Even after Tom Robinson got killed in jail(although innocent), Bob Ewell felt no remorse and instead did some other things to show just how low he was. He even attempted to kill Scout and Jem in a drunken stupor. He felt no repentance at all.

He finally got killed.

RE:
Chapter 17 of To Kill a Mockingbird?
How is the character Bob Ewell in the book?

New Characters

Mr. Gilmer: the solicitor.

Robert E. Lee Ewell: the father of the victim of Tom’s alleged rape.

Summary

Chapter 17 is a record of the court proceedings as told from Scout’s point of view. The reader hears Mr. Tate tell about the day he was called to see Mayella. Mr. Ewell, the father of the victim allegedly raped by Tom, is also cross-examined. He testifies that he saw Tom raping Mayella.

Reverend Sykes wants to send Scout home when Ewell describes certain explicit parts of the alleged rape, but Jem assures him that she does not understand.

CHAPTER 17

Summary

Mr. Tate relates his story — on the night of November twenty first, Mr. Ewell had rushed into his office saying that his daughter has been raped by a ‘******’. On reaching their house, he had found the girl on the floor, badly beaten up. She had declared that the ‘******’ had been none other than Tom Robinson. Then Atticus questions Mr. Tate as to whether a doctor had been called, but the reply is in the negative.

Then the magnitude of her bruises are discussed. Her right eye had been bruised and marks around her neck could also be noticed. Bob Ewell is called next on the witness stand. Ewell claims that on returning home, he had caught Tom in the act of raping his daughter. Atticus questions him next about the bruises, then makes him sign on an envelope, noticing aloud that he is left-handed.

Notes

A description of the lifestyle of the Ewells is given, which gives one a fair idea of the utterly shabby and dilapidated life they lead. Ewell comes across as an audacious person, with no respect for others and a mean manner of speech. Jem realizes that the reason Atticus had paraded Ewell’s left-handedness, is to verify that he could have beaten his daughter, as her bruises are mostly on the right side of her face.

When the talk of rape and sexual intercourse arises, the Reverend deems it better that the children leave, especially Scout, but Jem placates him; the children had no plans of leaving the courtroom however, they miss out on watching their father defend the case.

http://www.pinkmonkey.com/booknotes/monkeynotes/pmToKill24.asp

Student Study Guides:

These links will give you a summary of the book, character analysis, plot and much more, so that you will be able to answer literary questions. A short extract is included as an example of what you can expect from the summary.

http://www.pinkmonkey.com/booknotes/monkeynotes/pmToKill02.asp

http://www.gradesaver.com/classicnotes/titles/killmockingbird/

http://www.cliffsnotes.com/WileyCDA/LitNote/id-143.html

http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/mocking/

http://www.pinkmonkey.com/booknotes/barrons/mocking.asp

http://www.novelguide.com/tokillamockingbird/