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To Kill A Mockingbird, By Harper Lee

1033 Words5 Pages

In Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, Lee depicts a racially biased and socially broken American South in the 1930s. As the narrative develops themes of racial justice, class disparity, gender roles, and moral hypocrisy, it becomes evident that gender inequalities show a powerful influence on shaping the characters' lives and the narrative. Although many may claim that racial injustice holds the most power in shaping the narrative and impacting the characters’ lives, it is actually the flawed gender roles and stereotypes and the limitations and fragility of femininity that truly define a major problem for Maycomb during this time, shaping the lives of many characters in the novel. One of the most significant aspects of the impact of gender …show more content…

Adding on, the controlling gender roles are further shown by when Scout thinks, "I was not so sure, but Jem …show more content…

As a member of the Ewell family, Mayella's circumstances show her fragileness determined by her class and gender, displaying that vulnerability of women portrayed in the novel. Atticus Finch's cross-examination during Tom Robinson's trial shows the harsh reality of Mayella's predicament. He says, "What did your father see in the window, the crime of rape or the best defense to it?" Why don't you tell the truth, child, didn't Bob Ewell beat you up?" Lee, p. 213. This series of questions shows Mayella's difficult circumstances of being forced to tell lies by her abusive father. The phrase "didn't Bob Ewell beat you up?" exposes the violent consequences Mayella faces for exploring her feelings and expressing the lack of companionship she had with Tom. Her experience displays that women from difficult backgrounds are not only controlled by societal expectations of femininity but are also put into physical harm when expressing and challenging the norms. Furthermore, the trial scene highlights how she is pushed into places that she was forced to be in by her father. This is evident when Mayella outbursts, "I got somethin' to say an' then I ain't gonna say no more. That n***** you took advantage of me an' if you fine fancy gentlemen don't wanna do nothin' about it then you're all yellow stinkin' cowards, stinkin' cowards, the lot of you" (Lee, p. 213). Mayella's outburst and the use of derogatory

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Frequently in life, it is said that the harmony and relationship between positive and negative must coexist in every situation. To Kill A Mockingbird, a novel written by Harper Lee, tells the story of a young girl, Scout, and her brother Jem, as they grow up in a segregated American south. Their critical coming of age lesson can be seen in the children’s experiences with Mrs. Dubose, an angry, insulting woman who is later revealed as a courageous figure that battles her morphine addiction by her own means. In chapter eleven of To Kill A Mockingbird, Jem acts out against Mrs. Dubose in defense of his father and family through destroying her prized, beautiful camellia bushes. As punishment, Jem’s father Atticus condemns Jem to read to Mrs. Dubose

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Mayella is not a sympathetic character because she lied under oath, “tempts” a married black man, and was the reason Tom died. During the trial Atticus asks Mayella if her dad ever has beaten her, or abused her in anyway.

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Mayella Ewell is a white woman, from Maycomb, Alabama, accusing an African American man named Tom Robinson, of Rape. In To Kill A Mockingbird the Ewell’s are very unfortunate. Mayella would get abused by her father, Bob Ewell, when he would get drunk. Nobody in Mayella’s town would help her because of her race,class,and gender. This could make Mayella not powerful.

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The African-American community of Maycomb respects Atticus for doing his best with what he is given and for treating everyone with respect. Scout may not realize at first why she must stand up while her father is leaving, but since she is sitting with the community of African-Americans, she quickly realizes that it is a sign of respect, and it makes the audience feel proud. On the contrary, Mayella Ewell makes a remark that can lead the audience into thinking a variety of things, one of which is terrifying. While Tom Robinson is giving his testimony and explaining what happened while he was in the Ewell house, he states, “She says what her papa do to her don’t count,” (260). Someone could read this and think that her father is raping her, which is very alarming.

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“Atticus was quietly building up before the jury a picture of the Ewells’ home life… and there was a strong suspicion that Papa drank it up anyway.” (Narrator 244). Atticus portrays Mayella’s life at home, he tries to get the jury to feel sorry for her which helped him to be successful in the trial. Since Atticus was acting so nice and acting like he relates to Mayella, she eventually let her guard down and got cornered by Atticus. Atticus “trapped” Mayella, and the only reason he was successful in doing so was because of his solicitude.

