Preview

Mayella Ewell Character Analysis

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
721 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Mayella Ewell Character Analysis
Mayell Ewell Essay
Ava Chong

Mayella Ewell Character Analysis

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 the case. Mayella was already abused by her father and could easily be abused again if she wasn’t convincing enough. Mayella needed to be manipulative to convince the jury that she was raped. After telling the story, “the recital had given her confidence” (181). She was simply fed the manipulative, emotion-twisting story by her father. She stuck with her story and made it convincing. She strongly says “that nigger yonder took advantage of me an’ if you fine fancy gentlemen don’t wanta do nothin’ about it then you’re all yellow stinkin’ cowards” (188). Mayella “was as good as her word”, and her word told the jury they were cowards (188). She was able to manipulate them by making them question their own worth. Her “terror and fury” was what could make her more believable (188). In Tom’s testimony he says that Mayella tried to manipulate him into kissing her. She got him into her house to fix the hinges on the door. Even though he did this willingly, she went furthermore into trying to seduce him. The meaning for Mayella to try to seduce Tom was because she was incredibly lonely. “She was even lonelier than Boo Radley” because her mother was dead, she didn’t have any friends, and she felt out of place (191). Boo Radley had

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Second, Bob Ewell never called a doctor upon his daughter’s condition. Even though Mayella claimed Tom took advantage of her, there was no medical evidence. How will the jury know she is telling the truth? It seems a bit suspicious that…

    • 214 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Tom Robinson was innocent of raping Mayella Ewell. In the story it talks about how Mayella got punched in the eye with the left hand but Tom couldn’t have done it because his left hand is crippled. Reverend Sykes said, “He got it caught in the cotton gin, caught it i Mr. Dolphus Raymond’s cotton gin when he was a boy...like to bled to death...tore all the muscles loose from his bones-”(186). This explains what happened to Tom’s hand and that he couldn’t have punched Mayella with his left hand because he could not use it. Furthermore, when Tom was telling his side of the story he said that Mayella kissed him and that he tried to get away because he knew that it wasn’t right for her do that. Tom explains what happens when Mr. Ewell sees them,…

    • 251 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The incident occurred on evening of the 21st of November. According to Mayella's testimony, when she was staying outside near to her house, Tom came by and beaten her. Also her father, Robert Ewell testified that he heard his daughter screaming and saw Tom using violence to her. But Tom's testimony was totally different. He complained that Mayella had tricked him and let him inside and acted…

    • 156 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Tom Robinson Justice

    • 740 Words
    • 3 Pages

    He tells us what happened, saying that he went to get something for Mayella off the top of the chifforobe and all of a sudden she grabbed his legs, startling him and making him jump off the chair. She then went and kissed Tom and he tried to run away as fast as he could. He claims the last thing he heard was Mr Ewell shouting at Mayella “I’ll kill ya! I’ll kill ya!”. Mayella states her side of the story, nervously and feebly; she it didn’t look as if the honest truth was coming out of her mouth. It seems that towards the end of the trial she got desperate, knowing that the proof that Mr Robinson was unable to perform such acts meant that she and her father had to be lying. In desperation she yells out in court “I got somethin' to say. And then I ain't gonna say no more. He took advantage of me. An' if you fine, fancy gentlemen ain't gonna do nothin' about it, then you're just a bunch of lousy, yella, stinkin' cowards, the - the whole bunch of ya, and your fancy airs don't come to nothin'. Your Ma'am'in' and your Miss Mayellarin' - it don't come to…

    • 740 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    During the trial of Tom Robinson, he encounters false accusations on behalf of the Ewell family. “Miss.Mayella...you’ve testified that the defendant hit you, grabbed you by the neck, and took advantage of you.” This quotations explains the false accusations Mayella Ewell made up to save her father Robert Ewell from the jury.Mayella Ewell obviously thought if she traps a black man, which is already disrespected by society instead of her father the jury will take her side either way.This act of pleading innocence was wrong of Mayella because she took advantage of an innocent man that has a family of his own to be there for. Mayella’s loneliness and isolation from the rest of Maycomb county lead her to take such actions. But she was smart enough…

    • 282 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Tom Robinson Trial Essay

    • 861 Words
    • 4 Pages

    When she started to tell her story to the Jury she broke out in tears, but finished her story soon after. Her story was that she told Tom to come from the road to come help her “bust up a chiffarobe.” after he was done he came with her to get the nickel and then started to rape and beat her. Mr Finch asked her many questions of her home life, siblings, school, and father. When asked if her father beats her she paused for a minute and the said never. He asked if she remembered Tom hitting specifically her in the face, she paused even longer and then said that she turned around and saw Tom as he started to choke her. Atticus asked if Tom hit her after Tom choked her and she confirmed this all. She said she screamed and kicked and tried to escape. This triggered Mr. Finch, to again ask if she was screaming this whole time and she said “I certainly was.” “Then why didnt the other children hear you? Where were they?” This caused Mayella to stay silent, Mr. finch continued to ask identical questions until he sat down. Mayella replied not to long later with a insignificant incongruous…

    • 861 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Mayella’s story was very different; in fact, no one really believed her. Mayella expresses to the jury that she was raped. She claims that she offered Tom a nickel to “bust up” a piece of furniture. When she went to give him the money is when Tom came on to her. She claimed that Tom had taken “full advantage” of…

    • 570 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The feelings and exhibited concern and empathy for other is too extreme. When defending Tom Robinson, during the court case he questions Mayella Ewell with courtesy and respect. Mayella is an uneducated girl whom Atticus believes is lying about being raped by Tom Robinson. Mayella is rude to Atticus saying "Won't answer a word you say long as you keep on mockin' me." (page 200). However Atticus remains calm and polite, never attempting to trick her. He addresses her as "miss" and his own daughter Scout "wondered if anybody had ever called her ma'am or 'Miss Mayella' in her life." (page 201). Atticus shows an empathy towards Mayella, he knows she is like a wounded animal and he doesn't want to hurt any further. The caring and concern presented by Atticus Finch is too idealistic. This extreme idealistic portrayal extends to his role as a single father and a…

    • 1073 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Tom Robinson Stereotypes

    • 405 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Throughout life, people are stereotyped by their class, race, or gender. To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, shows great a illustration of stereotyping. In a small town of Maycomb, Alabama, a 19 year old girl, Mayella Ewell is stuck in a horrifying situation. Tom Robinson, a black male is accused of raping and abusing Mayella. Between class judgement,white supremacy , and , is Mayella really powerful?…

    • 405 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The book, Ellen Foster, revolves around a young girl’s unstable life and her ability to fight through obstacles and to find people who truly care for her. As a young child, Ellen was damaged by her father especially because he treated her with extreme disrespect. After her mother’s death, Ellen did not really have any family left as her family members continued to pass away. However, Ellen learned to tend to adult responsibilities at a very young age. Specifically Starletta and her family, Julia and Roy, and her new mama all supported her in a way that made her feel as if she were a young girl rather than an adult with responsibilities.…

    • 930 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Truly Mayella lacks power because of her class.¨He thought he’d be a hero, but all he got for his pain was… okay, we’ll convict this Negro but get back to your dump (Doc A). ¨ shows she has little power because of her class and where she lived. ¨ As Tom Robinson gave his testimony, it came to me that Mayella Ewell must have been the loneliest person in the world… : white people wouldn't have anything to do with her because she lived among; Negroes 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 (Doc E). ¨ says that she lacks a chance or power, because of where she lives. ¨Mayella looked from under lowered eyelids at Atticus, but she said to the judge. ´Long’s he keeps on callin´ me ma’am and sayin´ Miss Mayella. I don’t hafta take his sass, I ain’t called upon to take it (Doc C). ´¨ Talks about how unfairly Mayella thinks she was being treated. Because of her class she…

    • 608 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Earnest Hemingway states that “all things truly wicked start from innocence.” This quote applies to Mayella Ewell as she corrupted herself and her innocence throughout To Kill a Mockingbird. Though Mayella may seem wholesome, she is a wolf in sheep’s clothing due to her part in the death of a virtuous, innocent man and then her part in the tormenting of the dead man’s wife. In chapter twenty-five, Scout realizes that “Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed,” (Lee 323) while she was pondering how a clearly innocent man could be tried as guilty (Lee 323). This quote illustrates how Mayella seemingly did worse than kill a man; she also had him declared guilty of a false crime, staining his reputation. To outsiders it will seem as if he was righteously killed, and what…

    • 415 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In “To Kill a Mockingbird” a black hardworking man named Tom Robinson, is accused of raping a white women named Mayella Ewell. The truth of this matter is Tom Robinson, is Mayella threw herself at Tom. Mayella was a lonely women whose father abused her. She wanted to have intimacy with Tom Robinson, which “brings shame to her family”. When her father finds out Mayella tried to throw…

    • 631 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Mayella Ewell is the first minor character I shall discuss; a beacon of racial prejudice and the injustice of the courthouses. She is considered to be trash along with the rest of the Ewell's; despite the fact that she is one of the few Ewell's who can read and write. As well as being literate she tries her best to make that most of what she's got, "the quote about the flowers she keeps". Despite her decency compared to the others in her family Mayella still only cares for her own wellbeing.…

    • 903 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Mayella had a bruise on her left side of her face which meant that someone that was left handed had hit her and so Tom couldn't have done it cause his left arm was crippled. He could barely manage to put his left arm on top of the Bible to swear. Atticus was asking Mr.Ewell if Mayella had any medical attention at all and he said no. Tom later is wrongly convicted "Guilty . . . guilty . . . guilty" after Atticus gives indisputable evidence of his innocence, and "not one iota of medical evidence" is presented to prove that the crime was even committed at all. After Tom was charged guilty he was sent back to prison.…

    • 381 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays