in Chapter 17 of To Kill a Mockingbird the trial begins with testimony from sheriff Tate Tate says Bob Ewell came to his office saying his daughter had been beaten and raped together they drove back to the ules place where they found a beaten Mayella on the field she identified her attacker as Tom Robinson during the cross-examination Atticus points out no doctor was called and it was the right side of the girl's face that had been beaten this indicates that her attacker is left-handed when Bob Ewell takes the stand scout and gives some backstory on the ules scout explains that every town has a Bob Ewell extremely poor and bitter as hell about it Bob mules time on the stand shows him to be a bitter nasty man although his story supports sheriff Tate's testimony Atticus is able to poke holes in it before you'll leaves the witness stand Atticus shows him to be left-handed suggesting he could have been male as attacker after the first set of witnesses is testified Jim is excited about the direction the trial is going Scout however doesn't share gems confidence the trial scene is narrated in real-time this builds tension for the reader since we see it unfold at the same time as Jem and Scout do thanks to Atticus is courtroom skills the gaping holes in Bob Ewell's story are already apparent but it's also apparent the case will come down to race the courtroom scenes show Bob Ewell to be a formidable opponent for Atticus and what makes Bob Ewell so easy to dislike is that he's the opposite of what the finches represent the saddest part about Bob Ewell is that he infects everyone around him with bitterness particularly his children Burris Ewell his son who saw chapter 3 is the next generations Bob Ewell you [Music]