Even after Tom Robinson's conviction, Bob Ewell continues to stay angry. He threatens to "get" Atticus even if it takes him "the rest of his life" to do it.
Essentially, Bob Ewell feels that Atticus has exposed him and humiliated him in court. During the trial, Atticus's carefully laid-out arguments highlighted the possibility of Bob Ewell being Mayella's actual abuser. Despite the guilty verdict against Tom, Bob knows that his credibility has been greatly eroded....
Even after Tom Robinson's conviction, Bob Ewell continues to stay angry. He threatens to "get" Atticus even if it takes him "the rest of his life" to do it.
Essentially, Bob Ewell feels that Atticus has exposed him and humiliated him in court. During the trial, Atticus's carefully laid-out arguments highlighted the possibility of Bob Ewell being Mayella's actual abuser. Despite the guilty verdict against Tom, Bob knows that his credibility has been greatly eroded. So, he seeks revenge against Atticus as a salve against his guilty conscience and as a means of mollifying his sense of ill-proportioned outrage.
When Jem mentions his fear for Atticus' safety, Atticus patiently tries to allay his concerns. He explains that he would prefer Bob Ewell to take out his frustrations on him than on Mayella and her siblings. Here, Atticus has deeply miscalculated the depth of Bob Ewell's hatred and anger. We see the results of this unintended miscalculation when Bob Ewell later attacks Scout and Jem as they make their home from the school Halloween celebrations.
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