Ukuthwala Custom free essay sample

It is suggested that instead of a prohibitionist stance towards customs that seem to violate human rights norms, a benign accommodation of aspects that promote the positive aspects of culture be adopted. This approach leads to a conclusion that South African law should recognise those forms of ukuthwala where the requirement of consent of the ‘bride’ is met. The implications of the prohibition on social and cultural practices detrimental to child well-being in the Children’s Act are framed in this context. . Introduction The practice of ukuthwala in South Africa has recently received negative publicity, with numerous complaints being recorded. In the first and second quarter of 2009, the media reported that ‘more than 20 Eastern Cape girls are forced to drop out of school every month to follow the traditional custom of ukuthwala (forced marriage)’. [1] Girls as young as 12 years are forced to marry older men, in some cases with the consent of their pa rents or guardians. We will write a custom essay sample on Ukuthwala Custom or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Commenting on the matter, Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa (Contralesa) chairman, Chief Mwelo Nokonyana, said ukuthwala was ‘an old custom that was now being wrongly practiced in several parts of the eastern Transkei. ’[2] Dr Nokuzola Mdende of the Camagwini Institute also stated ‘that abducting a girl of 12 or 13 is not the cultural practice we know. This is not ukuthwala, this is child abuse. At 12, the child is not ready to be a wife. [3] At the SA Law Reform Commission ‘Roundtable Discussion on the practice of Ukuthwala’,[4] which was held as part of its preliminary investigation to determine whether the proposal should be included in the Commission’s law reform programme and in an effort to gather information on the subject, it was observed that ukuthwala, like many other customary institutions, has changed radically. The practice has now taken on other dimensions, including young girls forcibly being married to older men, relatives of the girl kidnapping and taking the girls themselves as wives, and abductions not being reported to the Traditional Authorities. 5] These changed practices around ukuthwala potentially increase the vulnerability of children’s’ rights violations. The main aim of this article is to evaluate the implications of the Children’s Act 38 of 2005 for ukuthwala. Insofar as the recent media comments are pertinent to some of the conclusions reached in this article, a preliminary discussion of ukuthwala in its differing dimensions is important. For that reason in the second part of this article we trace the history of ukuthwala, and the traditional reasons for, and the different forms of, ukuthwala. We further discuss the procedure of ukuthwala and the legal position of the practice under customary law. In the third part, we will contextualize the debate of ukuthwala within the constitutional and international rights to culture and equality paradigms. In the fourth part, we proceed by looking at the framework for the consideration of culture and custom in the Children’s Act before discussing the implications of the Children’s Act for ukuthwala. The last part contains some conclusions. 2. Ukuthwala 2. 1 What is ukuthwala? In South Africa, the custom originated from the Xhosas. [6] However, although the custom is predominantly practiced among Xhosa speaking tribes,[7] the practice has expanded into different ethnic groups. For example, the Mpondo clan has adopted ukuthwala from Xhosa clans such as the Mfengus. [8] Young Sotho men, through contact with other tribes, have also adopted the practice which was otherwise foreign amongst them. [9] Ukuthwala in South Africa enjoys popular support in the areas where it is still practiced. 10] According to a newspaper report, one Chief (a woman) in the region where ukuthwala is practiced said that the young girls who escape from the houses where they are detained whilst awaiting marriage were ‘embarrassing our village’. [11] The word ukuthwala means ‘to carry’. [12] It is a culturally legitimated abduction of a woman whereby, preliminary to a customary marriage,[13] a young man will forcibly take a girl to his home. [14] Some authors ha ve described ukuthwala as the act of ‘stealing the bride’. [15] Ukuthwala has also been described as a mock abduction or irregular proposal[16] aimed at achieving a customary marriage. 17] From these definitions, we see that ukuthwala is in itself not a customary marriage or an engagement. The main aim of ukuthwala is to force the girl’s family to enter into negotiations for the conclusion of a customary marriage. [18] (Underlining supplied). The procedure for ukuthwala is as follows: The intending bridegroom, with the help of the one or two friends, will waylay the intended bride in the neighbourhood of her own home, quite often late in the day. [19] They will then ‘forcibly’ take her to the young man’s home. Sometimes the girl is caught unawares, but in many instances she is caught according to prior plan and agreement. In either case, the girl will put up a show of resistance to suggest to onlookers that it is against her will, when in fact, it is seldom so. As Bekker explains: ‘The girl, to appear unwilling and to preserve her maidenly dignity, will usually put up strenuous but pretended resistance, for, more often than not, she is a willing party’. [20] Once the girl has been taken to the man’s village, her guardian or his messenger will then follow up on the same day or the next day and possibly take her back if one or more cattle are not handed to him as an earnest promise for a future marriage. 21] Consequently, if the guardian does not follow her up to take her back, tacit consent to the marriage at customary law can be assumed. After the girl has been carried to the man’s family hearth, negotiations for lobolo between the families of the bride and the groom would then follow. If the families cannot reach an agreement, the girl will return to her parental home, whil e the man’s family will be liable for damages. [22] As noted, the main aim of ukuthwala is to force the girl’s family to enter into negotiations for the conclusion of a customary marriage. It follows, therefore, that if a man abducts a girl but fails to offer marriage, or if he does offer marriage but is deemed by the girl’s guardian to be unacceptable as a suitor, a fine of one beast is payable to the girl’s guardian,[23] who, with his daughter, is said to have been insulted by the thwala without a consequent offer of a marriage, or having been thwala’d by undesirable suitor. [24] It is important to note that during the process of ukuthwala, it is contrary to custom to seduce a girl. 25] By custom, the suitor, after forcibly taking the girl to his home village, is required to report the thwala to his family head. The family head thereupon gives the girl into the care of the women of his family home, and sends a report to the girl’s guardian. A man who seduces a thwala’d girl is required to pay a seduction beast in addition to the number of lobolo cattle agreed upon and in addition to the thwala beast where no marriage has been propos ed. 26] Other safeguards that were put in place for the protection of the thwala and the girl involved were that the parents of the girl were immediately notified after the thwala had occurred; if the thwala had not worked, a beast was supposed to be paid; and finally if a girl fell pregnant consequent upon her seduction, then further additional penalties were also supposed to be paid. [27] Numerous reasons exist for the practice of ukuthwala, some of which are arguably cogent and weighty. They include: to force the father of the girl to give his consent;[28] to avoid the expense of the wedding; to hasten matters if the woman is pregnant; to persuade the woman of the seriousness of the suitor’s intent; and to avoid the need to pay an immediate lobolo where the suitor and his or her family were unable to afford the bridewealth. From these reasons, it is apparent that ukuthwala can serve important cultural purposes in those South African communities which live their lives according to cultural norms. However, these reasons are also uggestive of the fact that the girl or the unmarried woman involved is, in some cases, thwala’d without her consent. This provides the link to forced marriage, which then calls into play constitutional and human rights standards. In addition, insofar as the girl who is thwala’d may be aged below 18, issues related to child marriage and early marriage arise which in turn calls for a consideration of some provisions of the C hildren’s Act 38 of 2005. 2. 2 Forms of Ukuthwala It is generally accepted that the traditional custom of ukuthwala is often carried out with the knowledge and consent of the girl or her guardian.

