ipl-logo

Is Mayella Ewell Be Held Accountable For The Trial In To Kill A Mockingbird

970 Words4 Pages

There is no justice in accusing a man of a crime he did not commit, especially when that man is innocent. The novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee explores themes surrounding the ideas of justice and stereotypes, through the trial of Mayella Ewell, who accuses Tom Robinson, a black man, of rape. A question commonly asked, is whether Mayella Ewell, a focal point of this novel should be held accountable for her actions. Mayella Ewell should be held accountable for her actions because she indirectly took a man’s life, committed her actions for self-preservation and abused her privileged status.

When Mayella Ewell accused Tom Robinson of rape, it leads to a series of repercussions that cost Tom Robinson his life, proving that she should …show more content…

Tom Robinson was helping Mayella Ewell because he is a good person, whose hasn’t caused anyone any problems. This is something mentioned throughout the novel, for example, Mr.Link Deas in the middle of the courtroom announcing that “ the boy worked for me eight years an’ I ain’t got a speck o’trouble outa him. Not a speck.” As well Scout comparing him to her own father saying “Tom Robinson’s manners were as good as Atticus’s”(page 260), who most would consider as a good person. His gentlemanly qualities are what Mayella Ewell noticed urging her to throw herself at him. She noticed how nice and respectfully this man was treating her and hugged him demanding for Tom to kiss her, as explained by Tom Robinson. Mayella Ewell tempted a black man, she did something that is considered shameful in Maycomb County. She accused Tom Robinson of rape because she wanted to maintain her reputation, and if it appears that he raped her she would receive more pity than condemnation. If she appears to have forced herself onto a black man she would be compared to Mr. Dolphus Raymond, someone who is considered deranged for sympathizing with black people and procreating mixed race children with minorities. Her wanting to maintain her reputation for self-preservation is why she should be held accountable for her actions, she’d rather have pity than be labeled “a

Show More
Related
433 Words | 2 Pages

Avery’s father in the story “Avery’s Gift” is similar to Ellison’s father in the selection “Chicken Of The Sea Is So Wacky -- Of Course It Was Made By Kids” due to aspects that they share like them both being supportive of their children and both of them using the skills that they were good at to help make something that important to their children. Another similarity between the two is how after the children finished their project they both felt that they achieved something with their father. Both fathers went out of their way to help with a project that was important to their children. “Avery blushed but smiled back at Mrs. Vadakin, whose eyes glistened with tears. ”(paragraph 16 of “Avery’s Gift”).

Read More
638 Words | 3 Pages

In Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird Mayella Ewell's is a powerful young teenager. In the 1930’s in Maycomb, Alabama Mayella set news to the small town, she made allegations of rape against Tom Robinson. Mayella is as powerful as the ocean when it takes you underwater. In Harper Lee’s, To Kill A Mockingbird will show Mayella’s  power by using Class, Race, and Gender.

Read More
565 Words | 3 Pages

Things in Maycomb, Alabama were pretty normal. Until one day, when news went around saying that Mayella Ewell had been sexually assaulted by an African American named Tom Robinson. This struck the town by surprise because the Ewells were not exactly the most admirable family. Mayella had very little power because of her race, class, and gender. Ordinarily being white back then was of higher rank, but considering where she came from, her race did not do her any good.

Read More
441 Words | 2 Pages

The town of Maycomb, Alabama recently experienced a controversial and historical trial on the case of Tom Robinson, an African American man, being accused of raping and assaulting 19 year old Mayella Ewell. Many people from all over packed into the Maycomb courthouse to see the verdict of this case. Tom Robinson was defended by Mr. Atticus Finch, while Mr. Wilmer Gilmer was Miss Ewell’s attorney for this case. Mr. Finch provided strong evidence that Mr. Robinson did not perpetrate this crime. However, Mr. Robinson was unanimously proven guilty and sentenced to the electric chair to be killed as a punishment for this said crime.

Read More
542 Words | 3 Pages

In Harper Lee's novel “To Kill a MockingBird”, a woman named Mayella Ewell, lived on a Piggery in Maycomb, Alabama. Mayella lived in a time when Class, race, and gender were a big controversy. Mayella had allegations against Tom Robinson. Class, race and gender were an advantage for her because of the trial with Tom Robinson. Mayella had no say in the trial, which caused her to have no power.

Read More
674 Words | 3 Pages

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.

