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Tom Robinson Trial Essay

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The novel To Kill A Mockingbird is set in Maycomb, Alabama during the Great Depression. The story is narrated by Scout Finch as a child, and Jean Louise Finch as an adult looking back on the events of childhood. Scout presents two different perspectives to the Tom Robinson trial. During this period of time, the county was very split up with much tension between different types of citizens and what they believe to be true. Although Mayella is not very powerful throughout the whole book, she gains more power during the trial when she is against Tom Robinson. In a small town like maycomb, most people do not have much money but Mayella Ewell is stuck as the lowest of lows. Due to her family’s low income, Mayella does not have many opportunities to make a life of her own or do anything for herself. She is stuck with her father where Mayella babysits her younger siblings. Also Mayella did not have much of an education to get a job or make money for herself. Many people either looked down on her family because the Ewells were so poor, while others felt sorry for her. During the Tom Robinson trial, Tom was questioned about why he helped Mayella with her chores. He replied “I felt right sorry for her”. Even someone like Tom Robinson admitted that he had felt sorry for Mayella. …show more content…

Mayella’s father took advantage of her and used her. Not only did he use her for chores and babysitting, he abused her verbally, physically, and also sexually. Bob Ewell manipulates Mayella by forcing her to put all of the blame on Tom Robinson during the trial. Mayella is pressured by Bob Ewell, her father, to keep everything that happens at home a secret from everyone else. Also, Mayella admits that her father is tolerable to live with, except when he is drinking. Bob Ewell tries to overpower Mayella any chance he can get, just to make her

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Mayella feels guilty after lying under oath in court. Mayella lied about Tom Robinson raping her because she doesn't want her dad to beat her up if she tells the truth. PARTIES Members of the jury, the state will review the evidence against Mayella Ewell who let her greed influence her decision to lie under oath. While her father Bob Ewell forced her to lie about the case so he wouldn't be

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Ewell, her father bought a chifforobe to chop up, then Tom Robinson came by and she gave him a nickel for busting up the chifforobe. Mayella went in the house to get a nickel for him. Before she knew it, he was on her, cussing her out, and hit her, chocked her, and beat her several times. She also claims she screamed and fought back when she could, but that he took “full advantage” of her and “he done what he was after.” In Tom Robinson’s testimony, he says he passed Mayella’s house going to and from the field every day, and sometimes she would have work that needed to be done that he would do with no charge.

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Due to her living conditions, she is uneducated on the matter. In addition, in the Ewell’s household, Mayella has no supportive influence to help her with her situation. The jury learns that in their household, “Everyone was for himself,” (Lee, p.245). This proves that they were independent and had no one to help make their decisions. As well, their mother is dead and their father is not concerned.

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During the trial, Tom Robinson revealed that Mayella’s father verbally and sexually abuses her. Tom states “She says she never kissed a grown man before. She says what her papa do to her don’t count.” (Doc. B) After Mr. Ewell caught Tom and Mayella, he called Mayella a “goddamn whore” and threatens her by saying “I’ll kill ya.” (Doc. B)

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Is Mayella Ewell powerful or not? Mayella Ewell, the poorest girl in the town of Maycomb, Alabama, living on a pig farm with her abusive father and in an abandoned Negro shack. The Ewell’s are the lowest of the low in the town of Maycomb, in rank wise and are not respected too much either. Bob Ewell, father of Mayella Ewell is an abusive man, sexually and physically and has an alcoholic problem. Mayella is usually beaten and sexually assaulted by him, especially when he is drinking, but Mayella has a plan that will let her be free from Bob.

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Because of Mr Ewell’s way of life and his pattern of abusive behaviour, Mayella and her siblings “lived like animals”. This sad living situation is what led to Mayella’s desperate attempt at a relationship with Tom, therefore bringing the blame back to Mr Ewell. Though it is not stated it the text explicitly, it is likely that it was Bob Ewell, rather than Mayella that came up with the plan of accusing Tom of rape, as it would give Mr Ewell a chance to simultaneously publicly denounce a black man and make himself out to be the hero of the story. This is why, despite Tom’s conviction, Mr Ewell is infuriated by the results of the trial, as Atticus was still able to destroy “his last shred of credibility”, the exact opposite of what Bob had planned for the trial. This would suggest that Bob Ewell was willing to have Tom killed, not because he truly believed he had committed a crime, but rather so he could promote his own prejudiced narrative at the trial and restore to himself the power that the social structures of Maycomb had taken away.

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Bob Ewell intimidated Mayella to lie on the witness stand, which led the jury to believe that she was telling the truth. You could tell that Mayella is under the intimidation of her father when she is testifying: “Mayella looked at her father, who was sitting with his chair tipped against the railing He sat up straight and waited for her to answer.” (Lee 245). As they were interrogating Mayella, she would constantly look at her father, as if she was waiting for approval. This implies that her father told her what to do and what to say.

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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.

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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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Mayella was born in the lowest class. Being poor in Maycomb wasn’t uncommon but as poor as she was, it was a little much. Mayella tried to be normal compared to her family. When being described, “Mr. Ewell had a scalded look; as if an overnight soaking had deprived him of protective layers of dirt… Mayella looked as if she tried to keep clean,” (Lee 239) Mayella tried to be a decent person unlike the family she was born into.

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For instance, determination in Bob Ewell is involved in a variety of situations throughout the story. Bob Ewell is determined to be victorious in the case between his daughter, Mayella, and Tom Robinson. He is there for her to guide her through it alongside their lawyer, Mr. Gilmer. It is thought to be that Tom Robinson rapes Mayella Ewell one day. Bob Ewell arrives to the scene and sees Tom raping Mayella which leads to where Tom panics and runs off into the distance.

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Mayella's family is at fault for the lack of education and irresponsible actions of both Bob and Mayella Mr. Ewell is a bad, irresponsible father. Not just

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In the novel, we get a glimpse of Mayella’s lonely life. Her loneliness is what made her make advances on Tom Robinson, the only person who was ever kind to her. “...it came to me that Mayella Ewell must have been the loneliest person in the world. She was even lonelier than Boo Radley, who had not been out of the house in twenty five years. Tom Robinson was probably the only person who was ever decent to her,” (Lee, 256).

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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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