What Is Mayella Ewell's Power In To Kill A Mockingbird

The 1930s was a time of much hardship in America. It was a time in which having a small amount of privilege equated having a huge amount of power. In her novel, To Kill A Mockingbird , Harper Lee gives us an insight on how this power affected society at the time. One of the characters of the novel ,Mayella Ewell, is a great example of how power can be determined and measured in a variety of ways. Her character illustrates that being powerful in one way didn't necessarily mean you were powerful in all aspects of life. Although Mayella Ewell was a dirt poor woman and didn't have any of the benefits that come with being a rich man, She still benefited from being white. This trait gave her privilege and power when compared to the powerlessness that the people of color faced. Being a women in the 1930s was very difficult. Women were viewed as being weak, inferior and less intelligent. Moreover, Women were ofter discouraged from taking opportunities that would improve their lives. In the book To Kill A Mockingbird ,Atticus states , ”What

Although Tom’s innocence is undeniable Atticus explains that, “In our courts, when it’s a white man’s word against a black man’s, the white man always wins” (pg. 295). Atticus’s statement proves that the jury was clearly biased. Moreover, it reinforces the fact that Tom was convicted only because of the color of his skin. In the novel, Scout states that Atticus views the Ewell family as “the disgrace of Maycomb” (pg.40). However, because the Ewells are a white family, they hold a more power and influence than the people of color This is why Bob Ewell can be so condescending on Tom and why the jury feels it must convict Tom of a crime they know he didn't commit. To do otherwise would upset the balance of society. To allow a Black man to go free after being accused of attacking a White woman, even one as poor and low class as Mayella would have been