Mayella Ewell Research Paper

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 a poor white girl that isn’t highly educated. This is shown during the courtroom scene where Atticus questions her. “Long’s he keeps callin’ me ma’am and Miss Mayella”. The judge had to elucidate this quote so Mayella would understand. This quote shows she never gets called those names before. Mayella has little power because of her class.

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.

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?

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.

Opening Statement for Mayella Ewell Good afternoon Members of the jury, my name is Layla Betsinger and this case is about fear. Fear, everyone, is what drives this entire case. Mayella Ewell had fear towards her father, Bob Ewell, and towards her reputation, after she had pursued Tom Robinson. This fear induced her to lie about who beat her and what happened behind closed doors at the Ewell home.

Mayella is a white woman who is seen as a superior to any black man, which permits her more power than any black man could ever have. Mayella’s skin color is one of the biggest reasons she has so much power in the case. Mayella’s lawyer, Gilmer, knows this and uses it throughout the case. An example of this would be the results of the case when we find out Tom is ruled guilty of rape. This helps

Mayella Ewell uses her class to her advantage because she is at higher rate then the colored. “Mr. Ewell had a scalded look: as if an overnight soaking had deprived him of protective layers of

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

90%...90% of child abusers are related in some ways to their child victim, according to the National Children’s Alliance. The issue we are faced with today is the one of whether or not Mayella Ewell is a victim or a criminal. You will find that in the following paragraphs that there will be a profusion of proof that Mayella Ewell is a victim of rape, and child abuse, by her own father. Today I argue that Mayella Ewell is a victim, a girl living a life of hardship, who was abused and raped by her father, Bob Ewell.

Another reason why Mayella is powerless is her class. Mayella is part of the Ewell family, a very poor and uneducated family. Although Mayella wants to be known for herself and not her family, she is still looked down upon by the town of Maycomb. Mayella is so uneducated that even black people like Tom look down upon her. This shows that Mayella, although white, has no edge when it comes to class because not only do her own people look down upon her, but so do black people who at the time were the lowest of the low at the time.

Mayella is not powerful. Mayella is not powerful because of her low-class status. After the case, the Ewells are told to “get back to your dump” (“Get Back to Your Dump”). Even though the Ewells won the case, no one respected them and Mayella still had no power. Harper Lee writes that “white people wouldn’t have anything to do with her because she lived among pigs” (“The loneliest person in the world”).

In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee presents Mayell Ewell as a complex, round character with traits that evoke various feeling from the reader. In one light, “she seemed somehow fragile-looking” (179). She is scared of what would happen to her if anyone found out she was lying. The questioning became too much and made her “stare at (Judge Taylor) and burst into tears” (179). The crying showed her emotional and fragile side of her. The fact that there was a bigger, more powerful being forcing her to act a certain way scared her. She continued to cry at certain times and didn’t answer some of Atticus’s questions. She was scared of what would happen if they didn’t win

Mayella Ewell was a victim of abuse and neglect. She wasn’t able to go to school or make any friends. She was stuck at home and was beaten and neglected by her drunk father. She tried to have a normal life, but was held back by her father. It was so bad that an African American named Tom Robinson pitied her terrible life. Tom stated that he, “felt right sorry for her, she seemed to try more’n