Social Worker's Report of the Ewell's by Elise Lombardi & Kate Griffin

Robert E. Lee Ewell is the father or the “man” of the Ewell household, a middle aged man that’s “family has been a disgrace to Maycomb County for three Generations”(pg. 33), as Atticus Finch said. Mr. Ewell and his eight children, Mayella Ewell is the oldest by the age of 19. According to our witness, he has never touched a hair of her head in her life. She loves her father. He is good and fair towards his daughter so she says. The relief checks are far from enough to feed the family though. Family members have said that while they starve, their father is out buying whiskey. Mayella Ewell, commented that when Mr. Ewell drinks he isn’t tolerable. This of course is an issue seeing as Mr. Ewell drinks a lot, which could lead to abuse. According to Atticus, the Ewells live like animals and haven’t done an honest day’s work ever. Burris Ewell, Mayella’s brother, has stated that the Ewell children only go to the first day of school, nothing more than that as they have no interest in education. The Ewell family uses a lot of “slang” language, such as “that’n yonder” and “just ‘fore sundown”. Atticus has said that the Ewells are poor and their living environment is proof that that is true. Their small cabin is located behind a garbage dump, with shingles that have  tin cans hammered flat upon it. “It has four tiny rooms opening onto a shotgun hall and the cabin rested uneasily upon four irregular lumps of limestone. Its windows were merely open spaces in the walls...” (pg. 194). The common folk give the Ewells special privileges under circumstances, that’s why Mr. Ewell is aloud to hunt out of season. These specials privileges are given to the Ewells by the common folk out of mercy for the children. They already have no care or food from their father, and they are difficult to deal with, so the common folk let the privileges continue to repeat themselves. The Ewell children don’t receive correct care and love from their father. When he’s out drinking, they are forced to work. Though the Ewell children are known to have no work ethic and not have the best behavior. These children have been through a lot with their mother dying, and their father does nothing for them. They don’t have a normal life seeing as in Mayella’s testimony she looked confused when Atticus asked if she had friends, “friends?....You makin’ fun of me?” On the other hand, Mr. Ewell comes off as very aggressive, and seems scary and loud with the children. It’s our recommendation and belief that there should be a case worker assigned and the children be removed from the home.

Citation: Mr Ewell Image - http://villains.wikia.com/wiki/Bob_Ewell
Mayella Ewell Image - http://yandere-simulator.wikia.com/wiki/File:Collin_Wilcox_To_Kill_a_Mockingbird_(1962).jpg
LEE, HARPER. TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. HARPERCOLLINS, 1960.