To Kill a Mockingbird is many things: to name a few, it's a commentary on racism, class, and mob mentality. In this brilliant novel, there are many well-defined characters whose adventures in the fictional Maycomb County help move the story forward. One of the most interesting characters, in my opinion, is Bob Ewell. At first he appeared to me as the stereotypical antagonist. He is racist, rude, violent and an alcoholic. His description of being dirty and cruel also fits the idea of ​​the antagonist perfectly. The antagonists in some stories seem to be put together, feeling like they are evil just for the sake of being evil, and Bob Ewell seemed to be no exception. However, after the reader examines his characteristics with the help of modern psychology he will realize that there may be more to him than was originally evident. When you look at his actions and character in general, you begin to understand that almost all of Bob Ewell's traits could be symptoms of alcoholism. What if Kill a Mockingbird's biggest villain was a commentary on alcoholism? What if Bob Ewell's downfall was nothing more than an example of the downfall of many people living with alcoholism? Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get Original Essay It is well known throughout history that Bob Ewell is an alcoholic. An example of this is during the trial in chapter 18, when Atticus asks Mayella questions. When Atticus asks Mayella if she loves her father, she says it's tolerable. "'Except when he drinks?' Atticus asked so politely that Mayella nodded” (Lee, 245). Mayella supposedly did not reveal this information voluntarily because her father was sitting a few feet away at the time, but Atticus makes her comfortable telling the truth. Another example of Mr Ewell as an alcoholic is found early in the book when Atticus tells Scout about the Ewells. During this scene, she says “…but when a man (Bob Ewell) spends his relief checks on green whiskey, his children have a way of crying with hunger pangs” (Lee, 41). This is another piece of evidence that shows us that Bob Ewell is an alcoholic who would rather spend the limited amount of money his family has on alcohol, instead of the food his family will need to survive. Only a person addicted to alcohol would put whiskey before food. According to the American Addiction Center, this is a telltale sign of an addiction. In their article on signs of addiction, they list “Spending excessive amounts of money on the substance” as one of the signs of an addiction (American Addiction Centers, 1). Before long, alcohol begins to completely take over Ewell's life. Chapter 27 is where Ewell began the transition from rude and racist to possible murderer. An excerpt from page 332 of To Kill a Mockingbird indicates how this may have begun. In this scene, “Mr. Bob Ewell gained and lost a job in a matter of days” (Lee, 332). In the same section, Scout notes that “he was the only man I had ever heard of who was fired from the WPA for laziness” (Lee, 332). According to the Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery, one of the possible symptoms of addiction in the workplace is when an individual becomes “withdrawn from responsibilities.” and “experience a loss of interest.” (IIAR, 1). Although this may be seen as "laziness", in reality work performance is described as "far below the expected level" (IIAR, 1) especially in the later stages of alcoholism. Another example of alcohol addiction taking over Bob Ewell's life is when Scout is talking about Bob Ewell and says that "Ruth Jones, Mrs.,.