Opening Statement for Mayella Ewell Good afternoon, my name is Chloe Walcheski, and I am here to represent Maycomb County as a prosecutor in this case. Mayella Ewell showed lots of dishonesty under oath during her case of accusing Tom Robinson of taking advantage of her. During the trial, Mayella Ewell was called up to the witness stand and proceeded to tell the jury how Tom Robinson allegedly raped her the night of November 21st. Mayella s replies to many of the questions asked seemed very thought through, almost like she was being dishonest and didn't want to slip up on her words. Members of the jury, the County will now review the evidence against Mayella Ewell, accused of being dishonest under oath. Mayella s previous words state, I don't remember too well, but next thing I know papa was in the room standing over me hollerin who done it, who done it (Lee 242). …show more content…
Mayella says, He did what he was after (Lee 242). Mayella was the one who called Tom into the yard, regardless of what his plans were for the rest of the day. If she hadn't told him to come in, then more than likely he would have kept on walking home. my paw s never touched a hair on my head (Lee 246). This was Mayella's answer to a previous question that seemed to have hit her hard. By the way, her reply seemed hard to get out, it looked like she was trying to cover up things her father did, or does. Here Mr. Finch asked, “Was this the first time you asked him to come inside the fence? Mayella jumped slightly at this question (Lee 246). Mayella s reaction to this question seemed to set her off, almost like she was hoping it wouldn't be asked. Mayella knows the truth to this question, but goes and gives the jury a different answer. And finally, no, I don't remember if he hit me. I mean yes I do, he hit me (Lee
The first similarity is that all of the girls were the supposed "victims" of their own case. Victoria herself "testified that six raped her, and six, Ruby Bates" (Ransdall, "The First Scottsboro Trials"). Mayella also stated that she was the one raped and beaten by Tom before he was caught. The second similarity is that Mayella and Victoria both tried to avoid future conflicts by being inconsistent and evasive. A description of Price 's cross examination stated that she "remained sarcastic, evasive, and venomous. She used her ignorance and poor memory to her advantage and proved to be a difficult witness to corner" (Linder, “The Trials of the Scottsboro Boys”). Similarly, Mayella used her ignorance to her advantage as well as her tendency to cry as a way to win the jury
Is Mayella Ewell powerful?That is the question that is asked and must be answered.Throughout the story” To kill a mockingbird” Mayella shows some glimpses of power, but not enough to say she is powerful.For example, in the beginning she shows that she cannot even control her home life so how can she be powerful.Also she shows that she is just too poor for her to have power.Now in the next three paragraphs I will explain my thinking on why I believe Mayella is not powerful.
Let us put each other in the shoes of the jury, friends, and family observing in on a discrimination case. Jem and Scout the son and daughter of a lawyer named Atticus Finch get a taste of what the real world is like when, Tom Robinson a poor black man who is married and has kids is falsely accused of raping and assaulting a white woman named Mayella. Mayella Ewell is a young girl considered to be “white trash” who is all by herself to take on the role raising her little siblings while her father Bob Ewell, who is an alcoholic, abuses her. The question arises, is Mayella Ewell Powerful? Mayella Ewell is powerful in this discrimination case because of her race as white woman, her higher class than Tom Robinson, and her gender as a female.
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
During the Tom Robinson Trial, Mayella is called up to the chair, asked a few questions and after she has had enough, she screams, "I got somethin ' to say an ' then I ain 't gonna say no more. 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, stinkin ' cowards, the lot of you. Your fancy airs don 't come to nothin '—your ma 'amin ' and Miss Mayellerin ' don 't come to nothin ', Mr. Finch-" (She is scared of the town knowing that she is wrong and Tom robinson is innocent. Mayella uses this case to cover up the shame in her life because she is extremely lonely, has no self-esteem, and overwhelmed with the amount of unhappiness in her life. Mayella gets extremely defensive in this quote because she knows that everything Atticus has brung up is good evidence and she can’t hold her own. In the jury, it was full of all white men. Mayella acted timid and helpless and suggested in her comment that the man of the jury be brave and heroic. She becomes someone who is vulnerable, valuable and needs to be
One of the major events in Harper Lee’s award-winning novel To Kill a Mockingbird is Tom Robinson’s trial. It is based on the Scottsboro Case that took place in 1931 in Alabama, in which several black men were accused of raping two white women. Both the Scottsboro Boys and Tom Robinson are unfairly judged, however, because of prejudice against colored people. The racial discrimination makes whites’ testimony more believable even when it contradicts itself. The same happens in To Kill a Mockingbird. As we delve deeper into the case and get increasingly closer to the truth, it is quite suprising to see that Mayella Ewell is the true villain rather than a victim. She shall and must bear full responsibility for her actions because she makes the decision to tempt Tom Robinson, gives false testimony in court that directly leads to Tom’s death, and has been well aware of the consequences of her behaviors.
Many people can dispute whether Mayella Ewell is powerful or not. Some people preserver Mayella as an impotent figure because of her indigent status. While other people believe Mayella is a Strong and influential person because of her white womanhood. Mayella Ewell testifies Tom Robison a Black man of illegibly raping her, he was wrongfully found guilty. Since the book takes place in the 1930s segregation plays a big role in this court case. The white jury discriminates against Tom Robinson, showing no mercy even though the evidence clearly states he is innocent. Does this mean Mayella has authority? Mayella exhibits her sovereignty through her testimony, social code and guilt. Mayella`s selfish decision resulted in a horrifying repercussion for Tom Robinson.