To what extent are Brits and Great Britain stereotypical or essays

To what extent are Brits and Great Britain stereotypical or essays As  ¡Four Weddings and a Funeral ¡ is a relatively new film, it allows the viewers to take a closer look at the situation in contemporary Britain,-the people,traditions, customs and some national stereotypes.It shows the country and the people from the point of view of a typical Britisher rather than someone who lives outside the U.K.Consequently,this image of Brits and Britain tends to be a bit idealised on one hand, and stereotypical on the other -the film shows both good sides of the British and also contains the slightly stereotyped view of them. Meanwhile, the vices of the main characters definitely seem to be toned down at least to some point ; also certain aspects of the country ¡s image is different than it is in for real.Another important issue is the fact, that the movie shows rather incomplete view of the British society-mostly middle class is depicted here and it is only during the funeral when we can see also the working class. To find out how true is the image of Great Britain presented in the  ¡ Four Weddings and a Funeral ¡ a few common stereotypes should be examined, confronted and compared with the film. Let us now consider the setting and the main characters. The first wedding is set in a small town in the rural area; the wedding reception is held in the garden and this, as well as the third wedding- that of Carrie and Hamish in his castle in Scotland with Scottish dances,bagpipes and kilts-create the picturesque and almost pastoral view-simmilar to those seen on postcard. It can be said, therefore,that the image of Britain as a country seem to be idealised.Also the weather is presented in such way-there is no sign of rain or fog-in fact, it rains only once during the whole film.This image can be contrasted with the setting of Charles ¡s wedding (that incompletedÆ’)  ¡Van old historic church in a bigger city and the setting the funeral, which was a chance to portrait the industrial esta ...

