Human Nature in "To Kill a Mockingbird"

In "To Kill a Mockingbird", Harper Lee's general view of human nature is negative. She points out the fact that all people have bad qualities. One instance in "To Kill a Mockingbird" in which Harper Lee shows the bad in people is when Bob Ewell is at Tom Robinson's trial. He knows that Tom Robinson did not harm his daughter, but he testifies against Tom anyway. Bob swears that he will get revenge on Atticus …

…Tom Robinson. Being a white man, it is very hard for Atticus to defend a black man. He takes a lot of heat for defending Tom. Scout can not understand how the jury could find Tom guilty when all the evidence points to Bob Ewell. Harper Lee's general comment on human nature in To Kill a Mockingbird is negative, but she also points out that there are many people who have a generally positive nature.