How Does Mayella Have A Lot Of Power In To Kill A Mockingbird

In the small town of Maycomb, Alabama lives Miss Mayella Ewell. She is a smart but helpless teen that accuses Tom Robinson of rape to escape from her father's abuse. In “To Kill A Mockingbird”, Mayella is powerful, as defined by class, race, and gender. All though in many circumstances, Mayella's class and gender make her less powerful than most, her race makes her more powerful than substantially all negroes.

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” Mayella seduce Tom so he can be convicted of rape. Is Mayella powerful in race? I conclude that, yes that Mayella is powerful in race. She was seducing Tom forcefully making him looking like he was raping Mayella violently, and Bob Ewell saw through

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.

Since Mayella was a female, she has some power when it came to gender. It was a lot easier for her to make a big deal out of being raped, but since it was a African American they had to make a much larger deal

Mayella Ewell’s race significantly contributes to the reason why she has power. Mayella is white, which in Maycomb makes her better than Tom Robinson since he is black. Mayella accused Tom of raping her, even though Tom testified that Mayella tried to make a move on him, but since Mayella was a white woman it made Tom look guilty, and he knew that. During the trial when Mr. Gilmer who is the prosecutor, is interrogating Tom Robinson, he asks Tom why he had fled the house so fast Tom answered that he was scared to be in a “fix” like that. Mr. Gilmer keeps insisting that Tom was afraid because he was guilty, “No,suh, scared I’d have to face up to what I did not do.”(DBQ The”evil assumption”19), Tom knew that just by being in the wrong place at the wrong time he was going to be blamed for something he didn’t do. The

Mayella is powerful in regards to her race; however, she is not powerful in regards to her gender and social class. One of the many challenges Mayella Ewell faces dealing with power is her social class. Mayella is far from wealthy and her father has a bad reputation. While at Tom Robinson’s trial, Scout explains, “Maycomb’s Ewells lived behind the town garbage dump in what was once a Negro cabin” (Lee Document A).

Mayella has power even though Atticus shut down everything, she said. Mayella’s words, being a white woman, have more power than anything that Tom Robinson says. If Tom Robinson was a white man, this case would be a massacre in favor of Tom and Atticus. But since Tom Robinson is a man of colored skin, Mayella has all the power in the situation. Mayella also uses her womanhood to seem more frail, which she uses to warm the hearts of the jury and brainwash them into thinking she is on the right.

All of this shows that Mayella is more powerful due to her

Through the history of empires and populations, power has controlled most things on Earth. Many people have gained power through their gender, social class, and race. Harper Lee’s novel To Kill A Mockingbird exploits many ways that one gains power. Mayella Ewell struggles to obtain power since she is known as the poor girl in the small city of Maycomb, Alabama. Mayella does not have power through her gender or low social class; however, she has power in regards to her race since the novel is set in Alabama in 1933-1935 where segregation was a serious issue between blacks and whites.

She was unsure of her answers when she replies to Atticus by saying, “No, I don’t recollect if he hit me. I mean yes I do, he hit me” (Lee 248). Mayella was all over the place with her answer to if she remembers Tom hitting her. Even though she went back and forth with her answers the jury went on Mayella’s side because she can say that she was raped and they will believe her. Mayella does not want to say that her dad beats her when she says, “He does tollable, ‘cept when—” (Document B). Everyone ignores the fact that Mayella’s dad beats her even though Atticus has evidence. Her race is a big factor with the jury determining whether he is guilty or innocent. Mayella used her gender to convince to jury that Tom was

For centuries, the formula for power has been forever-changing. Three crucial components that have determined a massive portion of power are gender, race, and social class. In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the theme of power is portrayed as a character by the name of Mayella Ewell falsely accuses a black man of rape. This situation displays the struggle for power that is seen throughout the novel. Mayella Ewell may not have power in regards to her social class or gender; however, she does have power in regards to her race.

Mayella has power because of her race, but she wouldn’t be in court if she was black and if she.

She says what her papa do to her don't count.” This proves that Mayella doesn't have any power in the gender category. This quote is justified that her father sexually abuses her at home. Bob Ewell doesn't give Mayella any respect as a woman. In the Background Essay, it states “ Any white woman who shall suffer or permit herself to be got with child by a negro or mulatto… shall be sentenced to the penitentiary for not less than eighteen months.”

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

As Tom was being questioned by Mr. Gilmer, he was asked why he decided to help Mayella and he said that he felt sorry for her. Gilmer reacted by saying, “The witness realized his mistake and shifted uncomfortably in the chair” (Lee). For a black male to say that he felt bad for a white person back in those times is a sign of saying that he feels pity and saying he is has more power but with that reaction, we can infer that it was wrong for a black person to think they have more power than a white person. When Jem felt very good about winning the case Reverend Sykes had to intervene, ““Now don’t you be so confident, Mr. Jem, I ain’t ever seen any jury decide in favor of a colored man over a white man…”” (Lee). Even with very good evidence and a very good case, black people have a huge disadvantage, and that is their skin color. With Mayella being white, it is impossible to deny that she has a lack of power in the time when she