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Similarities Between Mayella Ewell And To Kill A Mockingbird

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In Maycomb county, Alabama in the mid 1930’s. Tom Robinson an African American is accused of rape by Mayella Ewell, a poor white woman. Mayella Ewell is a young, poor white woman who lives with her father in what was once a Negro cabin, Mayella’s father Bob Ewell is a racist white man. Mayella has power, but very little of it. She uses race and gender to her advantage, but can not use class to her advantage because she has little money. Mayella can not use class to help her gain power because of her lack of money. She lives in an old Negro cabin behind the town garbage dump. “Its windows were merely open spaces in the walls...What passed for a fence was bits of tree-limbs, broomsticks, and tool shafts…. Enclosed by this barricade was a dirty …show more content…

In the 1930’s women were not allowed to do most of the same things men were able to do. Blacks were not able to do as much as women were able to. In Maryland, 1924 a Jim Crow Law was passed saying “Any white woman who shall suffer or permit herself to be got with a child by a negro or mulatto...shall be sentenced to the penitentiary for not less than eighteen months.”. This Jim Crow Law states that if a white woman conceives a child with a black or “mixed” person, the woman shall spend eighteen months in jail. In Georgia, 1926 another Jim Crow Law was passed stating “No colored barber shall serve as a barber to white women or girls.”. This law states that any barber that is not white can not be a barber to white women or girls. “‘Except when he’s drinking?’ asked Atticus so gently that Mayella nodded.” (Lee, Chapter 18). Mayella is beaten by her father, he takes advantage of her being scared of him several times. “...What did her father do? We don’t know, but there is circumstantial evidence to indicate that Mayella Ewell was beaten savagely by someone who led almost exclusively with his left...” (Lee, Chapter 20). Bob Ewell is left handed, in the story Tom Robinson is blamed for the mark on Mayella’s face. Tom cannot use his left hand at all, so Tom is no longer blamed for the mark. Bob Ewell was a horrible person and dad. “He says you goddamn whore, I’ll kill ya.” (Lee, Chapter 19). In this chapter Tom is getting questioned by

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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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182 Words | 1 Pages

Both were similar in that they were dealing with racial segregation in what is termed the deep southern states. So their environments were similar. but different in perspectives. one being a child and the other a man. Scout was raised to be open minded in an environment that nurtured her in the belief that all people were equal regardless of race or class.

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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.

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639 Words | 3 Pages

At some point in an individual's lifetime, they will be faced with the judgement of race, class, and gender. These three classifications will cause people to be looked down upon, or become a praised individual. Also, you can receive unjust treatment in certain cases, such as someone thinking they are somehow better than another person. In “To Kill A Mockingbird”, there is a character by the name of Mayella Ewell, who is a poor, white woman that is abused. Mayella is a un-powerful character in the fact that she is a female, and she is very poor.

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188 Words | 1 Pages

On page 256 Scout feels that Mayella is lonely because she is a mixed child,Mayella comes from whites and black people side. Mayella lives in a poor town where blacks live and some white people so whites won’t talk to her. Black people wont talkj to her beacuse she has white blood in her so they put her aside. During the court Atticus asked her if she has any friuends she did not know what friends ment she thought that Atticus was making

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268 Words | 2 Pages

However, in order for Mayella’s right eye to be bruised, she would have had to been hit by someone who is left-handed, and Tom Robinson is crippled in his left arm. Therefore, it would not have been possible for Tom Robinson to have caused these injuries. Second, Bob Ewell has a history of abuse and neglect. For example, he leaves Mayella to take care of the children and spends all

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842 Words | 4 Pages

He describes the actions of Mayella Ewell, the accuser, as, “Something that in [their] society is unspeakable,” because she was white, and, “tempted a Negro”(231). This statement introduces the idea that Mayella

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600 Words | 3 Pages

Mayella Ewell’s family was in the wrong for using Tom Robinson. In To Kill A Mockingbird Mayella Ewell is a young girl in Maycomb county who lives with her seven siblings and her daddy Bob Ewell. She claimed to be raped by an African American man named Tom Robinson while he was asked to help her around the house. Tom Robinson’s lawyer, Atticus Finch, later contradicted these words in court.

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587 Words | 3 Pages

She lives behind a dump; that explains why her family’s place in the community is so low. With being the oldest of seven children, Mayella is responsible for taking care of the younger kids; is very antisocial. As they have no access to a shower, they live uncleanly; they don’t bathe and wear the same filthy clothes every day. To an average family, this would look very upsetting; ipso facto resulting in the Ewell’s rank in society. With a drunk father, Bob Ewell, a lot of the family’s safety, authority, and well being is provided by Mayella.

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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.

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885 Words | 4 Pages

Even though the jury found Tom Robinson guilty of raping Mayella Ewell, in that matter Atticus Finch, lawyer defending Tom Robinson, said that Tom Robinson was not guilty because he only has one arm and there is no way that Tom Robinson was able to hurt her while Bob Ewell is perfectly fine and

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515 Words | 3 Pages

She is stunned by a society who thinks that she lives “among pigs”[Doc A], after the trail she and her father are told to “get back to your dump” [Doc A]. Mayella also shows stupidity when she gets called ma’am or miss by

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776 Words | 4 Pages

We see injustice and narrow-mindedness throughout but is most prevalent with Tom Robinson’s trial, with Mayella and Bob Ewell taking the stand and giving their testimony. Because of Mayella’s ignorance and selfishness, she was able to put an innocent man in jail. She didn’t care about the social code that she would be breaking, and lured Tom Robinson, an african american that worked for Mr. Deas. She kisses him, and after Tom is able to run away, faces the consequences of her father. During the trial, Mayella

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409 Words | 2 Pages

She claims that she has been beaten and raped by a negro who’s name is Tom Robinson. Although she says that it was Tom Robinson who has raped her, others claim otherwise. This case is taken to a court to be assesed, Atticus, Tom’s attorney, defends Tom in saying that it was not in fact Tom who beat Mayella up, but is Mayella’s drunk dad who

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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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