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What happens in Chapters 16 & 17 of To Kill a Mockingbird?
In Chapter 16, people from all over the county make an appearance at the trial, except for Miss Maudie who does not approve of watching. Jem, Scout, and Dill sneak into the courtroom and find seats in the balcony where Black people are required to sit. In Chapter 17, Bob Ewell gives his testimony, telling the court how he found Tom Robinson raping his daughter Mayella, and Atticus asks why no doctor was called. Atticus has him write his name, pointing out that Bob is left-handed and that a left-handed man would be more likely to leave bruises on the right Ewell of a girl’s face.
Read our Summary & Analysis of Chapters 16 & 17 of To Kill a Mockingbird. (3-minute read)
What key characters are developed in Chapters 16 & 17 of To Kill a Mockingbird?
- Judge Taylor: He presides over the Tom Robinson trial, taking great care to ensure order in his courtroom.
- Bob Ewell: An ignorant, hate-filled man and the patriarch of the Ewell family, Bob Ewell is the antithesis of Atticus and a constant source of trouble in Maycomb.
Read our Character List descriptions for To Kill a Mockingbird. (4-minute read)
What genre is To Kill a Mockingbird?
As the trial begins, the genre of To Kill a Mockingbird shifts to that of a courtroom drama.
Read more about the novel as a courtroom drama.
What key themes from To Kill a Mockingbird are explored in Chapters 16 & 17?
Themes that have already been explored, such as Racial Prejudice and The Coexistence of Good and Evil, continue to be developed over the course of the trial. With Bob Ewell’s testimony, these chapters also introduce The Power of Deception.
Read more about the novel’s key Themes. (4-minute read)
Is the trial based on a true story?
It’s likely To Kill a Mockingbird is based on several historical trials involving Black defendants accused of violent crimes despite weak evidence and found guilty by all-white juries. The most notable is the Scottsboro Boys trial, a famous case from 1931.
What famous quote from To Kill a Mockingbird appears in Chapter 17?
In the following quote from Chapter 17, Scout observes that the only “standing” Bob Ewell has in their society is the fact that he is white. This says as much about Ewell’s character as it does about the people of Maycomb; though he is a detestable person, Bob Ewell is still considered superior to his Black neighbors, and as a result Maycomb’s racist white citizens will always accept his word over Tom’s.
All the little man on the witness stand had that made him any better than his nearest neighbors was, that if scrubbed with lye soap in very hot water, his skin was white.
Read the complete quote and a full analysis of it in Quotes by Character: Bob Ewell. (1-minute read)