We have a packed courthouse here in Maycomb county today folks, for the Tom Robinson trial. Tom Robinson is on trial for rape charges. He is a black male in his late 20’s. The layer who will be defending Tom is Atticus Finch. Atticus is the court appointed defense layer for Tom Robinson. Judge Taylor gets the case. The jury has been picked of mostly farmers. The prosecutor is Mr. Gilmer. Mayella Ewell, the rape victim, is accusing Tom Robinson and this case has the whole town talking. The courthouse is full of lightness below and darkness above. My view for the trial is up above on the balcony.
Mayella’s emotions gave away that she was lying during the trial. When Mayella was called to the stage, she said to Atticus "I got somethin' to say an' then I ain't gonna say no more. 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, stinkin' cowards, the lot of you. Your fancy airs don't come to nothin'—your ma'amin' and Miss Mayellerin' don't come to nothin', Mr. Finch-". If Mayella Ewell was really innocent, she wouldn’t have been as dramatic as she was while pleading her case. Mayella most likely would have told the truth with no wavering emotions. When Mayella was called to the stand she did this, “‘Him,’ she said, pointing at Atticus.” Mayella was afraid of Atticus during the trial because of the way he got her father, Bob Ewell, to give vital information to Tom’s benefit. She would not have been afraid of Atticus if she hadn’t known he could get the truth out of her, too. If Mayella had remained calm during the trial, she might have seemed a lot less guilty.
As further evidence is procured, this is proven to be false. The truth is that Mayella’s father beat her for making romantic advances towards Tom. Mayella is unlike the rest of the Ewells in the sense that she likes to keep herself tidy, and lives in a more sophisticated manner than the rest of her family. This makes me infer that she is quite taciturn, and a kind-hearted person who wouldn’t lie about what happened that day if it weren’t for something taking over her conscience. Being threatened by her acrimonious father to lie about what really happened set aside what she knew to be right and pushed her to lie in the trial. Both pressure and fear make people do what they know is not the right thing to do, even though their conscience tells them otherwise. Doing the wrong thing may dispel fears or pressure that is put on for a certain instance. There are many reasons why people do what they know isn’t right even though their conscience tells them not to, but sometimes this can help them construct their values, and improve on how susceptible they are to their
Having grown up in the home of a lawyer, Jem understands the ways of the courtroom and recognizes Atticus’ behavior in court. When Tom Robinson is put on trial for being accused of raping Mayella Ewell, Atticus is appointed his attorney. As questioning continues, Atticus blatantly proves it was impossible for Tom to even commit the crime. Jem says to Reverend Sykes, "...don't fret, we've won it....Don't see how any jury could convict on what we heard" (Lee 279). Jem’s response to Reverend Sykes comment
Although Mayella Ewell eventually testifies against Tom Robinson on false grounds, her backstory and true nature is innocent, and her “mockingbird” only dies when her father corrupts her. First, when Scout is describing the Ewell’s living condition, the novel states, “Against the fence, in a line, were six chipped-enamel slop jars holding brilliant red geraniums, cared for as tenderly as if they belonged to Miss Maudie Atkinson… People said they were Mayella Ewell’s” (Lee 228). Being raised in the conditions that she was, Mayella’s attempts at rectifying her family’s image, even in these small, personal acts, captures the way she wishes to live and how she thinks. Caring for the geraniums and trying to maintain some semblance of cleanliness, especially when compared to the rest of her family, gives the reader
The third example of the trial that strongly contrasts with the outcome of the verdict was Mayella's testimony. If Mayella was so sure that Tom Robinson was the one that assaulted her, her testimony would have been clearly stated. Instead, during the trial, Mayella seemed to be unsure of herself at times and hesitated when thinking about certain answers. When Atticus asked Mayella if she remembered the person beating her face, she first answers that she does not recollect if the person hit her. Under her next breath, she says the man did in fact hit her. Once Atticus challenges this statement she gets flustered and continues to use the excuse that she does not remember.
These injustices have begun long before Tom’s trial, but it is his trial which epitomizes the problems with our society. The first witness was simply just a misguided fellow named Heck Tate who it seems didn’t have much to offer to the case. Next, Atticus Finch called Bob Ewell to the stand. When I saw Ewell take the stand such a fierce hatred rose within me that I began to shake and tremble. Ewell wrongfully accused Tom of raping his daughter Mayella, however, with the grace of God, Atticus Finch had shown that it was very possible that it was Bob Ewell who because he was a lefty could have beat Mayella. If it were not for great men like Atticus Finch I would have lost all hope for this world. As I watched Mayella take the stand I wondered how such a kind looking person could be someone of such poor character. Her words seemed to paint a picture of a sad life; one where a father neglects her and she has fallen under hard times. Atticus, after pointing out it was probably Bob who beat her, asked Mayella who it really was that beat her. Mayella made it clear it was Tom Robinson, upon which Atticus asked Tom to stand. To the astonishment of the court Tom was handicapped! Tom was then called to the stand where he laid open for all to see the truth, explaining that it was Mayella who came on to him (that treacherous woman!). Soon enough the trial ended and every one awaited the verdict of the jury. The next few hours were the most nerve wracking of my life.
Identity Loss in Pelevin's Novel "Generation P" and "Empire V" When Russia transitioned from the soviet system of the USSR to the capitalistic system of today's economy, it underwent significant shifts in both societal structure and culture. The societal structure shifted to a more open framework of a financial ladder compared to the USSR's political hierarchy; the cultural ideology changed from a soviet socio-focused culture to a western individualistic mentality. The abrasive nature of this transition stems from its rapidity, and the turbulence of the 1990's represents a time which challenged Russia as a nation and as a society. Victor Pelevin captures this transitionary period in his novels "Empire V" and "Generation P" in which the main