Power is defined as possession of control, authority or influence over others. The fiction novel “To Kill A Mockingbird” Harper Lee is about a white southern woman , Mayella Ewell who is charging an African American Man of Rape. Tom Robinson is on trail and later is found guilty ,although throughout the novel reveals truths about power in the south in the 1930’s. Using the definition Mayella is not a powerful character because she’s extremely poor with no education or job and is controlled by her father .
Women throughout this time period were limited of having power because of their gender. Mayella and all living women in this time period had no power due to gender because societies have created a custom idea that men are superior than women. Women were often considered property or were stereotyped to be at home raising kids and obeying orders from a man. Mayella also is physical and verbally abused by her father therefore, Mayella didn’t have any choice of having power caused by always being intimidated by her father. While Mayella was in court , “Mayella looked at her father, who was sitting with his chair tipped against the
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Many of the people in the society followed the impression that caucasian people were superior than african americans therefore there couldn't be any relationship with each other. Mayella not having respect for herself and having no class she did it anyways. When Mayella kisses Tom , tom resattes , “Never Kissed a grown man before… she says what her papa do don't count.” (Document B) Mayella not only did mayella did something that in society is unimaginable she also releases that her dad has control of her . By her saying this the readers can indicate that her father has control of her and that people in society look down on her and realize she has no class for kissing a black