CIS204 U4 Discussion Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

CIS204 U4 Discussion - Coursework Example The connection created in the WAN is however private and secured, and cannot be accessed by the public. VPNs are good at establishing business connections between two sites using the IPsec or the Internet Protocol Security (IPS). The reason as to why this technology has been recommended to the company is the security in information flow. The technology is also good for connecting man sites, which can be helpful for customer care services. The numerous rooms in the hotel premise can all be connected to the customer care. Advantages of this type of technology is the cost associated with establishing it (Thrivenetworks 2015). Companies can establish the network at a cheaper price than in any other technologies used. The network is also highly protected from access by unauthorized people. This security ensures more secure communication by the people in it. For growing companies, this technology proves to be the most ideal as it does not need addition of other components so as to accommodate new users (Thrivenetworks 2015). Disadvantages of this technology are the complexity involved when there is addition of new infrastructure, and the security issues involved when using a mobile device to establish connection (Thrivenetworks 2015). WAN establishes a computer connection between two points. Several technologies can be used to establish connections between sites. VPN connection proves to be the best for business organizations due to the low cost and high level of security. For the business organizations, the best option for wireless solution would be a Cisco Network. The network could be configured to have a central switch board for easy control. This system would also be highly compatible with the VPN technology

Countrterrorism Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Countrterrorism - Article Example the country who enjoys the same provisions of the Law. 2. An American citizen captured in the United States of America while in the act of terrorist violence is guaranteed by the United States Constitution the right to habeas corpus, Article 1, section 9, clause 2. Additionally, the suspect is provided protection by certain provisions of the Bill of Rights. Like, the 4th amendment which states "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall be issued, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized; 5th amendment, No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger, nor shall any person be subject for the same offence t o be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb, nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use without just compensation; 6th amendment, In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining Witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of counsel for his defense; and 8th amendment, Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted" (Emerson & Haber, 1952). 3. Just war may be grounded along the concept that the history of the Americans in the achievement of freedom has been long and tremendous, that even the powers of the government have been frameworked in a purposeful endeavor intended to safeguard individual rights. So, the war on terror can be properly characterized as just war if it is conducted within the realms of the United States constitution. This is because the United States constitution contains the series of laws that will guide law enforcement, and provides protection for the rights of everyone (Emerson & Haber, 1952). 4. Apparently, anti-Americanism is not really a problem in the homeland. Political expressions of individuals or groups, and nations will however continue (Celmer, 1987) which may sometimes be misconstrued as inciting to violence. Nonetheless, perpetrators of hostilities which go beyond the limits of individual and national rights

The Management Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Management Environment - Essay Example Although it is difficult to believe that Supply chain management is a recent concept since even Shakespeare discussed how ships and merchandise at sea can be at risk from various threats, the process of actually managing a supply chain through technology and modern communication tools is certainly a recent innovation. With reference to globalisation, logistics is simply the science of getting the required materials, goods or equipment to the right people at the right time and the development of this field owes a lot to the military history of civilisation which goes all the way back to the Roman era where armies had to be kept in supply even in far flung regions of the empire (Christopher, 2005). In the modern world, when supply chain management and the philosophy of logistics are combined in an efficient manner a company can become richer and more powerful than any emperor of the past. Supply chain management not only allows the right people to have the right things at the right time, it also makes sure that there is no wastage in the process and the overall costs of the business are reduced (Van Hoek, 2005). For the company, it could mean less mistakes in ordering the right part, making sure that production facilities around the world are occupied and that production matches the consumption as well as client requirements. Every business decision and every business choice comes with an associated cost which must be borne by the shareholders or the owners of the business which means that costs need to be reduced to ensure a healthy profit. An efficiently managed global supply chain does exactly that by cutting down costs in several important areas of business (Christopher, 2 005). Lummus and Demarie (2006) give the example of supply chain management experts such as Renee Gregoire and James Correll who discussed the importance of supply chain management with reference to

What Makes Shakespeares Hamlet Popular?

