Question
Excerpt from Chapter 27 of 'To Kill a Mockingbird' by Harper Lee
The third thing happened to Helen Robinson, Tom’s widow. If Mr. Ewell was as forgotten as Tom Robinson, Tom Robinson was as forgotten as Boo Radley. But Tom was not forgotten by his employer, Mr. Link Deas. Mr. Link Deas made a job for Helen. He didn’t really need her, but he said he felt right bad about the way things turned out. I never knew who took care of her children while Helen was away. Calpurnia said it was hard on Helen, because she had to walk nearly a mile out of her way to avoid the Ewells, who, according to Helen, “chunked at her” the first time she tried to use the public road. Mr. Link Deas eventually received the impression that Helen was coming to work each morning from the wrong direction, and dragged the reason out of her. “Just let it be, Mr. Link, please suh,” Helen begged. “The hell I will,” said Mr. Link. He told her to come by his store that afternoon before she left. She did, and Mr. Link closed his store, put his hat firmly on his head, and walked Helen home. He walked her the short way, by the Ewells‘. On his way back, Mr. Link stopped at the crazy gate.
“Ewell?” he called. “I say Ewell!”
The windows, normally packed with children, were empty. “I know every last one of you’s in there a-layin‘ on the floor! Now hear me, Bob Ewell: if I hear one more peep outa my girl Helen about not bein’ able to walk this road I’ll have you in jail before sundown!” Mr. Link spat in the dust and walked home.
Helen went to work next morning and used the public road. Nobody chunked at her, but when she was a few yards beyond the Ewell house, she looked around and saw Mr. Ewell walking behind her. She turned and walked on, and Mr. Ewell kept the same distance behind her until she reached Mr. Link Deas’s house. All the way to the house, Helen said, she heard a soft voice behind her, crooning foul words. Thoroughly frightened, she telephoned Mr. Link at his store, which was not too far from his house. As Mr. Link came out of his store he saw Mr. Ewell leaning on the fence. Mr. Ewell said, “Don’t you look at me, Link Deas, like I was dirt. I ain’t jumped your—”
“First thing you can do, Ewell, is get your stinkin‘ carcass off my property. You’re leanin’ on it an‘ I can’t afford fresh paint for it. Second thing you can do is stay away from my cook or I’ll have you up for assault—”
“I ain’t touched her, Link Deas, and ain’t about to go with no n*****!”
“You don’t have to touch her, all you have to do is make her afraid, an‘ if assault ain’t enough to keep you locked up awhile, I’ll get you in on the Ladies’ Law, so get outa my sight! If you don’t think I mean it, just bother that girl again!”
Mr. Ewell evidently thought he meant it, for Helen reported no further trouble.
“I don’t like it, Atticus, I don’t like it at all,” was Aunt Alexandra’s assessment of these events. “That man seems to have a permanent running grudge against everybody connected with that case. I know how that kind are about paying off grudges, but I don’t understand why he should harbor one—he had his way in court, didn’t he?”
“I think I understand,” said Atticus. “It might be because he knows in his heart that very few people in Maycomb really believed his and Mayella’s yarns. He thought he’d be a hero, but all he got for his pain was… was, okay, we’ll convict this Negro but get back to your dump."
What do Bob Ewell and Link Deas’s actions in this scene reveal about their characters?
Responses
Bob Ewell lashes out at Helen because he feels ashamed and powerless, while Link Deas uses his influence to protect her — showing that people choose how to use the power they have, either to hurt or to help.
Bob Ewell lashes out at Helen because he feels ashamed and powerless, while Link Deas uses his influence to protect her — showing that people choose how to use the power they have, either to hurt or to help.
Bob Ewell believes Helen is deliberately trying to make him look bad, and Link Deas goes too far by threatening legal action before fully understanding what actually happened.
Bob Ewell believes Helen is deliberately trying to make him look bad, and Link Deas goes too far by threatening legal action before fully understanding what actually happened. EndFragment
Bob Ewell is frustrated that Helen walks near his property and acts out to defend his space, while Link Deas speaks up mostly to keep his public image strong and avoid being seen as someone who allows trouble.
Bob Ewell is frustrated that Helen walks near his property and acts out to defend his space, while Link Deas speaks up mostly to keep his public image strong and avoid being seen as someone who allows trouble.
Bob Ewell and Link Deas both respond emotionally to the situation — one with anger, the other with sympathy — but neither one truly thinks about how Helen feels or what she’s going through.
The third thing happened to Helen Robinson, Tom’s widow. If Mr. Ewell was as forgotten as Tom Robinson, Tom Robinson was as forgotten as Boo Radley. But Tom was not forgotten by his employer, Mr. Link Deas. Mr. Link Deas made a job for Helen. He didn’t really need her, but he said he felt right bad about the way things turned out. I never knew who took care of her children while Helen was away. Calpurnia said it was hard on Helen, because she had to walk nearly a mile out of her way to avoid the Ewells, who, according to Helen, “chunked at her” the first time she tried to use the public road. Mr. Link Deas eventually received the impression that Helen was coming to work each morning from the wrong direction, and dragged the reason out of her. “Just let it be, Mr. Link, please suh,” Helen begged. “The hell I will,” said Mr. Link. He told her to come by his store that afternoon before she left. She did, and Mr. Link closed his store, put his hat firmly on his head, and walked Helen home. He walked her the short way, by the Ewells‘. On his way back, Mr. Link stopped at the crazy gate.
“Ewell?” he called. “I say Ewell!”
The windows, normally packed with children, were empty. “I know every last one of you’s in there a-layin‘ on the floor! Now hear me, Bob Ewell: if I hear one more peep outa my girl Helen about not bein’ able to walk this road I’ll have you in jail before sundown!” Mr. Link spat in the dust and walked home.
