Class, Gender, and Race in ​To Kill a Mockingbird​: Is Mayella powerful?

Mayella is a white female that does not have a lot. Throughout To Kill a Mockingbird

Mayella could be considered many things but one of them is not powerful. The book is set in the

1930s in Alabama. The book is based on Scout and Jem and there journey through race and

discrimination in Alabama during the 1930s. Mayella’s power is determined by her class, race,

and gender.

Mayella is a white female living in Alabama in the 1930s. In the 1930s Alabama was

segregated, so white people would not have to face these same discriminations. Whites had the

advantage of not having everyone question their motives or falsely accuse them of something

they did not do. This is shown during the court case between Mayella Ewell and Tom Robinson

when Atticus states, “‘The Ewells… have presented themselves to you gentlemen, to this

court… confident that you gentlemen would go along with them on the assumption-the evil

assumption-that all Negroes lie, that all Negroes are basically immoral beings, that all Negro

men are not to be trusted around our women…” (Document D). This shows that the Ewells are

trying to present themselves as good people because they are white, while every colored

person is not to be trusted. This shows that Mayella’s race is powerful because she doesn’t

have to go through this and she is believed without question. Mayella has power with her race,

to be trusted and to be perceived as good person just by the color of her skin.

Females in the 1930s did not have many rights and where not treated as equals to men.

They would have been treated the same as men. Females were not treated as equals and did

not have the same rights as men. The text states, “Long’s he keeps on call’ me ma’am and

sayin’ Miss Mayella. I don’t hafta take his sass” (Document C). This shows that females in the

1930s were not treated the same as men. She thinks that being called a ma’am is sass because
they are not treated the same. She doesn’t have power over anyone. Mayella thinks that being

called a ma’am is an insult, because they were perceived as not as good as men.

Mayella does not have a lot of money or possessions, she also does not have alot of

education. Mayella’s does not have a high class. Mayella does not have a high enough to be

with the whites and her race permites her to be with the blacks. The text states, “White people

wouldn’t have anything to do with her because she lived among pigs; Negros… wouldn’t have

anything to do with her because she was white” (Document E). This shows that her class has

power over no one. She does not have power over whites and she doesn’t have power over the

blacks because she is still better than them when compared by class. This shows that Mayella’s

class does not have power over anyone. Her class is powerless because she does not have

control over anyone. Tom Robinson also says that he feels sorry for her even though African

Americans were treated terribly. This shows how low her class is, it shows that she is not good

enough for whites and African Americans feel sorry for her.

In conclusion, Mayella does not have power. Mayella does not have the power with her

class or gender. She does have power with her race because she is white. Although many

people may believe she is powerful, she is not due to her class and gender. Mayella is not

powerful because she is female and she does not have a might class.