What Makes Shakespeares Hamlet Popular? The Enduring Popularity of Shakespeares Hamlet Why is Hamlet so popular? Shakespeare wrote countless masterpieces, many of which are debatably more exciting (The Tempest), momentous (Macbeth), intriguing (Othello), romantic (Romeo and Juliet) and profound (King Lear). But not only has Hamlet been produced more by the Royal Shakespeare company than any other work, it is a favourite of troupes (and audiences) around the world. From the play’s inception in 1602, up until the National Theatre’s acclaimed production in 2000 (and beyond), Hamlet has captured the imagination. A close examination of the play, along with a careful focus on its themes, will shed some light on Hamlet’s 400 year old enthrall, with a special emphasis on its relevance to a modern British audience. Hamlet is a tale of revenge, murder and existential and spiritual angst. The title character is a young prince whose father, the King of Denmark, has unexpectedly passed away. His brother, Claudius, has inherited the throne and taken the former king’s wife as his own. Hamlet is visited by his father’s ghost, who informs him that he was murdered by Claudius, and that his death needs to be avenged. Instead of instantly doing so, Hamlet attempts to first confirm his uncle’s guilt by feigning madness, and later by staging a play of the murder, to which Claudius’ reaction essentially confirms his guilt. But even with the evidence in hand, Hamlet is still unable to enact his revenge. After accidentally killing the king’s councilor Polonius, he is deported to England, and upon his return enters into a duel with Polonius’ son, Laertes. However, the fight is a setup; Laertes’s blade is poisoned, as is the wine in a goblet from which Hamlet is t o drink. While Hamlet wins the duel and ends up killing Claudius, he too succumbs to the poison and dies. In the play, Hamlet is by far the major presence: his problem is central to the plot, and his public and private exultations and speculations dominate the action (Hoy, 1991). Furthermore, the role of Hamlet is far larger than any other in all of Shakespeare’s works. While the play is filled with ambiguities, the biggest of all have to do with Hamlet’s motivations and actions (Levin, 1959). There is always more to him than the other characters in the play can figure out. Part of this has to do with the way Shakespeare crafted him – his intense pensiveness, his uncertainness, the vagaries of his actions – but part of it is Hamlet himself, who actually tells other characters that there is more to him than meets the eye, notably his mother and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. In addition, when he speaks, he sounds as if there’s something important he’s not saying, maybe something even he is not aware of (Hoy, 1991). What separates Hamlet from other revenge plays is that the action we expect to see is continually postponed (Wilson, 1951). Instead of being based on activity, the play is all about character, and really only the character of Hamlet. Many people regard Hamlet as a play about indecisiveness, but more than this, it can be seen as an examination of action itself; that is, the conditions necessary for such, and the appropriate amount required, depending on the circumstances. The question of how to act is affected not only by Hamlet’s need for certainty, but by emotional and psychological factors (Halliday, 1964). Hamlet himself appears to distrust the idea that it’s even possible to act in a controlled, rational way. For when he does act, he does so swiftly and recklessly. This extreme shift from paralysis to impulsiveness further adds to his enigmatic nature. Without action to sustain the play, the plot instead revolves around Hamlet contemplating various questions, among them: Is the ghost what it appears to be, or is it really trying to deceive him? How can the facts about a crime be known without there being any witnesses? Can Hamlet know the intricacies of Claudius’s soul by studying his behaviour? Can we ever really know whether our actions will have the consequences we want them to have? Can we know what happens in the afterlife? (Levin, 1959). This last question is one of the most powerful throughout the play. There are times when Hamlet seems to feel that death itself may bring the answers to his deepest concerns (Wilson, 1951). The question of his own death plagues him, and he more than once contemplates whether or not suicide is a legitimate choice in an unbearably painful world. Hamlet’s grief is such that he frequently longs for death to end his suffering, but worries that if he commits suicide, he will be suffer eternally in hell. In his famous â€Å"To be or not to be† soliloquy, Hamlet concludes that no one would choose to endure the pain of life if they were not afraid of what will come after death, and that it is this fear which causes morality to interfere with action (Levin, 1959). In sum, Hamlet, is ambiguous, vague and mysterious, uncertain, indecisive and pensive, self-loathing and self-reflexive, simultaneously afraid to live and afraid to die. Is it any wonder then that people can relate to him? People enjoy Hamlet because he evokes their sympathy. His character is flesh and blood. He doesn’t just act; he thinks, he questions, he feels. Hamlet is extremely philosophical and contemplative, and takes the time to analyze difficult questions that cannot be answered with any certainty. His melancholy is in many ways endearing. Though his actual age is debatable, in essence he is the quintessential teenager, afraid to grow up and take on burdens and responsibility he knows he must and yet is not ready for. His urgency is contagious. Beyond this, there are the questions he deals with, primarily those of death and the afterlife, that haunt us all. It is extremely rare to not only hear such questions so well articulated, but to hear them articulated at all. These conversations are largely relegated to our own heads. They are intimate and personal, and are seldom expressed. To see them on stage is to bear witness to our own souls. But this only explains why the character of Hamlet is so popular. Though he dominates the course of the action (or lack thereof), there is another reason why the play itself has been so successful and so resonant, which has to do with the famous line: â€Å"Something is rotten in the state of Denmark† (Hamlet, I, iv, 90). Everything is related in Hamlet, including the health of the ruling royal family and that of the nation as a whole (Hoy, 1991). Throughout the play, there are explicit connections drawn between the two. Denmark is often described as a physical body made ill by the moral corruption of Claudius. While the dead King Hamlet is portrayed as a strong, noble ruler under whose guard the state was in good health, Claudius, is regarded as wicked, corrupt and out to satisfy only his own appetites (Wilson, 1951). Throughout history, similar correlations have been made, from Stalin and Hitler to Blair and Bush. While the latter pair are perhaps far less sinister, their po litical decisions have similarly shaped the perceptions of the citizens of the nations they lead, as well as the perceptions of those on the outside. Our leaders are responsible for the overall â€Å"health† of the state, and the war in Iraq and other actions are doing little at the moment to paint a picture of good health. Close observers of Hamlet, no matter of what time period, sense this parallel instantly. Modern society, specifically the UK, is still in Hamlet’s thrall. In today’s world, with so many problems and too few solutions, it is easy to feel powerless and paralyzed. There are choices to be made, and actions to take, but 1) which ones should be carried out and 2) will they even do any good? The modern person is at a crossroads, and in some ways Hamlet personifies this better than anyone else. Throw in the play’s description of the state as being deceased, and the work comes across almost as the poster child for modern malaise. This is evidenced in the 2000 production by the National Theatre, which is only one of many recent and successful incarnations of the play. The title role was played by Russell Beale, who prepared for the part by looking into himself in an attempt to bring out the â€Å"everyman quality† of Hamlet, along with his intense self-reflection and (albeit feigned) madness. To do justice to Shakespeare’s words, in this case gra vitating between wit, wryness and self-reflection, Beale decided not to force emotion, but to instead â€Å"get there slowly, to get the emotional arc right, and not find too many moments of crisis† (Beale, 2000). The actor, in perhaps a bit of method, decided to try and capture Hamlet’s grief by using his own, in this case the fact that his mother died a few weeks before the performance. He also used his frustration over â€Å"not being able to feel enough† to further cement and perfect his interpretation (Beale, 2000). By all accounts he didn’t disappoint. The Independent declared Beale’s Hamlet â€Å"not at all ‘Hamlet-like,’ and his performance â€Å"moving and crystal clear,† characterized by â€Å"an aching regret for the world that might have been rather than a seething contempt for the world that exists† (Taylor, 2000). When Hamlet returned from England, the reviewer found him emanating a â€Å"shyly gracious acceptance of the mystery of life and fate,† and in dying â€Å"moved towards the audience as if painfully and belatedly conscious of their presence, imparting an even more shattering sense of the waste of a noble life† (Taylor, 2000). The Evening Standard wrote that the performances illuminated the text in ways that made it fresh and accessible, and Beale’s performance of â€Å"clarity, humanity and humility held the audience spellbound†¦they could only suffer with his confusion, grief self-loathing and doubt† (de Jongh, 2000). The Guardian complimented Beale for being â€Å"everything one could hope for: witty, ironic, intelligent, ‘a Henry James who is also a swordsman’ to borrow Harold Bloom’s phrase,† and: â€Å"bookish, inward, reflective and intensely capable of self-scrutiny† (Billington, 2000). Furthermore, the paper admired his â€Å"capacity for surprise, moral sensitivity and parodic wit† and his ability to convey â€Å"the paralysis of the intellectual caught up in a world of realpolitik,† resulting in a â€Å"first-rate, deeply intellectual Hamlet whose weapons are primarily verbal and who understands that revenge cannot offer meaningful redress† (Billington, 2000). In the National Theatre’s production, along with countless others over four centuries, a central theme is constantly repeated: Hamlet’s self-loathing, specifically in regards to his lack of feeling, which, as much as his lack of action, makes him guilty. This aspect of his character is perhaps more relevant today than ever. The theme of powerlessness, along with the tangible frustration and guilt that comes with it, can easily find a home in the mind of a modern audience member. In addition, Hamlet’s intensely relatable â€Å"human all too human† qualities, his probing thoughts on the afterlife and the theme of the â€Å"nation as diseased body† are so universal and timeless that they shed much light on the play’s appeal. Perhaps there will come by a day when Hamlet fails to strike a chord with audiences. But for now, Shakespeare’s masterful creation and revolutionary character study is safely ingrained in our consciousness. Bibliography Beale, Russell. The Readiness is All. National Theatre, 2000. http://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/?lid=2485 Billington, Michael. The Guardian, September 6, 2000. Crystal, David, and Crystal, Ben. The Shakespeare Miscellany. Penguin: New York, 2005. de Jongh, Nicholas. The Evening Standard, September 6, 2000. Halliday, F. E. A Shakespeare Companion 1564-1964. New York: Penguin, 1964. Hoy, Cyrus. Hamlet: An Authoritative Text, Intellectual Backgrounds, Extracts from the Sources, Essays in Criticism. New York: W. W. Norton and Company, 1991. Levin, Harry. The Question of Hamlet. New York: Oxford University Press, 1959. Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Braunmuller, A.R., Orgel, Stephen (Eds.). New York: Penguin Classics, 2001. Taylor, Paul. The Independent, September 6, 2000. Wilson, John. What Happens in Hamlet. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1951.

