Question

Describe the confrontation between Atticus and Mr. Ewell. How serious do you think Mr. Ewell is? How did Atticus respond

Answer 1

Answer:

Describe the confrontation between Atticus and Mr. Ewell.

As Miss Stephanie Crawford described (chapter 23), Bob Ewell publicly confronted Atticus at the post office by threatening his life, cursing at him, and even spitting in his face. This did not upset Atticus, whose only reaction was cleaning his glasses. Irritated by his calmness, Mr. Ewell asked Atticus if he was too proud to fight, while Atticus replied: "No, too old" and left.  

How serious do you think Mr. Ewell is?

At this point of the novel, it is hard to tell whether Mr. Ewell's threats are serious. Atticus seems not to be intimidated by them. As he tells Jem, he believes this is Ewell's natural reaction to the trial, and that he cannot be blamed for that. At the end of the novel, however, Bob Ewell will attack Jem and Scout, and prove that he is a dangerous man indeed.

How did Atticus respond to him?

Atticus remained calm. He walked away and did not want to get further involved in the argument. He decided to rise above the situation. He was, of course, aware that Ewell's reaction was not right, but as he later confessed to his children, if the act of spitting in his face prevented Mayella Ewell (Mr. Ewell's daughter) from getting beaten up by her father, it was all worth it.

Do you think Atticus made the right choice in the way he responded?

We could say that he probably did. Bob Ewell insulted him, but he showed genuine compassion even in such circumstances. Atticus later explained to his children that one should not just judge other people, but instead try to see the world through their perspective. By understanding Mr. Ewell's devastation at that moment, he proved to be a good man, and certainly a loving father.