What Is Mayella Ewell Powerless

Throughout history, it has been proven that power has played a crucial role in molding society and may be obtained through variety of methods. Although there are many components towards obtaining power, a handful of key points that affect power are social class, gender, and racial background. Within the novel To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, there are many components that relates towards gaining power. A certain character within the book that portrays many forms of power is Mayella Ewell, who went to court and accused an African American man of raping her. Although Mayella Ewell is portrayed as powerless as does not have any power retaining within her social class nor her gender, Mayella does have some power due to her racial background.

In regards to her social class, Mayella does not retain any of her power due her extensive poverty.

Within the novel, the Ewells live behind the town garbage dump in what was once a Negro cabin. “Mr. Ewell had a scalded look: as if an overnight soaking had deprived him of protective layers of dirt” (Lee 18). Everyone can tell he is the lowest of the low as even a shower makes a huge abnormality. Even after Mayella and her father won the trail, the people of Maycomb still do not think of the Ewells highly as stated, “he thought he’d be a hero, but all he got for his pain was… okay, we’ll convict this Negro, but get back to your dump” (Lee 18). The reputation of the Ewells were based off of Maycomb’s view of Bob, which also leads Maycomb to view Mayella as trash liker her father. Although Mayella has a white ethnicity, she does not have any power in regards to her social class. Besides her social class, Mayella also lacks power within her

gender.
During the 1930s, the equality between men and women did not exist. A standard thought was the men went to work and the women stayed at home to raise the children, thus giving women a lower status in power. Being a low classed and a woman, Mayella Ewell did not have much say in her life and is at the will of her father, Bob Ewell. As Atticus cross examines Mayella, he asks her about her father and all she had to say in response was that “He does tollable, ‘cept when—” (Lee Document B). As Mayella answers Atticus, she sees her father’s expression and immediately ends her statement short to satisfy him. After hearing what Mayella had said before ending her statement, Atticus makes an inference: “Except when he’s drinking?” (Lee Document B). Mayella nods in agreement to Atticus’ inference in spite of her father’s earlier glance and it is most likely that her father bends her to his will on a norm. As she was a woman in the 1930s, Mayella’s options of how she lived were severely limited.
Although Mayella is lacking power due to her gender and social class, she does retain power due to her racial ethnicity.

Due to her racial ethnicity, Mayella is held at a higher standing point than Tom Robinson to the court, as racial prejudice would play in Mayella’s favor over Tom’s. During the cross examination, Tom’s treatment was quite harsh as Mr. Glimmer consistently shames Tom by calling him boy as stated in the text, “Are you being impudent to me, boy?” (Lee Document C). It was common during those time to look down upon those colored such as Tom and pay respect towards people who were of white ethnicity. And although Mayella has her racial ethnicity backing her up in power, due to her low social class and gender, the power that comes from her racial ethnicity is insignificant as she takes Atticus words as sass as she complained to Judge Taylor that “Longs’s he keep calling me ma’am and sayin’ Miss Mayella. I don’t hafta take his sass, I ain’t called upon it” (Lee Document C). Due to her insufficient amount of education caused by her low social class, Mayella is unfamiliar with proper etiquette and impairs her only source of power. Overall, while Mayella holds how within her racial ethnicity, she does not hold enough power to truly be considered powerful due to her gender and low social

class.
Within To Kill a Mockingbird, Mayella is unable to utilize power in her social class and gender. Although she does retain a significant attribute of power due that is her race. Due to the many circumstances that Mayella may have to face in everyday life, she is unable to start a new life and form connections with others. Her inability is a result of her low social class and gender. As for the trail, the judges may have only favored her in spite of Tom’s racial backgrounds as he was black man and Mayella was white woman. Even though race plays a major role within retaining power during the 1930s, the combined effects of her social class and gender outweighs the power that emits from her race. After contemplation how each of the categories that affect her, Mayella Ewell cannot truly be considered powerful.
Works Cited