Mayella Ewell Controversy

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Good afternoon, my name is Bailey Przybilla, and it is my pleasure to represent Maycomb County and to serve as a prosecutor in this important case. Ladies and gentlemen, this case is about a woman who lied under oath to cover up for her actions. November 21, 1934, Mayella Ewell took an oath in court to not lie and broke that oath during the trial, which is perjury. She lies about Tom Robinson, a black man, attacking her to cover up for her coming on him. Mayella Ewell committed this perjury because her father caught her kissing a black man and she was also ashamed of herself for it. Mayella wanted to protect her father because, in reality, her father was the one who beat her. She then thought it would be easier to lie saying Tom Robinson raped, …show more content…

Members of the jury, the County will review the evidence against Mayella Ewell for lying under oath to cover up for her actions. First, “No, I don’t remember if he hit me. I mean yes I do, he hit me” (Lee 248). My second piece is, “His left arm was fully twelve inches shorter than his right, and hung dead at his side” (Lee 248). Next, “I don’t know how he did it, but he did it-I said it all happened so fast-” (Lee 249). Another piece of evidence is, “‘He blackened your left eye with his right fist?’ ‘I ducked and it glanced, that’s what it did’” (Lee 250). My final piece of evidence is, “‘Why didn’t your screams make them come running? The dumps are closer to the woods, aren't they?’ No answer” (Lee 250). Perjury is the result of Mayella Ewell's actions during her trial. Mayella could not answer some of the questions she was asked, and she was very hesitant about some. She switched her answers and would go back and forth between them when asked certain questions. Finally, Tom Robinson’s, the one she accused of raping her, right arm doesn’t work and her left eye was the one that was blackened, which doesn't match

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