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Social differences in to kill a mockingbird
Social differences in to kill a mockingbird
Social differences in to kill a mockingbird
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In the 1930’s, turmoil has erupted in Maycomb, Alabama all because the young lady Mayella Ewell has accused African-American Tom Robinson of raping and sexually assaulting her. Yet, Mayella Ewell has no power because of her race, class, and gender. At the time, Maycomb, Alabama was at the peak of segregation against African-Americans. Mayella Ewell may be white, but that does not mean her class, gender, nor her race give her power. “...Mayella looked as if she tried to keep clean, and I was reminded of the row of red geraniums in the Ewell yard.” (Lee, Chapter 18). Mayella Ewell and her family were very low on the class scale. They lived in a filthy house by the town dump and everyone thought of them as a trashy family. This quote from To Kill A Mockingbird is taking place during the trial of Tom Robinson. Bob Ewell still looks as filthy as usual but Mayella has attempted to keep herself clean because she wants people to look at her differently. Mayella does not want people to compare her to her father. Her father is a slob, filthy, rude, and a trashy man and Mayella wants a better life that that. …show more content…
During the trial for Tom Robinson, Atticus is questioning Tom on what Mayela had done while he was with her. Tom Robinson explained she was kissing him on the side of the face and was explaining how she had never kissed a grown man before. “......She says what her papa do to her don’t count….” (Lee, Chapter 19). Given this quote from the book, it is implying that Mayella’s father sexually assaults her because he is the “man of the house” which seeing that Mayella is female, it renders her powerless against Bob. Mayella’s gender takes away her power greatly. “...Mayella Ewell was beaten savagely by someone who led almost exclusively with his left….” (Lee, Chapter
First, I will show how she could not even control her home life “She says she never kissed a grown man before...She says what her papa do to her don't count”(DBQ:Is Mayella Ewell powerful?15).The second way I can prove Mayella was not powerful using gender is that she gets abused by her father”’I mean, is he good to you, is he easy to get along with?’,’He does tollable, ‘cept when-’, ‘Expect when?’, ‘Expect when nothin’, said mayela. ‘I said he does tollable.’,’Except when he's drinking?’ asked Atticus so gently that Mayella nodded.”(DBQ:Is Mayella Ewell powerful?.15). The final way I will prove that Mayella is not powerful with the use of gender is that” ...What did her father do? We don't know, but there is circumstantial evidence to indicate that Mayella Ewell was beaten savagely by someone who led almost exclusively with his left…”(DBQ:Is Mayella Ewell powerful?.15).So as you can Mayella has little to no power when it comes to her
The concept of a white woman being touched, let alone raped by an African American male was an assumption in the little town of Maycomb Alabama, 1930’s. During this period Mayella is considered helpless due to being a female as well as lonely and afraid considering her status as a poor white piece of trash. She manipulates people by using her social class, gender, and race to her advantage. In particular, her accusations made against Tom Robinson, an African American man. These factors lead to her gaining power with the trial and conviction of Tom Robinson. Race refers to the categorization of people based on physical differences.(“Is Mayella Powerful?” 7) Mayella Ewell had perquisites due to her race, which helped her during the conviction.
African-Americans aged 12 and up are the most victimized group in America. 41.7 over 1,000 of them are victims of violent crimes, compared with whites (36.3 over 1,000). This does not include murder. Back then during the era of the Jim Crow laws, it was even worse. However, during that time period when there were many oppressed blacks, there were many whites who courageously defied against the acts of racism, and proved that the color of your skin should not matter. This essay will compare and contrast two Caucasian characters by the names of Hiram Hillburn (The Mississippi Trial, 1955) and Celia Foote (The Help), who also went against the acts of prejudice.
