Mayella Ewells In To Kill A Mockingbird

He has put himself, and his family at the top, and black people at the bottom. Throughout the book, Harper Lee there introduces the Cunninghams, who are more poor than Finch’s, and then the Ewells, who are the poorest, living behind the dump. On the other hand, Miss Caroline, an outsider from northern Alabama, does not understand the social ranks in Maycomb. Scout tries to explain to her, ‘“That’s okay, ma’am, you'll get to know all the county folks after a while”’ (Lee 22).

Mayella Ewell is a lower class woman that “lives behind the city dump”(Lee, Chapter 17). She has accused Tom Robinson of raping her. Her dad, Bob Ewell is very abusive to his daughter, but no one knows about it yet. All this takes place in the 1930’s in Maycomb Alabama. It states in the text that “Mayella looked as if she tried to keep clean” (Lee, Chapter 18).

In Maycomb, Alabama, Mayella Ewell accused an African American man, Tom Robinson with allegations of rape. Mayella was powerful back in the 1930 because of the Jim crow laws, considering that she was a white woman. Although Mayella was so poor that she lived behind the town dump. Mayella was just about as poor as the African Americans, it quotes “White people wouldn't have anything to do with her because she lived among the pigs.” ("DBQ: Is Mayella Powerful?" 21). That explains that Mayella could not afford to live and also have many of the things she wanted. On the other hand, Mayella was an white woman going to court against an African American man.

In the town of Maycomb, hereditary relations play a large part in one’s reputation, meaning that the social status of your family instantly becomes your own. The character of Mayella Ewell

As a result of the Ewell’s living behind the Maycomb county dump, Mayella is looked down on. “We’ll convict this Negro but get back to your dump (Doc A).” This quote shows that though Mayella had won the case against Tom Robinson, the Ewells were still thought of as nothing. “White people wouldn’t have anything to do with her because she lived among pigs; Negroes [the Ewell’s nearest neighbors] wouldn’t have anything to do with her because she was white (Doc E).” Powerful white people looked down on Mayella because she lived in filth; black people would not either because she was white. “Long as he keeps callin’ me Ma’am and sayin’ Miss Mayella, I don’t hafta take his sass (Doc C).” Mayella is not used to being respected as she is poor and is not treated fairly. This shows how Mayella’s class ties with her power.

Do you know what it feels like to be powerless? A white nineteen year old woman named Mayella Ewell falsely accuses a black man of raping her in Maycomb, Alabama, in the 1930’s, and rendering her powerless comes from being recessive in her social class, race, and gender. She accuses Tom Robinson of rape in hopes of escaping her abusive father, and a chance to have a better life. Although Mayella is white, African Americans and other white people shun her throughout To Kill a Mockingbird. Mayella is a very young woman that does not own anything nice, nor clean, besides geranium flowers. During the 1930’s, men were the dominant sex, as a female, Mayella has to obey her father, Bob Ewell. As a result, Mayella is mistreated and abused.

Mayella Ewell is a tragic character in To Kill a Mockingbird. She is faced with many struggles involving her family and the people around her. Although Mayella is a poor white woman with an abusive father, no mother, and six siblings to take care of she does have power. Mayella Ewell is powerful as a character and continues to gain power in Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird when it comes to race, class and gender. Despite Mayella being very poor and in a lower class of the society in Maycomb Alabama she uses her status as a white female to manipulate others into deciding in her favor when dealing with her court case against Tom Robinson regarding him being wrongfully accused of

Mayella is forced to stay in her house and do chores and take care of her siblings since her father was too drunk to ever take care of them and their mother is dead. ¨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¨ (256 Lee). The only person she ever comes in contact with is Tom Robinson because ¨white people wouldn't have anything to do with her because she lived among pigs: Negroes wouldn't have anything to do with her because she was white¨(256 Lee). The Ewells were the lowest class of whites, they lived in a black community and had no money or education. The only people they had power over where the colored people, such as Tom Robinson.

