Examples Of Power In To Kill A Mockingbird

Power can be defined as the ability to control one’s life or the lives of others. This may be through a person’s race, gender, or class. In To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee writes about a case in which an extremely poor, young white woman, Mayella, accuses an innocent, African American man, Tom Robinson, of rape. Mayella displays power over Tom Robinson through her race and gender even though she lacks class power over him.
Racial power is a way that Mayella shows control over Tom Robinson. From the balcony of the courthouse, Reverend Sykes says; “I ain’t ever seen any jury decide in favor of a colored man over a white man”(Document D). Mayella lives in a time of white supremacy, and while she lies on the witness stand, no jury would ever decide in favor of a African American man over a white woman. Racial power can also be seen while in the courtroom when Tom Robinson is referred to as “boy” or by saying it is okay to act poorly towards him because “ he’s just a Negro”(Document C). During a time of white supremacy, the white community feels that they are superior to those of other races, especially those who are African American. Since Tom Robinson is African American, the white people feel as if he is beneath them, so no matter how many times Mayella lies
Mayella is able to use her gender power in order to convict Tom Robinson of rape because during that time, “white womanhood was endangered by the loss of states' rights to control the blacks of the South” ( Document V). Mayella lives in a time where many people feel that with the lack of Jim Crow laws to restrict the rights of the African American population, the white women would be vulnerable. This idea helps Mayella throughout the trial because the jury would do anything in order to restrict the freedom of African American people. Mayella’s gender power is on display as she uses her femininity to govern Tom Robinson’s