits inside the book) alcohol dependency, an outbreak that continually this day. As Atticus says to Scout, “You never really understand a person till you consider items from his point of view right up until you ascend into his skin and walk around in it” (Lee, 39). Atticus is correct obviously. Until we certainly have seen Ewell’s struggle with alcoholism from his eyes, we all can’t really understand him, can we?
Works Cited
“Drug Addiction Signs. ” American Addiction Centers, americanaddictioncenters. org/adult-addiction-treatment-programs/signs/. “Why Perform Alcoholics Pin the consequence on Others? (Answered By An Alcoholic). inches The Recovery Village, www. therecoveryvillage. com/alcohol-abuse/faq/why-alcoholics-blame-others/#gref. “Our Objective: ” Figuring out Alcohol or perhaps Drug Abuse in the Workplace: IIARC, www. addictionrecov. org/proctorinfo. aspx? SubCategoryID=85. Lee, Harper. To Eliminate a Mockingbird. New York: Harper Perennial Contemporary Classics, 06\. Print.