Similarities Between Mayella And Ruby In To Kill A Mockingbird

“Evil rarely comes in the form of monsters, but rather in the form of relatively normal people who, for reason of careers, ideology, or a desire for society’s approval, are indifferent to the human consequences of their actions.” As said in the quote people have a desire for society’s approval which makes sense because society does shape and influence people. It most definitely shaped Mayella Ewells in the book “To kill a mocking bird” for multiple reasons. Along with Mayella it always shaped and influenced non-fictional people like Victoria Price and Ruby Bates who are victims and accusers of the Scottsboro trials.
Society shaped Mayella and Ruby as victims. Both families of Mayella and Ruby were considered poor and low class. The only reason Mayella went through with the trial against Tom Robinson because she wanted to protect her father so the only reason there was even a trial was to keep her father out of trouble and Tom was right there so she thought she would just frame him to keep the eyes off of their family even though she loved the attention. Though Mayella

was actually raped, she wasn’t raped by the same person she accused. This is similar to Ruby bates situation even though Ruby was never raped she really only went through with the trial because of Victoria. Then later she went on a changed her story and then actively fought for the release of the jailed defendants. It also seemed like ruby was always unsure about the whole thing because words came difficult to her which in the Tom Robinson trial it was hard for Mayella to get words out.
Though Mayella and Ruby are victims of some sort Victoria was her own type of victim.

If Ruby wasn’t a victim of the boys, then she was a victim of Victoria and Mayella may have not been a victim to Tom Robison although he did push her and in that time period was not allowed. She was a victim to her father even though everyone knew that she was, no one ever acknowledged it. Victoria was in it to win it she basically told Ruby what to say and spoke out for her. Saying this Victoria kind of just pushed Ruby to the background and used her to strengthen her case. There was barely any evidence that this happened besides Victoria’s word for it and she knew that and she still continued because she knew that society would let her. It makes them different types of victims because Mayella was a victim to her father, Ruby was a victim to Victoria, then Victoria said that her and Ruby were victims of the

boys.
Society also shaped Mayella and Victoria as accusers. Mayella and Victoria had some what of the same family life, with both fathers being drunks. Victoria has to take care of her mother because she fell down the stairs as well as Mayella has to take care of her siblings because their father is never around. Mayella accused Tom Robison for a few reasons including she thought it would be a cover up to keep her dad out of trouble because her dad caught her and Tom together and then her dad got abusive so she blamed Tom for all of it. The other important reason is that she craves attention and was very lonely which it also seems as though Victoria also craved attention and when she was on the freight with the boys she thought it would give her attention to the point where she says they attacked her and Ruby, and her speaking for Ruby saying that six raped her and six raped Ruby when Ruby had said nothing about it she just went along with it. Ruby was a different type of accuser, like I said she just went along with what Victoria was saying and it was always difficult for Ruby to talk on stand and then she went on to change her story way later in the years of the trial. Ruby showed no strong feelings about the case only strong feelings against Victoria that she expressed through deep and bitter resentment. Ruby dropped her accusations and further tried to help the boys which is different than anything Mayella tried to do she was just trying to help her father.
Society does shape and influence people in different ways because people aspire for society’s approval. Mayella accused Tom Robison because her father was a drunk and was abusive and needed to cover it up but also used this as an excuse to get attention. Victoria pushed Ruby into the background and made up a story that accused colored boys that were on a freight train with them and she went on to say that six of them raped her and six of them raped Ruby. Ruby changed her story somewhere along the way of the trials and then proceeded to try and help the boys get released.