How Does Mayella Have Power In To Kill A Mockingbird

As a female, she is vulnerable to rape and has little power to stop the rape by her father. The people of Maycomb believe women are helpless, fragile, and only fit to be housewives. Being a woman makes Mayella appear weak and easy to take advantage of. However, she ultimately uses what appears to be a weakness to her benefit in making the case against Tom and getting away from her father.

The definition of power is to have control over a person's life as well as the lives of those around them. The Jim Crow Laws are laws that separate the whites from the African-American. Southern women in the 1930s are considered delicate and fragile. In the book To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Mayella Ewell accuses Tom Robinson of raping her. At the end of the book, Tom Robinson was executed because he tried to escape prison. Mayella and her family are non-working poor people who live by the dump. Mayella accuses Tom Robinson of raping her. Tom Robinson is an African-American, who is considered to be the lowest class during the 1930s. Race refers to the categorization of people based on physical differences. Class refers to a person’s level of income and education and often boils down to how much money one is able to earn. Gender refers to the roles and behaviors that society expects from men and women. Mayella Ewell can be a powerful or powerless character. Mayella is powerless because of her class, but her gender and race ultimately make's her powerful.

Mayella is so poor that she lived behind the local town dump. The old dump, was once also an old Negro cabin, it was very decrepit and was not very clean. Mr. Ewell and Mayella were just about as poor as the African Americans, sometimes the colored folks would even look down on them. Although, they were still able to afford more them the African Americans could, they could have had better living conditions. “... Okay we’ll convict this Negro but get back to your dump.” ("DBQ: Is Mayella Powerful?" 13 ). This was showing that everyone in Maycomb knew they were very poor and did not seem to care, or offer to help.

In conclusion, Mayella does not have power. Mayella only gains the small amount of power she has from her race. With her being a woman decreases her power, sad well as with her class. Mayella lives in the very lowest class you can be. In conclusion, Mayella does not have power because her gender and class over rule her

In addition to Mayella’s race making her powerful her class in society contributed to that power. Even though Mayella was very low in society and looked down upon by the white people in the town of maycomb town, she uses what the people know and think of her to make them feel bad for her and it eventually was what made her win the case against Tom Robinson. For Mayella her class was mostly what started her plan to accuse Tom. This is because she wanted out of her place in society and away from her home where her father was beating and sexualy abussing her. Mayella was gaining power because she had her plan worked out that no matter what happened to Tom she would be able to get away from her father and her home in front of the dump. Mayella was never meant to be placed in that part of society and it is made clear when Scout talks about her appearance “Mayella looked as if she tried to keep clean, and i was reminded of the row of red geraniums in the Ewell yard”. (“DBQ: Is Mayella Ewell Powerful?” 13) While Mayella has a low place in society she is still thought to be better than the colored people and it is looked to be a crime for a African American to think or even consider being better than a white person. This thought and viewpoint is really what made Mayella win the

In To Kill a Mockingbird, Mayella is powerful based on class, gender, and race. The book shows us how she does have power, and gives supporting evidence. In this time period, in a small racist Southern community during the 1930’s, all of the categories listed are very important and contributes a lot to a person. Each category has its own reasoning why Mayella is powerful. Mayella has much more power than the other person in their situation, because of all of the listed evidence. Mayella is in a trial up against a black male, Tom Robinson, who she accused of trying to rape her. They were also caught by Mr. Ewell, Mayella's father. Therefore, Tom Robinson has little to no chance of winning the case based off class, gender, and race especially during this time period.