Mayella Ewell is a woman in the 1930’s and yes, women back then were not treated as citizens. As Atticus is delivering his closing argument on how the person who beat Mayella with his left, Tom cannot use his left due to a job accident. By contrasting the difference in race and gender, in the 1930’s these were a big thing, To examine the results of race, gender are way different. Mayella may be white, but in her role as a female, it just goes downhill from that. Although it is different from Tom Robinson point of view. As Atticus is delivering his closing argument after proving that Bob Ewell is left-handed and Tom Robinson is not able to use his left hand. ‘“...What did her father do? We don’t know, but there is circumstantial evidence to indicate that Mayella Ewell was beaten savagely by someone who led almost exclusively with his left…’”. Tom Robinson is unable to use his left hand due to a job accident. Mayella took advantage of Tom, she knew he would help her because he is a nice man. Mayella was not taught respect while growing up, Tom on the other hand was amiable. Mayella is anxious of her father and what he does to her. Some readers might be anxious too, but might confess up to what their father is doing to them. Since she was not taught respect from her father, she would not know much about it. “Won’t answer a word you say long as you keep on mockin’ me,’Mayella said.
“To Kill a Mockingbird” is a novel by Harper Lee, that teaches many themes, one of which being very important is courage. Many people think that courage is a man with a gun in his hand, but Lee’s definition is much different. She thinks that courage is when you know that you’re beaten before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what. The first quote I have to further explain this is early in the story when Atticus tells Jem and Scout about the court case he is handling. “Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win” (Lee 101). Atticus knows he won’t win the court case, but he still tries his best and doesn’t falter whatsoever. Many people scrutinize him for defending a negro, but he ignores them like he should, and shows maturity and courage.
With lots of children to take care of Mayella was only able to get two to three years of education and she had no friends. This is why when Atticus asks her about her friends she thinks he is making fun of her. After having to live a life like this we don?t know why Mayella would like to defend her hard-hearted father, but she probably did this because she was scared of what he would do to her if she told the truth. We feel sympathetic towards her at this point but there is still a sense of hatred towards her as she is letting an innocent person being jailed who actually helped her a lot when no one did.
In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, nine-teen year old Mayella Ewell is forced to go against Tom Robinson, an African American who is accused of raping her. Although it is obvious that the rape didn’t happen, the author portrays Mayella as a victim of circumstance. Lee makes it somewhat easy to sympathize with Mayella by describing Mayella’s homelife, indirectly characterizing Bob Ewell throughout the novel, and describing Mayella’s actions while in court.
Miss Gates describes Germany as a dictatorship which is the main reason Hitler was able to do so many horrible to things to those innocent people. She then does a comparison between Germany under Hitler’s rule and American society claiming that, “Over here we don’t believe in persecuting anybody. Persecution comes from people who are prejudiced” (329). Miss Gates describes America as this very equal place where there is no type of injustice similar to that in Germany under Hitler’s rule. She is confident that people in America do not believe in persecuting people because there is no prejudice which proves she is completely blind to the injustice all around her. Although, not as severe, the black community in Maycomb did face some of the same unfair treatments, the main event being the Tom Robinson trials, thus making Miss Gate’s teachings an example of situational irony.
In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, the author exhibits Mayella Ewell uniquely. Towards the end of this novel, Mayella becomes involved in a major court case. While the readers become familiarized with her, they can comprehend her unique character. Mayella’s character structure is a unique one, because of her diverse character traits. She possesses good qualities and bad ones. Throughout her lifetime, Mayella is portrayed as hardworking, deceitful, and stubborn.
Bob Ewell was furious and unpleased with the fact that Atticus humiliated him during Tom Robinson's Trial. According to " To Kill A Mockingbird", Atticus said to Mayella, " Is he good to you, is he easy to get along with?" Sje then replied and said, " He does tollable, 'cept when --" Atticus goes on to say, "Except when he's drinking? Mayella then nodded yes." When Bob Ewell is intoxicated, he tends to mistreat his daughter and abuse her in a sense. In the novel, Atticus then asked Mayella, "Who beat you up? Tom Robinson or your Father?" Mayella had no answer." At this point of the trial, it is evident that Bob Ewell physically abuses his daughter, Mayella. In addition, He hated the fact that Atticus made Mayella and himself seem as if they were lying,
When Mayella falsely and purposely accuses Tom Robinson of rape, she causes him harm. In chapter 20, the text says, “I have nothing but pity in my heart for the chief witness for the state, but my pity does not extend so far as to her putting a man’s life at stake, which she has done in an effort to get rid of her own guilt” (Lee 271). What Atticus means by this is, although he feels pity for the victimization Mayella receives from her father, that does not make up for her accusation of Tom Robinson. This accusation causes Robinson harm and ultimately leads to his death. Mayella is different from Boo Radley and Tom Robinson in the aspect that she did cause harm, whereas Boo, who left presents for Jem and Scout in the knothole of a tree and Tom Robinson, an innocent Negro who offered her help, did nothing but perform acts of generosity. Therefore, I agree and disagree that Mayella Ewell is a
“You see, more than a simple matter of putting down words, writing is a process of self-discipline you must learn before you can call yourself a writer” (Lee, 10 powerful quotes,1964). That was one of her quotes. Harper Lee’s full name was Nelle Harper Lee. On April 28th, 1926, Monroeville Alabama, Harper Lee was born. Harper was the author of the bestseller, To Kill a Mockingbird, which she wrote in 1960, and won the Pulitzer prize for her efforts. Also, she wrote Go Set a Watchman on July 14, 2015, which incorporates the characters from To Kill a Mockingbird. Harper had four siblings: Alice, Louise, and Edwin. Her father was a lawyer, her mother suffered from a mental illness, and Harper was the youngest out of her siblings. Harper Lee died
Mayella at the trial is a bitter, damaged woman who has given up on escaping her abusive home. But there is proof that Mayella was once a better person. At the trial, even Scout thinks that “Mayella looked as if she tried to keep clean, and I was reminded of the row of red geraniums in the Ewell yard” (Lee 239). Unlike Burris and the other Ewells, Mayella attempts to stay clean and look respectable. Additionally, she grows red flowers in the front yard, a plant which is only grown for beauty. These two things, along with sending her siblings to get ice cream with her meager savings, prove that Mayella could have been a better person. Despite her seemingly good nature, she still allows an innocent man, Tom Robinson, to get locked away for the rest of his life. Mayella’s actions are the result of years of abuse, both physical and mental, by her father Bob Ewell. Atticus exposes Mayella’s life to the rest of the community at the trial: “‘Except when he’s drinking?’ asked Atticus so gently that Mayella nodded” (Lee 245). Even though he exposes the truth about Bob, nobody in Maycomb does anything to help Mayella. Their reasoning is Mayella is just another no-good Ewell, so why bother helping her. People assume she was always the nasty woman she is now instead of piecing together that Bob’s abuse has
In “To Kill A Mockingbird” the piece introduced us to a town in Alabama. The setting supports the character's background and their lives. It is a small town where everyone knows everyone. It was calm until now, as the citizens struggle to see who is more powerful in what was once a small and peaceful town called Maycomb. While struggling for power, Mayella Ewell’s gets into some ‘trouble’. Mayella, a very lonely teen with little education and a father that abuses her, says that Tom Robinson has violated her. A case starts, who is more powerful. Mayella or Tom?
Ewell, his daughter Mayella is forced to tell the court that Tom Robinson had harassed her in her home. During their first appearance, Scout describes Mayella as fragile and Robinson as powerful. These descriptions already show how differently people view the two different genders, even coming from a little girl’s words. Bob Ewell gives Mayella commands of what to say to Atticus leading to her not trusting men and believing they are a threat. When Atticus and Judge Taylor refer to her as “ma’am” or “Miss”, she becomes defensive by saying she “don’t haft take [Atticus’s] sass,” (Lee 243) because she feels that they are making fun of her since she is not used to the respect. This reflects on Tom Robinson because he says that even he feels sorry for Mayella. At this time, black men were seen as lesser members of society, but in despite of their race, women are still below their