Maycomb's "Usual Disease"
Abigail Frazier
Mrs. Dotts
Period 7, English AL 9
September 1, 2014 In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, racism, “Maycomb’s usual disease” (Lee To Kill a Mockingbird 117) sends Mayella Ewell “stark raving mad”(88). All of the fear surrounding Mayella Ewell drives her into madness. Sitting on her porch, Mayella sees Tom Robinson, an African American man, walking by and asks if he would “come up and help her a minute” (192-193). Since Mayella was a white female of course he agreed to. However, Mayella had some unknown feelings for Tom. When he entered her room to help her he stood on a chair to get a box off of the chiffarobe, she grabbed his leg which startled him and made him fall off the chair. After he fell she hugged the married man and proceeds to kiss him on the cheek exclaiming “kiss me back, nigger” (194). Realizing the situation he is in causes Tom tries to flee the house, but Mayella is standing in front of the door blocking his only exit while Bob Ewell is yelling “…you goddamn whore, I’ll kill ya” (194). After Mayella hears her dad she understands all the criticism she would receive if anyone ever found out what she did, so she makes the situation look like Tom is raping her. Her fear drives her to lie to her father, and the rest of Maycomb County. Bob Ewell realizes that he can make money out of it since they are a lower class family, so he brings the case to court knowing he will win since he is persecuting a black man. Mayella’s terror that drives her into madness also drives the rest of Maycomb into madness, and even though Atticus Finch defended Tom Robinson the best he could, fear still stood in the way of truth.
Mrs. Dotts
Period 7, English AL 9
September 1, 2014 In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, racism, “Maycomb’s usual disease” (Lee To Kill a Mockingbird 117) sends Mayella Ewell “stark raving mad”(88). All of the fear surrounding Mayella Ewell drives her into madness. Sitting on her porch, Mayella sees Tom Robinson, an African American man, walking by and asks if he would “come up and help her a minute” (192-193). Since Mayella was a white female of course he agreed to. However, Mayella had some unknown feelings for Tom. When he entered her room to help her he stood on a chair to get a box off of the chiffarobe, she grabbed his leg which startled him and made him fall off the chair. After he fell she hugged the married man and proceeds to kiss him on the cheek exclaiming “kiss me back, nigger” (194). Realizing the situation he is in causes Tom tries to flee the house, but Mayella is standing in front of the door blocking his only exit while Bob Ewell is yelling “…you goddamn whore, I’ll kill ya” (194). After Mayella hears her dad she understands all the criticism she would receive if anyone ever found out what she did, so she makes the situation look like Tom is raping her. Her fear drives her to lie to her father, and the rest of Maycomb County. Bob Ewell realizes that he can make money out of it since they are a lower class family, so he brings the case to court knowing he will win since he is persecuting a black man. Mayella’s terror that drives her into madness also drives the rest of Maycomb into madness, and even though Atticus Finch defended Tom Robinson the best he could, fear still stood in the way of truth.