Mayella Lacks Power In To Kill A Mockingbird

Mayella is not powerful under the circumstances of her race. In the trial Atticus Finch is questioning Mayella by calling her Ma’am and Miss Mayella. She says, “...He keeps on callin’ me ma’am and sayin’ Miss Mayella. I don’t hafta take his sass…”. (“DBQ is Mayella Ewell Powerful?” 17) Later in the trial Mr. Gilmer is speaking to Tom Robinson and calls him “boy” ,even though Tom is a grown man that should be called sir. Tom knows how to be treated though being black. Mayella did not understand how to be treated formally. Mayella is white and does not get treated fairly though being white, and Tom knows how to be treated and does not dispute about it being black. This shows how Mayella is not powerful, even within the standards of race.

Mayella had a great amount of power in the courtroom during the trial of Tom Robinson. This completely classless manipulative woman used the disadvantages she was dealt in life to her benefit. She made advances toward this black man, when he did not reciprocate those feelings she accused him of rape. He is convicted and sent to prison because of her. Through this, she also gains power that removes her from her father’s sexual abuse. He does not want her because of the relations with a

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.

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 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

Due to Mayella's race she gains power. Mayella is white, living in the 1930's time period. So she will have very little power. The jury will take the side of a white woman over the side of a negro man. This is the only power that Mayella has and uses her race to her advantage in a bad way.

In detail of proving Mayella’s power, evidence from document E supports the power she has in her class. Mayella does not feel bad or guilty for what she has done to Tom Robinson. She grew up not knowing too much, so it did not bother to her what she was doing was either right or wrong. Tom Robinson was also an African American living in the 1930’s, and he was the only “decent” person to her. Tom Robinson would have nothing to do with her, because she lived among pigs. As her in her class,

(“DBQ: Is Mayella Powerful?” 15) With this situation in mind, Mayella gains power because the jury can see how Mayella is usually treated by her father, which brings her closer to completing her plan and getting rid of her father. When measuring power, the factors of gender and social class are closely related.

In the book “To Kill A Mockingbird”, Mayella Ewell is the conflict of the story. To challenge herself to see if she is powerful based on class, gender, and race. Mayella is powerful due to her race; however, she would not be powerful due to her class and gender. One might think she is powerful over all; however, she does not have power in the eyes of some readers. Proceeding on to see if Mayella has power in race.

An example of her race being powerful is “okay, we’ll convict this Negro (Doc. A).”just because Mayella said this black man raped her with no proof they’d convict him because she’s white and he is black. Another example on how Mayella is powerful is “‘were you… scared of arrest, scared you’d have to face up to what you did?’ ‘no suh, scared i’d have to face up to what i didn’t do’ (Doc. C).” and ironic effect “‘yes, suh. I felt sorry for her’ (Doc. e).” because a black man feeling sorry for a white person was known to be disrespectful, but it shows power for her as a white woman because they had no freedom, and they were usually

In the first paragraph I will explain why and how I believe Mayella Ewell is not powerful, with the use of class.First off I would like to show you one of my biggest reasons for believing Mayella is not powerful “Maycombs Ewells lived behind the town garbage dump in what used to be a negro cabin”.(DBQ:Is mayella Ewell powerful?13)The second reason I believe Mayella Ewell is not powerful while using class for my examples is that “longs as he keeps on callin’ me ma’am and sayin miss Mayella.I don’t hafta take his sass, I ain’t called upon to take it” (DBQ: Is Mayella Ewell powerful?.17). Now you can see even in her dialect she does not know or have class, you can also tell by the way she is not used to being called ma’am and miss Mayella.Next I will show how much of a lower class the Ewells are in “Mayella Ewell must have the loneliest person in the world…; white people wouldn't have anything to do with her because she lived among pigs”(DBQ:Is mayella Ewell powerful”21).The final reason I believe Mayella

Mayella is powerless when it comes to race. The third example, “White people did not want anything to do with Mayella because she lived among pigs, Negroes wouldn’t want anything to do with her because she was white; Tom Robinson felt sorry for Mayella and he was probably the only one who was decent to her” (E1). Mayella doesn’t have any friends. Tom is African American and you shouldn’t feel sorry for someone who isn’t above you. Mayella is not powerful because Mayella is not superior compared to Tom Robinson.

How powerful is Mayella in certain situations? Mayela is white but she is poor and equal to the other race, but at trial, she is white, with a white jury, and in a building filled with mostly white people. Mayella is poor, lives behind the dump, at a pig farm, and in an abandoned slave cabin. Mayella is a woman, and when she is crying or being assaulted we feel sorry for her and she uses the sympathy as her advantage during the trial. How powerful is Mayella in class, race, and gender?

woman accused a black man of rape.Mayella is a woman and lower class but because she was white it gave her power.

Mayella’s race is powerful in the story because she is a white poor woman who lives being the towns garbage dump in what once used to be a negro cabin. “Mayella Ewell must have been the loneliest person in the world: white people wouldn’t have anything to do with her because she lived among pigs; Negros wouldn’t have anything to do with her because she’s white” Quote(Lee chapter 19). The quote gave Mayella even more power by showing everyone how poor and innocent she was, giving her an advantage to win the case. The quote is saying why would a poor white woman be lying about getting raped by a negro male, the jury would believe Mayella more.