How Is Mayella Ewell Unpowerful

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 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

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.

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.

Third, Mayella lacks power also, because she is a female,and they think little of her. “Mayella

Is Mayella ewell powerful?That is the question that is asked and must be answered.Throughout the story” To kill a mockingbird” Mayella shows some glimpses of power but not enough to say she is powerful.For example in the beginning she shows that she can not even control her home life so how can she be powerful.Also she shows that she is just too poor for her to have power.Now in the next three paragraphs I will explain my thinking on why I believe Mayella is not powerful.

In the novel Mayella lives in an old Negro cabin, its windows are merely open places in the walls. Bits of tree lems, tool shafts as a fence.(Doc A, Pg 13) Mayella’s class of people treats her with no respect so when she went to the trial when Tom’s lawyer Mr. Finch call her “Ma’am and Miss” she was offended because she thought she was getting made fun of. Mayella also has little power white people in the higher class even her father. Mayella is so poor and lonely she has only the little things to hold on to, but with this in mind she tried to be better. Mayella was the one decent Ewell “Mayella looked as she tried to keep clean” she tired to grow and become better unlike her seven brothers who never cared about their future. In the DBQ Project: Pg 21, it states that “ Mayella must be the loneliest person in the world…. white people wouldn’t have anything to do with her because she lived among pigs; Negroes [ the Ewells nearest neighbors] wouldn’t have anything to do with her because she was white… Tom Robinson was probably the only person who was ever decent to her because she was not very social because when she tempted Tom Robinson by kissing him on the cheek she said she never kissed a grown man before (DBQ Project: Pg

Is she able to control one’s own life? Yes, Mayella is powerful. She is powerful because of her gender and race. Mayella is powerful because of her gender. She is treated nicely because she is a lady.

In this story, there are a lot of things that do and do not show that Mayella has power. Mayella is a very poor white woman from Maycomb, Alabama who is living during the Great Depression. Mayella lives in an old Negro cabin on a pig farm behind the town dump. Mayella has a rough life, but there are many things that she takes advantage of to get power. Mayella uses her class, race, and gender to gain power over others.

Mayella has a low standard class because she is poor, she is not that powerful in a sense for class. Mayella say’s “Long’s he keeps on callin‘ me ma’am an sayin’ Miss Mayella.” Mayella does not do well with others and takes kindness as an offensive type of way, Mayella isn’t used to kind words and manners, also she doesn’t have a lot of money and lives in bad are that caused the problems. Atticus states “She was even lonelier than Boo Radley” Mayella shows that she doesn’t talk to many people and

Mayella Ewell is often mentally, physically, and sexually abused by her father Bob Ewell. Even though Mayella takes care of her siblings each day, she is lonely most of the time, considering nobody wants to be around her. Her father abuses her and beats her often, and Mayella wants the abuse to come to an end. Mayella comes up with and fulfills a plan to end the abuse coming from her father. Her plan involved a Negro man named Tom Robinson. Mayella accuses Tom of beating and raping her, and brings Tom to court, and goes up against him in a trial. Her plan was successful and came out in her favor because she was manipulative, and she knew what it took to win the trial. Mayella Ewell, a poor, white woman, who lives on a dump, is seen as

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

Mayella Ewell has power due to her race, gender, even though she is in the lowest class. Mayella is a white female living in Maycomb Alabama. Mayella gains her power through her race, but her gender and class prevents from having more power.

One small gesture that Tom Robinson made was immediately questioned by the majority of the court room; being a black man in a white society, he was supposedly in no situation to feel sorry for Mayella who is a white woman. He does not know much about her situation, but he has the ability to understand where she is coming from and see that she deserves help. “Looked like she didn’t have nobody to help her… yes suh. I felt right sorry for her.” Pg. 217.

Mayella is powerless because of her class. From a Document: At the beginning of Tom Robinson’s trial, Scout describes Mayella’s home, "Against the fence, in a line, were six…jars holding brilliant red geraniums, cared for… tenderly…. People said they were Mayella Ewell’s.” (Document A). According to the quote, she wants people to see that she is not like her father. The public does not care about her family and they