Just like gender, Mayella has power when it comes to her social class. Throughout the trial, Mayella was always called Ma’am. “I will not answer a word you say, as long as you keep mocking me.” (“DBQ: Is Mayella Powerful?” 17) Mayella was not used to being called Ma’am, which is why she thought that she was being mocked by Atticus. This shows that Mayella is usually not respected by anyone, including her father. In addition with Mayella being called Ma’am, the judge calls Tom Robinson by a certain name, which shows that he is from a lower class. “That old Mr. Gilmer doing him thataway, talking so hateful to him, the way that man called him “boy” all the time and sneered at him.” (“DBQ: Is Mayella Powerful?” 17) When considering the social class factor, Mayella is very powerful. Mayella’s social class gives her power because with her class, she is well respected by others, and especially by Negros. People respect her more than they do Tom Robinson, which gives her an advantage in the trial. At another point in the trial, Tom was asked why he

What is power? Power is having control over your own life or someone else’s life. Sometimes what determines if someone has power is class, gender, and race. In the book To kill a Mockingbird Tom Robinson, a black man, was wrongfully accused of raping Mayela Ewell, a poor white girl. When they go to trial power is shown in class, gender, and race.

She has no power because she is female. When Tom is questioned at the trial, he explains how he got into the “situation” in the beginning. Tom repeated to the jury during the court case “she said what her papa do don’t count” (Lee Doc.B). Being a woman, when Tom told this statement to the jury, it showed that Mayella is sexually abused by her father, Bob Ewell. To add, Mayella later in the court case, accidentally showed emotion when Atticus questioned her about physical abuse. For instance, Atticus repeatedly questioned Mayella and ended with “except when he’s drinking”(Lee Doc. B). Mayella is physically abused by her father. Being female, she has no power to fight back, leaving her powerless. Though Mayella has power in her race, she is still powerless in her general because she is

She has limited power in her house because her father is the man of the house. She gets abused multiple times in her house as well. Mayella get verbally abused by her father. He father is noted as in saying inappropriately mean things to his daughter. She is also physically abused by her father as Atticus Finch states that she had been “beaten savagely.”(Doc B) Not only was she abused verbally, and physically, but sexualy too. When she was attempting to kiss Tom Robinson, she was noted of say “What my daddy does to me don’t count”(Doc B). Being a woman, Mayella had restrictions to her life, and was held back from power because of her

She’s a woman and women were not respected as much, than men were. When Atticus is questioning Mayella, her father intimidates her by leaning back near the railing with his chair (Doc B). She does not answer Atticus’s question truthfully. Mayella is also abused by her father. Her father shouts at her, “Goddamn whore, I’ll kill ya” (Doc B). Her gender is powerless because her father has more power over her. Mayella was beaten savagely by someone left handed (Doc B). In this case, Tom was right handed and the only person left handed was her father, who is a drinker. Mayella’s gender was powerless because she was a

Mayella is powerless because of her gender: “She says what her papa do to her don’t count” (Document B). This implies that she is being abused by her father. You can also tell that Mayella does not have class power because of the way she reacts when Atticus addresses her: “Long’s he keeps on callin‘ me ma’am an sayin’ Miss Mayella. I don’t hafta take his sass, I ain’t called upon to take it.” (Document B).

Atticus questions Mayella: “‘I mean, is he good to you, is he easy to get along with?’He does tollable, ‘cept when—’‘Except when?’ 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. ‘Except when nothin‘,’said Mayella. “I said he does tollable.’ Mr. Ewell leaned back again’” (Lee 18). Mayella is being abused with power by her father since her father has more power than her which makes Mayella afraid to even speak. While being questioned, Tom Robinson states what Mayella told him: “She says what her papa do don’t count” (Lee 18). Mayella is shown being abused by her father again since Mayella has no power in regards to gender. Mayella is powerless in regards to gender since she is a powerless woman in her time period. Although Mayella is powerless in gender, she is powerful in

Of the three main ways to obtain power Mayella doesn’t gain power through her gender. The author states, “what did your father do? We don’t know, but there is circumstantial evidence to

Mayella has no power regarding class because she is among the poorest and lowest class in Maycomb. She is constantly reminded of her low class status, especially during the trial when her father is told “‘we’ll convict this Negro, but get back to your dump,’’’ (Lee 27). This line applies not just to Bob Ewell, but to Mayella also because that dump is her home too. Her life is just like her home, garbage. Mayella’s life, according to Lillia