How Does Mayella Ewell Show Injustice In To Kill A Mockingbird

Sympathy is unfair. An alarmingly large number of people are treated apathetically when they make certain decisions, such as those made by Mayella Ewell in Harper Lee To Kill a Mockingbird. A common trend in society is to pass judgement on others without giving heed to the situationality of circumstances. When looking at whether or not people deserve sympathy, the specifics of a situation have to be considered. Thus, one must do the same when deciding if Mayella Ewell is deserving of sympathy. The actions she took — specifically, framing a negro man named Tom Robinson for rape — are met with intense scrutiny and criticism. This is, of course, done without considering the rationale of her thought process. On one hand, Mayella can tell the truth

and face the disgust of a prejudiced, and racist society as well as the abuse of her father. On the other, she can receive public consolation and her father’s regular indifference. Since Mayella obviously acts with her own interests in mind, she chooses the latter. Who can blame her? The societal prejudice against African-Americans and the abuse of her father are exactly what makes Mayella Ewell a character deserving of sympathy.
Southern racism makes Mayella Ewell’s fondness for Tom Robinson unacceptable, making it all but necessary for her to frame him.

While the novel does take place post-Civil War, racism is still an ever-present factor in America. Slurs such as “nigger” or “negro” are apart of the common vocabulary, such as when Cecil Jacobs says, “That nigger ought to hang from the water tank!” (102). Since the black community is looked down upon, kissing Tom was one of the worst decisions she could make in the public eye. As Atticus explains, “She did something that in our society is unspeakable: she kissed a black man … No code mattered to her before she broke it, but it came crashing down on her afterwards” (272). Even in the judicial system which, by definition, is supposed to serve justice, has the odds stacked against African-Americans. When Atticus expounds upon this unjust bias he says, “When it's a white man's word against a black man's, the white man always wins” (295), rendering Tom Robinson’s trial practically useless. Because of the southern biases against the African American community, Mayella would be ostracized and shunned by society had she revealed her true actions. Everyone strives for acceptance, and will go to many extremes to achieve it, even at the expense of another. Therefore, one must give Mayella sympathy as she was only following her instincts as a

human.
Another significant factor that contributes to Mayella’s behavior is the abusive nature of her father.

Throughout the novel, Bob Ewell is profusely illustrated as an abrasive, abusive, and generally unpleasant man who hasn’t a care for his children. As Tom says when describing why he would help Mayella: “Mr. Ewell didn’t seem to help her much” (263) . In addition, Bob Ewell plays a major role as to why Mayella lies in court, in fact he makes her do so. To cover up for his own crime he says that Tom Robinson was “ruttin' on my Mayella!" (231) . The most substantive and saddening display of Mr. Ewell’s character is when Tom directly reveals the abuse taking place. In his testimony, Tom explains that his accuser threatens Mayella after seeing the two of them together (263). Even if Mayella was able to overcome the social repercussions of telling the truth, she would face the tragic domestic abuse that her father is evidently capable of. Like striving towards acceptance, resisting oppression is another example of human instinct. As following instinct is by definition natural, one must have sympathy for Mayella

Ewell.
Thus, because of both societal and parental pressures, Mayella cannot be blamed for her actions and therefore deserves sympathy. A plethora of factors can affect decision-making. At the surface level, people are quick to assign blame and condemn others to damnation and isolation. If even one moment is taken consider circumstances, a deeper level of understanding can be reached. When people achieve a greater understanding of circumstantiality then those who truly deserve sympathy will receive it, thus creating a better society for all.