Read More
885 Words | 4 Pages

In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the story is set in the 1900’s, Maycomb, Alabama. During this time there was racism in the south and segregation which separated the whites and blacks from everything. There was also the Great Depression, the whole country was poor and people living in the country had to trade and do other jobs for people to either pay them off or to buy something from them. The trial in this book is about Mayella and Bob Ewell, two white people, claiming and arguing that Tom Robinson, a black person, raped Mayella Ewell. This trial is really important because at that time in the south, white people took advantage of black people and their kindness and thought they would take that or shut up just because they were black.

Read More
871 Words | 4 Pages

Tom was accused of raping a white woman who was Mayella Ewell, Mayella said he raped her while he was helping her with chores. She later on tells the readers that it was false allegations. The reason why she didn 't tell the truth at her first trial was because, Mayella was afraid of being embarrassed because she kissed a black male. She rather have an innocent man get charged with a crime than that. “However, Robinson was transferred from the state prison to Maycomb 's county jail on Saturday, two days before he stood trial on Monday, and Atticus had to defend him against a lynch mob”.

Read More
871 Words | 4 Pages

In the book To Kill a Mockingbird, the author, Harper Lee, uses the character of Tom Robinson to give her insight on the recent crime of Emmett Till. The trial was a very controversial case in the 1950s, involving the brutal murder of a young black boy, in racist Mississippi. In the real-life case, there is a woman named Carolyn Bryant who accuses Till of cat-calling and using vulgar language. However, Till was innocent, yet received punishment. Lee also recreated the persona of Carolyn into Mayella Ewell, who is the women that accuses Tom Robinson of raping her.

Read More
850 Words | 4 Pages

Tom Robinson never hurt Mayella Ewell, yet he was forced into court and eventually killed by Bob Ewell. Since it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird, Bob Ewell was eventually punished for his sin by being stabbed by Boo Radley. When Lee states “The one place where a man ought to get a square deal is in a courtroom, be he any color of the rainbow, but people have a way of carrying their resentments right into a jury box” (220). He wanted to help Mayella Ewell because he “felt sorry for her”, even though it was crazy for a black man to feel sorry for a white woman. Mayella wanted affection anywhere she could get it, so she decided to prey on poor Tom Robinson.

Read More
1343 Words | 6 Pages

Intro “Being misunderstood doesn't mean you're the issue sometimes it's the people that misunderstand you with all the issues.” (unknown) Being misunderstood is preventing people from knowing who the person truly is and making them feel all alone and like they are the problem. In the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, the people in Maycomb make inferences on who the misjudged are. In Maycomb, people are judged by their actions, appearances, and what everybody thinks the people have done, but in reality, these false accusations set up a barrier between the misunderstood and everyone else.

Read More
1914 Words | 8 Pages

How is the racial problem of the southern states of USA in the 1930s portrayed in To Kill a Mockingbird? INTRO In the 1930s the Southern states of America suffered from a strong discrimination and racial hatred towards colored people. They had no rights, no respect and were not allowed to go places white people went. In other words they were segregated from the rest of the society.

Read More
830 Words | 4 Pages

Tom Robinson is a young African-American who's been accused of raping and abusing Mayella Ewell, a young and closeted white woman. Racial discrimination is hinted throughout Tom’s trial as Atticus Finch explains to Jem that a white man’s word will always win over that of a black man’s - "... In our courts, when it's a white man's word against a black man's, the white man always wins. They're ugly, but those are the facts of life" (220). Atticus explains to Jem that in the courts of Maycomb, a black man’s state of innocence or guilt is truly determined by a white man’s testimony.

Read More
149 Words | 1 Pages

In the novel: To Kill A Mockingbird, Mayella Ewell, a poor white woman, accused Tom Robinson, an African American, of rape. The Ewell’s are very indigent and her father, Bob Ewell, gets drunk and abuses Mayella. Since Mayella is very poor, this makes her not so powerful. In Maycomb, Alabama, A poor white woman named Mayella Ewell who lives behind the town garbage dump, accuses Tom Robinson, an African American, of rape.

Read More
626 Words | 3 Pages

Throughout the novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” by Harper Lee, Lee expresses inequality between people often causes people to judge one another. Scout, the main character, is a strong opinionated, young girl, with many thoughts on other characters throughout the book. An important theme that develops throughout the novel is inequality often causes judgement between people who aren’t acquainted, when the inequality is based on what someone heard about another person. A key moment that explains inequality often causing judgement is when Jem describes Boo Radley and makes him seem like a scary real-life monster, without actually ever meeting him.

Read More

More about Is Mayella Ewell Be Held Accountable For The Trial In To Kill A Mockingbird

Related Topics

Open Document