Mayella In To Kill A Mockingbird

Words: 260

Pages: 2

As the trial continues the whole town becomes more enticed with the proceedings. Mayella, who is next to testify, is fairly clean by the standards that the Ewells’ have set. She is a noticeably terrified nineteen-year-old girl. Mayella starts by saying that she called Tom Robinson inside of the fence line that evening and offered to pay him a nickel if he broke up a dresser for her, and that once he was inside the house he grabbed her and took advantage of her. During Atticus’s cross-examination, Mayella exposes that her life consists of a useless drunk for a father, no friends, and seven useless siblings. Atticus then barrages her with questions and asks why didn’t you put up a better fight, and why didn’t her screams bring the other children

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Mayella Ewell In To Kill A Mockingbird

circumstances, pitiful people who make awful decisions. The novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is set in Maycomb County, a town much like the one described. The novel follows the lawyer Atticus Finch as he defends Tom Robinson, a black male, in a racially charged trial that shakes up the town. The plaintiff, Mayella Ewell is one of the most pitiful citizens in Maycomb, she is uneducated, lonely and self-preserving. Not only is Mayella Ewell uneducated, she is also an ignorant young woman. Her limited…

Words 922 - Pages 4

To Kill A Mockingbird: Is Mayella Ewell Powerful?

In “To Kill a Mockingbird” is Mayella Ewell Powerful? Mayella Ewell is a character in “To Kill a Mockingbird”. She lives in the town of Maycomb, Alabama where the inhabitants are very sexist and judgmental. Mayela grows up in poverty with a deadbeat, drunken dad, who was physically and sexually abusive to her. She does not have any friends, and she lived that way for a long time. She might have stayed lonely if it had not been for Tom Robinson. Tom is an African American man who made acquaintances…

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Mayella Is Powerless In To Kill A Mockingbird

Mayella Ewell only has power when it comes to her race, otherwise she is powerless. In the book, Mayella accused an innocent black man of rape, giving her more power in the town. Because of her class and gender, Mayella is powerless, however her race makes her powerful. First of all, Mayella displayed no power by her class, due to her living right beside blacks. “Maycomb's Ewells lived behind the town garbage dump in what was once a black cabin. (Doc.A.)”. The white towns people had no respect…

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How Is Mayella Ewell Inhumane In To Kill A Mockingbird

Mayella Ewell sends an innocent man to jail after accusing him of a capital offense, rape. Would she have done this if she had been raised with a different upbringing? At a young age, Mayella is forced to become the sole caregiver of her family due to her abusive father and deceased mother. She inherits her family’s destitute property, and continues to represent the lowest white class of Maycomb’s society. Due to not receiving love and support from her own family or her hometown, she becomes a social…

Words 974 - Pages 4

Examples Of Mayella Ewell In To Kill A Mockingbird

person, or the ability to influence others behavior. Mayella Ewell is a racist and prejeduce woman who says Tom RObinson, a black man, rapes her and has no proof. Because of her class and gender, Mayella is powerless, but her race makes her powerful. Even though Mayella Ewell is white, she is also a lower class. “ Maycomb’s Ewells lived behind the town garbage dump in what was once negro cabin…(Doc.A).” This shows how poor the Ewells are, Mayella cant afford to live somewhere nice. Tom says “Yes…

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How Does Mayella Ewell Symbolize In To Kill A Mockingbird

In Harper Lee’s novel To Kill A Mockingbird, Lee uses the symbolic imagery of the mockingbird to discover and reveal the issues of prejudice, injustice and discrimination towards the innocence during the time period of the 1930s. Atticus Finch tells Jem and Scout that “it is a sin to kill a mockingbird” (Lee 90). The mockingbird is a symbolic representation of purity and innocence. Throughout the novel, numerous characters can be metaphorically portrayed as a mockingbird. Tom Robinson can be acknowledged…

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How Does Mayella Have Power In To Kill A Mockingbird

To kill a Mockingbird is based upon the idea of race, gender, and class. Now keep in mind that this book is set up in the 1930’s where all of these things were a big deal, mostly the race inequality of the time. During this time period there were a set of laws called The jim crow laws, which restricted many rights for African Americans. Mayella, who was the antagonist of the story took advantage of all this. In a sense she is powerful but the definition of having power is having the ability to influence…

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How Does Mayella Obtain Power In To Kill A Mockingbird

Power is when someone is over you, they can do more without getting into any trouble and Mayella thinks that she has power in ways others don't. And the plot of the book, To Kill a Mockingbird, is that the white people think the have more power over the black people, but there is different parts that play into the the meaning power. LIke for Mayella, because of her class and gender she lacks power, but it’s her race that makes her powerful. However, she lacks power in class because she lives no…

Words 592 - Pages 3

How Does Mayella Ewell Obtain Power In To Kill A Mockingbird

may be obtained through a variety of methods. Although there are many components to obtaining power, a handful of key points include social class, gender, and racial background. Within the novel To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses these components as a means of gaining power. Based off her race, Mayella Ewell displays a form of power when she accused an African American man of raping her. While she is off lower class and the female gender in the 1930s were not considered powerful, her race allowed…

Words 820 - Pages 4

What Is The Symbolism In To Kill A Mockingbird

The Symbolic Mockingbirds: Tom Robinson and Mayella Violet Ewell In Harper Lee’s timeless classic To Kill a Mockingbird, the symbol of the mockingbird appears in nearly every situation. The mockingbird is an important part of the story. The Mockingbird’s characteristics will be displayed in Tom and Mayella. This essay will explain the symbolic meaning, the characteristics, and the relation of Tom and Mayella as both a primary and secondary mockingbird. The Mockingbird represents innocence. Mockingbirds…

Words 650 - Pages 3