Who Is Tom Robinson's Power In To Kill A Mockingbird

In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Mayella Ewell is a powerful character. Mayella get’s her power from her class,race,and gender. Her power mostly comes from her race. Tom Robinson has been accused of rape by Mayella Ewell. Mayella race is where most of her power comes from. Her being a white woman in the 1930’s in Maycomb, Alabama helps because, of the Jim Crow laws which was made to segregate the black and white people. The trial of Mayella being raped by Tom Robinson is based on race because, Tom Robinson is a Negro and does not have power.Mr. Gilmer said to Tom Robinson “Are you being impudent to me,boy?’’. ("DBQ is Mayella Ewells powerful" 17). Tom is a grown man and has two kids and a wife and should not be called a boy by calling him that Mr.Gilmer is showing that he does not have respect for Tom, he should be called sir which shows respect.

Being a women in Maycomb, Alabama in the 1930s gave you some power. If you were a woman during this time the men will open the doors for, let you go first, and do whatever they can to please you. “Ma’am? Asked Atticus, startled”. ("DBQ is Mayella Ewells powerful" 17). They call the women and girls ma’am to show the respect they have for them. Mayella has never been called ma’am because, her dad,Bob Ewells, never showed her respect and she thought Atticus was mocking her but, he was not he was showing her respect. Mayella’s class gives her little to no power. She lives in an old Negro cabin behind the dump.”He thought he’d be a hero, but all he got for his pain was...okay, we’ll convict this Negro but get back to your dump.’’("DBQ is Mayella Ewells powerful" 13). Bob thought people would love him because, he won the trial against Tom Robinson. Instead they told him to go back to his dump. Mayella doesn't fit in with the rest of the whites because, of where she lives. She has some red geraniums in one corner of her yard, which shows she has