During the 1930’s in the poor town of Maycomb, Alabama, segregation was a way of life. This becomes an even bigger issue when Tom Robinson, and African-American man, accused of raping Mayella Ewell, a poor white woman. During this part of the novel, Mayella gains and shows her power. Her accusation of rape draws support from most of Maycomb County based on race, class and gender, allowing her to stand stronger and free. Mayella Ewell is indeed powerful when it comes to class, race and gender. She has gender and race on her side through this case, but the thing that is not quite on her side is class.
Mayella Ewell’s class holds her back from being completely powerful and free in this novel. In the story her and her father, Bob Ewell, are requested
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When referring to gender, Mayella would be ranked with higher power due to the fact that she only asked Tom for help so she was able to be free. Her gender could help with increasing her power but it could also decrease her power. It could decrease her power because she is a female teenager, that is getting physically and sexually abused by her father and she cannot really do anything about it. It could increase her power because she is more intelligent than her father, and she uses an African-American man to outwit him. Even though her gender could lead to either an increase or decrease in power, her race throughout the trial has helped her tremendously.
Her race puts her over the top in power. Race is a big part of why and how Tom Robinson did not win the case over the Ewells. The jury was filled full of white men, and never in Maycomb county has an African-American man won over a case with whites. When Atticus questions Mayella in court, she confesses that her father does abuse her, but she did not realize she had confessed. Even though Atticus was pointing out obvious ways that Tom could not have raped or hurt Mayella, the jury would not pick in favor of a black man, no matter how innocent he may