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How Does Mayella Ewell In To Kill A Mockingbird

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Mayella Violet Ewell is a nineteen-and-a-half year old girl who lives in Maycomb County. She is the eldest of the eight Ewell siblings, and is the only other family member besides her father who knows how to read and write. She plays the role of mother to her siblings when her father drinks away their relief checks, and their family lives behind the town’s garbage dump. When called to the witness stand, the author gives us a brief description of her character. “...she seemed somehow fragile looking, but when she sat facing us in the witness chair she became what she was, a thick bodied girl accustomed to strenuous labor.” - (Chapter 18, P. 239) Both Mayella and her family are deemed white trash in the caste system of Maycomb, and their family has little to no influential power over anyone in the town. …show more content…

When Mayella is testifying, she reprimands Atticus for mocking her, when in hindsight, he was only treating her with the upmost respect. “I wondered if anybody had ever called her “ma’am,” or “Miss Mayella” in her life; provably not as she took offence to routine courtesy.” - (Chapter 18, P. 244) Since, Mayella is unfamiliar with courtesy, it comes to show that she has never been truly respected. This brings to light the inhumane conditions Mayella has been forced to live in throughout her life. In the events of the trials, Mayella Ewell states that she was a victim to choking, beating, and rape. She accuses Tom Robinson of the crime, and eventually leaves the witness stand in hatred and

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Ewell, her father bought a chifforobe to chop up, then Tom Robinson came by and she gave him a nickel for busting up the chifforobe. Mayella went in the house to get a nickel for him. Before she knew it, he was on her, cussing her out, and hit her, chocked her, and beat her several times. She also claims she screamed and fought back when she could, but that he took “full advantage” of her and “he done what he was after.” In Tom Robinson’s testimony, he says he passed Mayella’s house going to and from the field every day, and sometimes she would have work that needed to be done that he would do with no charge.

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582 Words | 3 Pages

Mayella and Ruby are both viewed as victims because they were supposedly raped by black men. Society makes Mayella a victim by isolating the Ewells and for viewing them differently than everyone else in Maycomb. Mayella deeply cares about what people care about her, so when people think of her as trash that really gets to her. She was lonely leading her to wanting attention from people. Ruby

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492 Words | 2 Pages

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…”.

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364 Words | 2 Pages

Although Mayella is powerless when it comes to Class, and Gender, her Race ultimately, makes her powerful. Although, Mayella is not powerful in this story. “Maycomb’s Ewells lived behind the town garbage dump in what was once a Negro cabin…”(Doc A)

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422 Words | 2 Pages

In “To Kill a Mockingbird” the town Maycomb, Alabama takes place during the 1930’s, and is described as a quiet, calm, small town. Everything soon changes in the town once an african american is being accused of raping a white woman. Mayella Ewell is a white nineteen year old young lady who lives with an abusive and alcoholic father. Mayella does chores and takes care of her siblings every day, she hardly goes out. She plants red geraniums outside her yard which keeps her calm, and people have often noticed that it is the only nice thing around the Ewell’s house.

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531 Words | 3 Pages

A) During the questioning of Mayella, Mayella assumed that Atticus was mocking her by calling her “ma’am” and “miss”. (Doc. C) The reason why she thought this was because she is not socially experienced since her own race doesn’t want to associate with her since she “lived among pigs”

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773 Words | 4 Pages

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.

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907 Words | 4 Pages

How would you feel if you were forced to do something and everyone condemned you for it? A character by the name of Mayella Ewell had a similar circumstance in Harper Lee's book “To Kill A Mockingbird”. Although what she did seemed to indicate that she didn't merit any sympathy, this essay will demonstrate to you the three main reasons why she should. These reasons are, her father was abusive, she had to do everything around the house, and she was a lonely child. First of all, Mayella Ewell grew up in a house where her father was a bit abusive.

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609 Words | 3 Pages

“Atticus was quietly building up before the jury a picture of the Ewells’ home life… and there was a strong suspicion that Papa drank it up anyway.” (Narrator 244). Atticus portrays Mayella’s life at home, he tries to get the jury to feel sorry for her which helped him to be successful in the trial. Since Atticus was acting so nice and acting like he relates to Mayella, she eventually let her guard down and got cornered by Atticus. Atticus “trapped” Mayella, and the only reason he was successful in doing so was because of his solicitude.

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709 Words | 3 Pages

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.

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733 Words | 3 Pages

In Harper Lee’s novel To Kill A Mockingbird, Mayella Ewell does not deserve pity from the readers, despite her home life because she constantly victimizes herself, shows no remorse for Tom Robinson, and will bring innocent people down to help herself. Mayella’s character starts to reveal itself during the trial. During the cross examination, Atticus Finch had asked her questions that will help the jury get a better understanding of what truly took place. She shows little to no confidence while answering the questions, and she is given multiple opportunities to tell the truth. In some cases, she simply did not answer the question at all.

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436 Words | 2 Pages

Have you ever thought the power people have over each other? Either race, social class, or gender. Although your gender, race, or social class is not as important as it used to be, it is still used to determine the power of people in some places. Mayella Ewell is the daughter of Bob Ewell , they come from a family of low social class with no education, and no money. The only thing that elevates their place in the community is the fact that they’re white.

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852 Words | 4 Pages

Even tho Mayella doesn´t live in the best conditions she is still appointed to a higher social standing than Tom. This shows how bad racism was in the 1900s. In the story, a man named Atticus Finch is turned to as Tom´s attorney, who believes Tom is innocent. During the trial, there are many pieces

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623 Words | 3 Pages

These 3 girls were all in fear of what they got themselves into and conformed to society instead of doing what was right in their specific cases. Society shaped all 3 of these girls both as accusers and victims.   In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird , mayella is looked down on by society and is considered white trash by most of the town of maycomb how mayella is influenced by society and is considered a victim by society for many reasons.

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732 Words | 3 Pages

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.

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