Everybody wants power. People with no power want to obtain it, and people with a lot of power want to keep it. In Harper Lees book To Kill A Mockingbird power means to consider the amount of control a person has over his or hers own life as well as the lives of others. The novel is set in a fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama in the 1930’s. This novel is mainly focused on the rape trail, between, Tom Robinson, a black man, and Mayella Ewell, a white woman. Mayella wins the case, but is Mayella truly powerful? Although Mayella is powerless when it comes between class and gender, her race is the ultimate power to end Tom Robinson. Mayella Ewell’s family struggles from poverty. She lacks power because if her lower class status, the Ewell’s lived behind the town’s garbage dump in what was once a Negro cabin [Doc A]. She plants geraniums to beautify her yard, but is still seen as low class by the people of Maycomb. She is stunned by a society who thinks that she lives “among pigs”[Doc A], after the trail she and her father are told to “get back to your dump” [Doc A]. Mayella also shows stupidity when she gets called ma’am or miss by …show more content…
During trial, it is revealed that Mayella is verbally, physically, and sexually abused by her father. Mr. Ewell intimates Mayella by tipping his chair against the railing when she tries to give them an honest answer to what he really does [Doc B]. In addition, according to Tom Robinsons testimony, Mr. Ewell called his daughter a “Whore”, Threatened to kill her, which is clear verbal Abuse , Also Mayella says “What her papa do to her don’t count”, this means the actions she tried to do with Tom Robinson is the same actions Mr. Ewell does on Mayella, intimating sexual abuse[Doc B]. Finally Atticus closing statement says Mayella has been beaten “Savagely”. This means that her father beats her [Doc B]. This is the reasons why Mayella gender makes her powerless as an
She came from a very traumatic background with a passed mother, seven useless siblings, and a father who abuses her. Her father has very immense power over Mayella and she does all of the chores in the yard. She is a very hard-working young woman and tries her best to impress her father. Mayella was completely cut out of the real world and did not even comprehend the thought of kissing and hugging Tom. Mayella was seeking attention and possibly affection because it was never given to her by her father.
One day in Maycomb, Alabama during the great depression a young girl named Mayella Ewell was raped. This shows Mayella is one powerful young girl in the story To Kill A Mockingbird. It will show how she is power through class, race, and gender. First Mayella is powerful through her class ranking. In the story it said that the “Maycomb’s Ewells lived behind the town garbage dump in what was once a Negro cabin…”.
Although Mayella claimed rape, it still does not change the town’s point of view on her. “Maycomb’s Ewells lived behind the town garbage dump in what was once a Negro cabin…. (Doc. A)” this explains and tells us that the Ewells are not rich nor do they have an abundant amount of money; since they do not have riches, that are not considered high-class nor middle-class, which mostly likely leads to the Ewells receiving little to no respect or value to the town. “White people wouldn’t have anything to do with her because she lived among pigs (Doc. E)” this statement proves that, although she is a white woman, no one would get involved in her business or life because of her background and her “atmosphere”. “Long’s he keeps callin’ me ma’am and sayin’ Miss Mayella.
Because of the shape of the marks on Mayella’s neck, it suggests that she was choked with a left hand, and her dad is a lefty while Tom has a small left hand from an injury while picking cotton. With this evidence that is provided, it shows that Mayella is covering for her father to not dishonor the family; therefore, she is not worthy of
Mayella lives with her father and her smaller siblings. In the book Mayella Ewell has accused Tom Robinson,a black poor man with a left crippled arm of raping her. During this time blacks were in a lower class than all whites. Atticus Finch has two children,Scout and Jem. Atticus Finch,Tom Robinson’s lawyer finds evidence that Tom is innocent.