Essay on Character Parallels in To Kill a Mockingbird :: Kill Mockingbird essays

Character Parallels in To Kill a Mockingbird  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      In real life there are many different types of people, some of them are similar to one another, while others can be opposite/different, just like in the book To Kill a Mocking Bird, by Harper Lee. There are many people in the book, some people are contradictory to one another (character foils), while others resemble each other (character parallels) in both good and/or bad ways. Atticus Finch and Aunt Alexander is an example of a character foil in the book. Even though they are brother and sister and grew up together, they are two people with very different views. Atticus is more easy going when he raises up Jem and Scout, for example he lets his kids call him Atticus, and let's Scout dress with the clothes that she feels comfortable in. While on the other hand Aunt Alexander is more strict, she cares a lot about family background and she wants Scout to act and dress more "lady like". Atticus views that it is his duty to do his best in the Tom Robinson trial and feels no prejudice against Tom, because he is black. While Aunt Alexander doesn't like Atticus taking the case because Tom is black, and wants Atticus to go and fire Calpurnia. Tom Robinson and Bob Ewell is another example of a character foil in the book To Kill a Mocking Bird. Bob Ewell and Tom Robinson are two completely different people in the story. They both don't have a lot of money, but Tom Robinson chooses to work hard for his money, while Bob Ewell lives off welfare and sqaunders all his money on booze and whiskey. Bob Ewell beats up on his daughter Mayella, while Tom tries to do all that he can in order to help her out. Tom says that he did not beat and rape Mayella, while Bob Ewell says that he did. Two characters that are similar to each other are Tom Robinson and Boo (Arthur) Radley. These two are similar in that there are false rumors going on about them. People accused Tom of beating and raping Mayella Ewell, and people talk about Boo, and say that he is a very violent person, when those things are both false.