Helen went to work next morning and used the public road. Nobody chunked at her, but when she was a few yards beyond the Ewell house, she looked around and saw Mr. Ewell walking behind her. She turned and walked on, and Mr. Ewell kept the same distance behind her until she reached Mr. Link Deas’s house. All the way to the house, Helen said, she heard a soft voice behind her, crooning foul words. Thoroughly frightened, she telephoned Mr. Link at his store, which was not too far from his house. As Mr. Link came out of his store he saw Mr. Ewell leaning on the fence. Mr. Ewell said, “Don’t you look at me, Link Deas, like I was dirt. I ain’t jumped your—”
“First thing you can do, Ewell, is get your stinkin‘ carcass off my property. You’re leanin’ on it an‘ I can’t afford fresh paint for it. Second thing you can do is stay away from my cook or I’ll have you up for assault—”
“I ain’t touched her, Link Deas, and ain’t about to go with no n*****!”
“You don’t have to touch her, all you have to do is make her afraid, an‘ if assault ain’t enough to keep you locked up awhile, I’ll get you in on the Ladies’ Law, so get outa my sight! If you don’t think I mean it, just bother that girl again!”
Mr. Ewell evidently thought he meant it, for Helen reported no further trouble.
“I don’t like it, Atticus, I don’t like it at all,” was Aunt Alexandra’s assessment of these events. “That man seems to have a permanent running grudge against everybody connected with that case. I know how that kind are about paying off grudges, but I don’t understand why he should harbor one—he had his way in court, didn’t he?”
“I think I understand,” said Atticus. “It might be because he knows in his heart that very few people in Maycomb really believed his and Mayella’s yarns. He thought he’d be a hero, but all he got for his pain was… was, okay, we’ll convict this Negro but get back to your dump."
What do Bob Ewell and Link Deas’s actions in this scene reveal about their characters?
Responses
Bob Ewell lashes out at Helen because he feels ashamed and powerless, while Link Deas uses his influence to protect her — showing that people choose how to use the power they have, either to hurt or to help.
Bob Ewell lashes out at Helen because he feels ashamed and powerless, while Link Deas uses his influence to protect her — showing that people choose how to use the power they have, either to hurt or to help.
Bob Ewell believes Helen is deliberately trying to make him look bad, and Link Deas goes too far by threatening legal action before fully understanding what actually happened.
Bob Ewell believes Helen is deliberately trying to make him look bad, and Link Deas goes too far by threatening legal action before fully understanding what actually happened. EndFragment
Bob Ewell is frustrated that Helen walks near his property and acts out to defend his space, while Link Deas speaks up mostly to keep his public image strong and avoid being seen as someone who allows trouble.
Bob Ewell is frustrated that Helen walks near his property and acts out to defend his space, while Link Deas speaks up mostly to keep his public image strong and avoid being seen as someone who allows trouble.
Bob Ewell and Link Deas both respond emotionally to the situation — one with anger, the other with sympathy — but neither one truly thinks about how Helen feels or what she’s going through.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The contrasting actions of Bob Ewell and Link Deas in this scene vividly illustrate their character traits and responses to power dynamics in Maycomb.
Bob Ewell’s actions reveal a deeply ingrained sense of shame and powerlessness. Despite having "won" in court, he continues to harbor resentment and anger toward those he perceives as a threat to his fragile sense of superiority. His choice to harass Helen Robinson—an innocent widow—reflects his desire to assert dominance through intimidation. This suggests that, rather than dealing with his own feelings of inadequacy, Ewell projects his frustrations onto others who are vulnerable, showcasing a cowardly nature masked by bravado.
In stark contrast, Link Deas exemplifies a moral and protective character who chooses to use his influence for good. By standing up to Ewell and advocating for Helen’s safety, he demonstrates empathy and a sense of justice. Deas’s willingness to confront Ewell and address the harassment illustrates a responsible use of power. Unlike Ewell, who seeks to harm and exert control, Deas chooses to empower and defend those who are marginalized.
Ultimately, their behaviors highlight a critical theme in the novel: the idea that individuals wield their power in different ways. Ewell’s actions stem from a desire to reassert his perceived manhood and control, even at the expense of others, while Deas’s actions are rooted in a genuine commitment to doing what is right, displaying the capacity for compassion in a prejudiced society. Through these contrasting characters, Harper Lee underscores the choices people make in the face of adversity and the moral implications of those choices.
Bob Ewell’s actions reveal a deeply ingrained sense of shame and powerlessness. Despite having "won" in court, he continues to harbor resentment and anger toward those he perceives as a threat to his fragile sense of superiority. His choice to harass Helen Robinson—an innocent widow—reflects his desire to assert dominance through intimidation. This suggests that, rather than dealing with his own feelings of inadequacy, Ewell projects his frustrations onto others who are vulnerable, showcasing a cowardly nature masked by bravado.
In stark contrast, Link Deas exemplifies a moral and protective character who chooses to use his influence for good. By standing up to Ewell and advocating for Helen’s safety, he demonstrates empathy and a sense of justice. Deas’s willingness to confront Ewell and address the harassment illustrates a responsible use of power. Unlike Ewell, who seeks to harm and exert control, Deas chooses to empower and defend those who are marginalized.
Ultimately, their behaviors highlight a critical theme in the novel: the idea that individuals wield their power in different ways. Ewell’s actions stem from a desire to reassert his perceived manhood and control, even at the expense of others, while Deas’s actions are rooted in a genuine commitment to doing what is right, displaying the capacity for compassion in a prejudiced society. Through these contrasting characters, Harper Lee underscores the choices people make in the face of adversity and the moral implications of those choices.