Because of her race, gender, and class, she is considered a powerful character in the novel In To Kill a Mockingbird, Mayella’s race gives her an incredible advantage, because society
In “To Kill a Mockingbird” the character Mayella Ewell is powerful and capable, though not through traditional means such as strength or intellect, and even so, as strong as she is, she is just as weak in the same aspects which enable her to be strong. She still manages to obtain what she wants through her race, class, and gender to her advantage, and by any means necessary. Mayella, at a glance, appears to be the victim and a weak character; however, if taken into deeper account, it is visible how mighty she truly is. Class notes on how low and lonely she is, being ignored and glared down upon by whites and blacks alike. The red geraniums she keeps in jars in her yard, represent her, and wanting to be free and not restricted by social standards and her controlling, abusive father.
Filled with the anxieties of a young girl and her town, ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ has a diverse cast of characters, including one Mayella Ewell. Although not the main character, she plays a pivotal role as the victim in the Tom Robinson case. In Lee’s story, direct characterization from Scout, figurative language on the stand, and other details throughout the story help readers sympathize with Mayella Ewell, as they paint a picture of her homelife and the societal obstacle course set before her. In the Court scene, there are many instances where the officials’ interactions with Mayella, and her reactions to them, can make the reader feel sympathetic towards her. One such instance, reoccuring several times throughout the scene, is when Atticus calls her ‘Miss’ Mayella Ewell to which she responds with hurt and anger, saying “Won’t answer a word you say long as you keep on mockin‘ me.”
People can control many aspects of their life, but that kind of power can be challenged because of physical and social and social attributes like race, gender, and class. Traits can be limiting factors on how much flexibility someone has over their own life. Typically, rich, white males have the most power in relation to these three characteristics. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Mayella Ewell is a poor, white, nineteen year old girl who lives in the slums of the fictional town Maycomb, Alabama.
Also, Mayella's father, Bob Ewell, is clearly abusive to her as well. Atticus mentions that Tom is not able to use his left hand, and Bob is left-handed: "[…] but there is circumstantial evidence to indicate that Mayella Ewell was beaten savagely by someone who led almost exclusively with his left […]" (Doc B). Mayella is still downsized compared to men, and therefore her gender does not give her a speck of power. Mayella's class certainly does not give her power at all. What we mostly know about Mayella is that she is dirt poor and lives in the dump, so her class does not give her power.
Mayella was not favored by the people in Maycomb. She was extremely poor and never spoke on any harassment she suffered from her father. Tom Robinson attempts to get the truth out in the open when he is giving his testimony, “She said what her papa do to her don’t count” (Doc B). Mayella doesn’t fully understand that her father is physically abusive towards her. To her it’s just love.
Is Mayella Ewell powerful or not? Mayella Ewell, the poorest girl in the town of Maycomb, Alabama, living on a pig farm with her abusive father and in an abandoned Negro shack. The Ewell’s are the lowest of the low in the town of Maycomb, in rank wise and are not respected too much either. Bob Ewell, father of Mayella Ewell is an abusive man, sexually and physically and has an alcoholic problem. Mayella is usually beaten and sexually assaulted by him, especially when he is drinking, but Mayella has a plan that will let her be free from Bob.
But she said he took advantage of her, and when she stood up she looked at him as if he were dirt beneath her feet.” Mayella’s loneliness and powerlessness drove her to have an affair with a black man, breaking a societal code. She is a victim of poverty because of the hatred and discrimination occurring in Maycomb. Although some might view Mayella Ewell as a victim, others might view her as a villain because she broke a societal code by attempting to have an affair with a Negro.
Mayella was accusing Tom of raping her. She didn’t provide very strong evidence to support her claim and always sound nervous that she isn’t going to say the right answer, including when she is asked by Atticus if she loves her father, “‘Do you love your father, Miss Mayella.’ was his next. ‘Love him, whatcha mean?’ ‘I mean, is he good to you, is he easy to get along with?’
Novel Response Reading 1. Explain a character's problem and then offer your character advice on how to solve his/her problem. Mayella Ewell has a big problem, to say the least. She’s abused by her drunken hate-filled father, lonely and unhappy. Although her shameful indictment of Tom Robinson is unacceptable, she also is a victim of abuse, and she still needs help.