There are many times in life where a person’s actions, while dishonest, will not have a large effect on the lives of other people and can therefore be considered insignificant.
However, this is not the case regarding Mayella Ewell, a young girl who lied during the testimony of her own rape case, leading to the wrongful conviction of the defendant, Tom Robinson.
The following arguments will explain why Mayella should be held fully and solely responsible for her actions regarding the Tom Robinson case.
Due to her deliberately dishonest testimony, her intent to act upon a path that would bring the most harm to all persons surrounding the case, and the prolonged harm her actions caused, Mayella Ewell deserves condemnation, not pity.
During
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This observance confirms that Mayella was firmly set on giving a false testimony, and was conscious of it as well.
Mayella also makes an oath promising that she will be giving a sworn testimony, meaning she must tell the truth during the trial.
In spite of this, she knowingly lies and commits perjury, a crime in and of itself. When called upon to testify, Judge Taylor reassures Mayella, saying, “Don’t be ‘fraid of anybody here, as long as you tell the truth … you’ve nothing to be ashamed of and nothing to fear” (240).
This meant that Mayella would have been perfectly safe during the trial, giving her all the more reason to give a truthful testimony, yet she still resolves to lie.
Mayella’s thoughts are perhaps best summed up during Atticus’ final address to jury, when he states, “She knew full well the enormity of her offense, but because her desires were stronger than the code she was breaking, she persisted in breaking it”
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When Scout first gives the reader an observance about Mayella, she mentions that Mayella owns “six … jars holding brilliant red geraniums, cared for as tenderly as if they belonged to Miss Maudie Atkinson” (228).
Mayella’s care for her flowers prove that she desires to better her life in some way, to escape the dark life she has always led.
Has Mayella had behaved differently during the trial, her own life and the life of her siblings would have take a large turn for the better.
If Mayella testified against her father instead of covering up for him, Bob Ewell would have been found guilty for both familial abuse and making unsubstantiated accusations against Tom Robinson.
She would then be free from the reaches of her abusive father and would be able to start anew with her life.
While sad, because Mayella allowed circumstances under which she would still have to live with her vicious father, she in a way chose to continue the same life she had always lived.
Even after the trial, Atticus mentions, “So if spitting in my face and threatening me saved Mayella Ewell one extra beating, that’s something I’ll gladly take”