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Mayella was not favored by the people in Maycomb. She was extremely poor and never spoke on any harassment she suffered from her father. Tom Robinson attempts to get the truth out in the open when he is giving his testimony, “She said what her papa do to her don’t count” (Doc B). Mayella doesn’t fully understand that her father is physically abusive towards her. To her it’s just love.

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Most people in the town know her as a poor girl with a huge family and really bad manners. She was the victim of rape and Tom Robinson (a black man) was accused of it. During the trial Mayella acted very scared and un-proper. She says “Your fancy airs don't come to nothin'—your ma'amin' and Miss Mayellerin' don't come to nothin', Mr. Finch-" (Lee 251 ) when all Atticus was doing was treating her with simple respect, calling her ma’am and Miss Mayella.

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During trial, it is revealed that Mayella is verbally, physically, and sexually abused by her father. Mr. Ewell intimates Mayella by tipping his chair against the railing when she tries to give them an honest answer to what he really does [Doc B]. In addition, according to Tom Robinsons testimony, Mr. Ewell called his daughter a “Whore”, Threatened to kill her, which is clear verbal Abuse , Also Mayella says “What her papa do to her don’t count”, this means the actions she tried to do with Tom Robinson is the same actions Mr. Ewell does on Mayella, intimating sexual abuse[Doc B]. Finally Atticus closing statement says Mayella has been beaten “Savagely”. This means that her father beats her [Doc B].

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Ewell takes a stand to defend Mayella in the courtroom when Atticus starts to realize that Mr. Ewell could’ve been guilty for Mayella’s rape. Atticus tries to prove that Mr. Ewell is guilty by intentionally asking Mayella questions, but Mayella refuses to prove that Mr. Ewell is guilty and responds to this saying “I got somethin’ to say an’ then I ain’t gonna say no more. That nigger yonder took advantage of me.. “ (Lee 251). This quote symbolizes the judgement that Mayella made on Tom Robinson to prove that he’s guilty.

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‘That’s what I [Mayella] said.’ ‘Do you remember him beating you about the face?’ The witness hesitated. Lee, 210. This is equally as important because it shows that Mayella is conflicted between blaming Tom for injuries that she clearly sustained from Bob, which we know from Bob’s testimony from earlier, or just admitting that Bob had beaten her, which could cause her to be beaten

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Her desires were stronger than the code she was breaking. When she tried to put the evidence of her offense away, instead of being honest, she had put a man’s life in danger. However, Mayella is not a criminal. She is simply a woman who carries a heavy burden with no one to support or respect her. Mayella is a victim of abuse and

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“‘... 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(Doc B)....’” Mayella knows that no white man will love her, because she is poor, so she goes to the next best thing which is Tom. “She reached up an’ kissed me’ side of th’ face(Doc B).” Based on the evidence she is powerless based on her

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Abuse has a bad effect on children everywhere causing them to lash out in different ways as Mayella did in her environment. For example, kids that come from negligent families often have trouble connecting with others. Throughout the story, Mayella has shown signs that prove that she lacked simple social skills to understand who she should trust or when people are being nice to her. Further, Mayella exhibits attachment issues and tendency to take risky sexual decisions such as she had done with Tom Robinson, which essentially can be attributed to be consequence of abuse perpetrated by Bob Ewell and his out of control drinking habit. The fact that she knew the consequences of abuse should have been a deterrent to her misbehavior with Tom Robinson During Mayella’s testimony, Mayella’s father is exposed as an alcoholic who is intolerable when drunk.

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First, she had to make up a story about Tom Robinson because she had kissed a black man, which was frowned upon for a white woman to do. “She was white and she tempted a Negro. She did something that in our society in unspeakable: she kissed a black man”(272). Mayella is also used as an example when she convinces the jury to convict an innocent black man because of Southern Womanhood. “That n***** took advantage of me, an’ if you fine fancy gentlemen don’t wanna do nothin’ about it then you’re all yellow stinkin’ cowards, stinkin’ cowards, the lot of you”(251).

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