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Mayella Ewell Character Analysis Essay

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Shaadi Wanna Literature Mrs. Greshock 5 April 2023 Mayella Ewell Mayella Ewell, a societal outcast accepted by no one, is a major character in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. To the people of Maycomb, Mayella is a Ewell, and an outcast. Mayella does seek a better life, though. This is evident in her character, which is is interesting at the very least, and has 2 conflicting sides to it, as shown in her traits of being determined and deceitful, archetype of the outlaw, and her motivation to seek a better life for herself, and get rid of her guilt due to sexually assaulting Tom Robinson. To understand Mayella Ewell’s motivations, one must dig a little deeper into what her home life is like. From the moment Mayella is introduced, it is clear that she is different from the rest of her family. In chapter 3, the reader is introduced to one of Mayella’s younger siblings, Burris Ewell. The reader learns more about him …show more content…

Her motivation to seek a better life has already been seen, but in the trial the reader is introduced to another. This is shown in Atticus’s speech. She has broken a “code of society” by kissing a black man, and must put Tom Robinson, a reminder of her guilt, away from her. She aims to do this by convicting him falsely, and this exposes her character trait of deceitful. Though anything that was said in the trial is left unconfirmed, the reader is heavily led to believe Atticus’s view on what happened. This means that Mayella was most likely lying, and intentionally putting a person’s life at risk. This further strengthens her character trait of determined. As seen before, Mayella intends to get Tom Robinson arrested for life, or even killed to get rid of her guilt. This shows that she is determined enough to attempt to remove any obstacle in her way, even if it involves the life of a person. In this case this is a bad thing, but it can be a good thing in other

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In the classic novel, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Tom Robinson, a sympathetic, considerate African American field worker, is accused of the rape of an abused 19 year old white girl, Mayella Ewell. As the consequent trial unfolds, the reader glimpses Tom’s understanding personality despite the harsh 1930s stereotypes that cloud the trial. First, early into his testimony, Tom reveals that Mayella regularly invited him into the Ewell yard to do a few minor chores, which was usually chopping wood or toting water. Then, when Atticus, his defense attorney, asks if Tom was paid for his services, Tom replies, “No suh, not after she offered me a nickel the first time.

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