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

Having too much power can cause havoc but in Mayella Ewells’ case, the lack of power

is what causes damage. Tom Robinson is an African American man who has been accused of

rape by Mayella Ewell, a poor white woman. The main question is does Mayella Ewell have the

ability to influence others? Mayella is not powerful at all, during the trial she could not speak for

herself. The prosecution of Tom Robinson was based on the assumption that all colored people

lie, she uses the prejudice of the people of Maycomb as her argument. Racial prejudice is still a

big problem in Maycomb during this time, Mayella Ewell was not accepted by whites or blacks

and had no power is the persuasion of either race.

Mayella had no control over herself, she was not even allowed to speak for herself in

court. Document B shows how her father intimidated her into saying what he wanted her to.

Document B shows that “There is circumstantial evidence to indicate the Mayella Ewell was

beaten savagely by someone.” Mr. Ewell had a history of being abusive to Mayella, especially

when he drank. Mayella’s was scared of what her father would do to her if she did not do as he

said. This means Mayella is not the one with the power, her father is because is can use fear to

make Mayella do whatever he wants.

The Ewells’ rely on the town of Maycomb's’ prejudice views on colored people as their

main source of winning the trial. In Document D, Atticus says “Confident that you gentlemen

would go along with them on the assumption--the evil assumption-- that all Negoes lie,” this

proves that Atticus knew what the Ewells were trying to do. By Atticus knowing what the Ewells

plan of winning the cases is it shows that the Ewells have no power and they are using the power

of others to convict Tom Robinson. When Reverend Sykes is talking to Jem in Chapter 21, he
tells Jem not to be so confident that Tom will win the trial because he knows that Maycomb

doesn’t care about the facts they just see it as a colored man who was in the wrong for being

colored.

Mayella Ewell is not accepted by either whites or blacks because she is an Ewell. The

Ewells are Maycomb’s biggest disgrace. When brought into court Mr. Ewell and Mayella

thought they would be seen as heroes instead of the town garbage that they were (Doc A). This

allows the reader to see why Mayella and Mr. Ewell were prosecuting Tom Robinson even

though he was innocent. The Ewells would do anything to fit in, including falsely accusing a

colored man. In Document E Scout comes to the conclusion that “Tom Robinson was probably

the only person who was ever decent to her,” the people of Maycomb had nothing to do with

Mayella and Tom just wanted to be friendly to her because he felt sorry. This matters because it

proves that Mayella is not powerful when it comes to race because she is not claimed by anyone.

Mayella Ewell is not powerful because she does not have the ability to influence others.

Mayella used the power of others to win the trial against Tom Robinson. Mayellas father, Mr.

Ewell, is a dictator over how truthful Mayella can be during the trial, showing that she can not

stand up for herself. Some would say that Mayella is powerful because of her race, however, I do

not think this is a true statement because the Ewells are not accepted by anyone. The people of

Maycomb are the ones who won the trial against Tom Robinson, not the Ewells.