Atticus Finch and Robert E. Lee Ewell are two characters in Harper Lee's masterwork, "To Kill a Mockingbird." These characters share a lot in common whereby they live in the same town in southern Alabama, they both suffer effects from the depression leaving them both fortuneless, and both gentlemen are single parents raising kids by themselves. In addition both men took part in a legal battle involving another character named Tom Robinson in which they played opposing roles. I will go into more detail about the court case because they were both in the same room and it gives a firsthand insight into how drastically the characters are contrasted. During the scene in the courtroom involving Tom Robinson, both characters played large roles by which both parties were under a great deal of pressure. Atticus, during the case seemed calm and professional in his way of doing things. Mr. Ewell on the other hand was not taking the case seriously at all. He was making it a laughing matter right up until Atticus started hinting that it possibly could have been Bob himself that beat Mayella, not Tom Robinson due to him using his left hand to write and Mayella being wounded on her right eye. This would mean that he is potentially a terrible father. Atticus would never harm any of his children. Atticus's children have a good upbringing, whereas Ewell's children don't show any respect unlike Atticus's. Furthermore the man doesn't seem to have any class unlike Atticus. For example his literacy seems to be below average, not to mention his filthiness. The book even describes his children and himself as living in filthy surroundings as well as having genetic defects and various worms. The book also describes how nobody really know for certain how many children Bob Ewell actually has. Mr. Ewell just seems to be a rebel living against the law, even letting his kids skip school, while Atticus lives by the law, works for the law, and is a law abiding citizen