She is used to living in a grimy house on an unsanitary property. Mayella selflessly operates at stage 6 when she grows the red geraniums on the Ewell property. Characters that behave at stage 6 operate with a sense of justice because they believe it’s the right thing to do, they may even break the law if they wholeheartedly believe it benefits everyone. In chapter 17, a character describes the Ewell property to be dirty and unsanitary but says, “against the fence, in a line, were six chipped-enamel slop jars holding brilliant red geraniums [...] people said the were Mayella Ewell’s (228). Mayella acts beyond her usual stinginess when doing this. She is trying to provide her and her six siblings with beauty so they can experience something out of the ordinary and lovely. Although the action of growing the geraniums isn’t breaking the law, it is going against the everyday filthy life the Ewells live. For once, Mayella isn’t thinking of herself, but of

. . . Its windows were merely open spaces in the walls” (Document A). The Ewell’s live in the dump part of town. Everyone looks down upon them because they have no money and they are not like the rest of the people in the city of Maycomb. They do not have the money to be able to make repairs on the house they live in, or to purchase a plentiful amount of food, or to buy new clothes.

Mayella is able to lie her way to making Tom look guilty and win the case because of her power against a black man. However, no matter how powerless Mayella was according to her class and gender, her race in a racial society gave her the ability to win the case against Tom. Because of her low class status, Mayella Ewell’s family lives in their “home”, otherwise known as their shack, which is fenced by tree-limbs and broomsticks (Doc A). In an attempt to make their home look beautiful, Mayella decorated their yard with red geraniums. Mayella’s low class status is also shown when she misunderstands “ma’am” as a term of disrespecting her (Doc C) and being ignored by black people and by white people of a higher social class (Doc E).

Harper Lee's novel To Kill a Mockingbird occurs during the Great Depression. Despite the setting taking place fifty years after slavery had officially ended, Maycomb County is depicted as an immensely segregated and prejudiced town. As a result, many of the townspeople assume the characteristics of other residents through town gossip and rumors. Because having a strong opinion on controversial issues in the town could lead to cruel consequences, many of the residents’ opinions and ideas are greatly influenced by others. The fear of being judged and rejected from society causes many of Maycomb County’s people to conceal the truth about the false gossip which hoodwinks the others into misinterpreting and believing the gossip. Miss Maudie Atkinson, a young widow, is one of the few characters in the novel that displays her own individuality and protests against what she does not believe to be true. Miss Maudie's positive trait of bravery makes her an asset to the Maycomb community because through her distinctiveness, she becomes a role model for individuals such as Scout Finch.

The Ewells, of which Mayella is a member, are the bottom of the white hierarchy in Maycomb because of their laziness, filthiness, and overall impression as white trash. Mayella, who is portrayed as an exception to this trend, most notably when the author describes her germanium plants as beautiful flowers, is stuck in a world she cannot live in. Also, her father both physically and sexually abuses her in the book, which adds to Mayella’s pain and suffering. At one point in the trial though, Mayella, under fierce questioning from Atticus, “became articulate” and states “I’ve got something to say” on page 188, indicating she wants to tell the truth. However, the fear of both her father’s retribution and the town’s reaction prompts her to lambast the jury instead. Furthermore, Mayella faces an internal conflict between her real affection for Tom and the social realities of her time. Mayella is torn between this struggle and her father’s actions, so she accuses Tom of rape as a coping mechanism and under duress. In fact, Mayella can be compared to Ruth in The Color of Water in that both were abused by their fathers and experienced rough childhoods marked by vicious discrimination and a sense of loneliness.

Throughout history power has been distributed among people in different forms. Three components contribute to this and are seen over and over again. Some ways people gain power is from their social class, their gender, and their race. In Harper Lee’s novel To Kill A Mockingbird these components are present relating to power. Mayella has power related to her race but however she does not have power with her class and gender.

In addition to not being able to show their true selves, these individuals also find themselves in problematic situations. Mayella Ewell, from the book To Kill a Mockingbird, feels hesitant with her answer to Atticus Finch’s question about Mayella’s father, Bob Ewell: