What Does Mayella Ewell Represent In To Kill A Mockingbird

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how is he misunderstood by societyIn literature, a symbol is a representative of several other aspects. Symbolism adds a deeper meaning than an object’s literal, direct interpretation. In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, many of the characters introduced are represented by a harmless mockingbird. Mockingbirds are described to bring beauty to the world instead of causing any harm. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, the author uses the symbolism of a mockingbird to show how certain characters in the novel are damaged by the injustices of the world.
One character that is mainly described as a mockingbird is Arthur “Boo” Radley. Boo is a mockingbird because for most of the novel, he is kept locked inside his house, not causing any harm. However, …show more content…

When describing Mayella’s family, “[Ewell’s] place by the dump is highly symbolic in that they are truly the discards of society” ( “Critical Reading: The Margins of Maycomb: A Rereading of To Kill a Mockingbird” 174). However, Mayella is often described as being different from her family. She does her best to keep clean and even plants red geraniums where she lives. “Mayella plants flower to bring beauty to her house near the junkyard” (“Critical Contexts: To Kill a Mockingbird: Successes and Myths” 33). These flower symbolize hope for Mayella. The red geraniums symbolize beauty and a better life for Mayella as she tries to make distract herself from her unsettling …show more content…

Robinson resembles a mockingbird because he does not cause any harm to the town of Maycomb. This particular mockingbird is killed when Mayella Ewell falsely accuses him of rape. Although all the evidence proves that Robinson is innocent, it is a battle between an African American and a white woman. “The one place where a man ought to get a square deal is in a courtroom, be he any color of the rainbow but people have a way of carry their resentments right into the jury box” (Lee 220). Robinson is eventually convicted because of the prejudice and racism that clouds everyone in the jury and every citizen of Maycomb. “Tom Robinson’s a colored man, Jem. No jury in this part of the world’s going to say “We think you’re guilty, but not very on a charge on like that.” It was either a straight acquittal or nothing” (Lee 219). Tom Robinson may not be guilty of raping Mayella, but he is guilty of feeling sorry for a lonely, white

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