Mayella Ewell Trial Essay

Lastly, “‘She reached up an’ kissed me ‘side of the’ face. She says she never kissed a grown man before’” (Lee 248). The conviction of an innocent man is the result of Mayella Ewell’s actions. If Mayella Ewell had been telling the truth, without a doubt, her story wouldn’t have changed every time her story contradicted the ones given by the witnesses and even by herself.

Opening Statement for Mayella Ewell Good afternoon, my name is Joelle Young, and I have the pleasure of serving as a prosecutor and representing Maycomb County in this case. In a Maycomb County trial, Mayella Ewell lied under oath by saying that Tom Robinson beat her and raped her. Mayella thought that by committing this crime she could protect herself from her abusive father, but instead, ended up contributing to killing an innocent man. Lying can change someone's life forever.

Atticus proves that Tom is handicapped and cannot have beat Mayella the way she claims she has been beaten when he expresses,“Tom robinson now sits before you, haven't taken oath with his only good hand, his right” (304). If Mayella claims she had a black eye on her right eye, and bruises from someone grabbing her neck, the person who beat her had to have used mainly there left, and both hands to grip her neck. Tom Robinson’s only good hand is his right, so therefore it is physically impossible for him to have beaten Mayella. By Atticus proving this point, the jury is supposed to realize that it was not Tom who beat her. Nothing can argue against logic and solid facts, so therefore if the jury was fair they would realize it could not have been

Opening Statement for Mayella Ewell Good morning, members of the jury. The defendant is a young lady who we believe has spent her whole life drowning in fear and loneliness, and due to this, she lied and took advantage of the innocence of a man. The defendant swore to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth while on the stand, and she violated that promise.

She is going against the word of an african-american in the 1930’s so this persuades the jury to believe what she says. Tom Robinson is a very kind and trustworthy man. All he ever wanted to do was help Mayella, but he knew he would be suspected of something. In Document D, he states “Like I says before, it weren’t safe… to be in a - fix like that.” He is saying he knew he was not suppose to be helping Miss Mayella, but he did it anyway because that was just the type of person he was. Mayella uses his skin color against him in court and it is very helpful for

Mayella Ewell was white, giving her a great amount of power in race over Tom Robinson. In the courtroom, Tom Robinson was called “boy”, which was completely inappropriate because he was a young man, not at all a “boy”. On the other hand, Mayella was politely called “ma’am”, and “Miss” (Doc C). This type of language shows how much power your skin color meant in the 1930’s. Tom Robinson was not even able to say he felt sorry for Mayella without putting the case at risk, however he did that. Mayella Ewell didn’t win the case because she was telling the truth, she won because the color of her skin. Her story is believed because she was simply

The night Mr.Ewell was murdered Mayella was “at home, sittin” watching her siblings while her father was at the pageant to “have a good time n enjoy the town.” Since Mr.Ewell is known to be an alcoholic Mayella was asked to find the truth behind a town rumor and her answer contradicts it and wasn’t different from when she was asked on the stand during Tom Robinson's trial she says “my daddy was no drunk.”

Mayella Ewell had the chance to put the real rapist to prison, but instead she backed him up and now she has to live with him and with that decision the rest of her life. Tom was at the witness stand when Atticus asked him about Mr. Ewell said: “Tom Robinson shut his eyes tight. “ He says you goddamn whore, I’ll kill ya””(Document B). Mr. Ewell has complete power over his Mayella and this exhibits how he has power over her.

Mayella was young, poor and uneducated. She lived with and was very dependent on her father. Mayella tried to seduce Tom Robinson, and Bob Ewell , her father, saw them through the window. Mayella tried to cover up her own actions from her father out of fear of getting beaten even more than normal. If Mayella would have taken responsibility for the actions she made Tom would have never been killed. Her personal fears of her father and what Maycomb would say about her caused the death of a innocent

Tom Robinson finally testifies and I believe what he says. The only reason why he is even in that court is because his skin color. First off, Tom Robinson has always passed by the Ewell’s place and Mayella always asks him to do some work for her. Tom Robinson was just trying to be a gentlemen. Secondly, Tom Robinson has a family. I am sure any gentleman like him would not do that to his own wife or kids. Besides having a family, the man is crippled!! There is almost no way he abused Mayella as described by Bob and Heck.The only reason why he is guilty is because he is a Negro, and everyone assumes Negroes always do bad. The facts are plain and simple. Mayella tempted Tom and Bob being the abusive person he is, abused Mayella for what she had

Bob Ewell most likely threatened Mayella so she would not say anything about him. If the abuses from her father are told, Mayella will most likely be beaten by her father. Mayella does not know what to decide. The possible beatings of her father outway the necessity for Mayella to tell the truth. Mayella getting beaten would not be the only outcome of truth. Tom Robinson would become free and would not end up dead. Mayella has found herself in a tight situation. If she tells the truth, she will get hurt. But if she doesn’t, then Tom Robinson will get hurt. Only one of these aftereffects are right. Mayella is guilty, Tom is not. Not all abominable results that come out of situations like these are causes of threats and embarrassment. Other times they can be results of constantly living with, controlled and taught racist notions. One student’s father, from the documentary Prom Night in Mississippi, shares his thoughts on why he is racist: “Blacks have always taught blacks to hate whites. And the whites have always taught their kids to hate blacks. My daddy did it. My granddaddy

Little does she know and to her greatest misfortune, the less questions she answers, the guiltier she looks. Throughout Tom Robinson’s “interrogation”, he remains perfectly fine, though with a hint of nervousness undoubtedly proves Mayella and her father wrong and “mistaken in th’ mind”. Tom quotes what Mayella clearly did on the day of the alleged rape, and he states, “...she’d grabbed me around the legs..she reached up an’ kissed me ‘side of th’ face.” (194) Tom also states what Bob had said to Mayella with hesitation, due to children being present stating it with absolute assurance of the words used by Bob Ewell, “...you goddamn whore, I’ll kill ya.” (194) After the vulgar remark that Bob supposedly shouted at Mayella, their [Mayella and Bob’s] body language and hostility became known to the wholeness of the court, not making them look too innocent on their part. Not only does their body language give them a bad case, but so does their rudeness, by using the utmost amount of discourteous and ill-mannered language towards Atticus and

Opening Statement for Bob Ewell Good afternoon jurors, my name is Kayla Virnig, and I am pleased to accuse Bob Ewell of defamation. Bob twisted the truth of the crime and entirely made it up. This crime is about and was committed because Bob Ewell falsely accused Tom Robinson of abusing and raping Mayella Ewell. This occurred after Bob found Mayella tempting Tom.

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

Tom Robinson was found guilty for raping Mayella Ewell, even though there was evidence that he was innocent. Mayella’s wounds were on her left eye and all over her neck, but Tom Robinson’s only good hand is his right hand, his left hand is almost useless because of an accident. However, both of Bob Ewell’s hands are fine. Also, it was known that Bob Ewell would beat his children, including Mayella.