To Kill a Mockingbird
To Kill a Mockingbird
Even though it appeared as though Mayella was guilty, the sympathy felt for her, caused some to believe she was innocent. During the Tom Robinson case, it was very evident that Mayella was lying, which made the audience believe she was guilty. Atticus questioned her, “’ Did you scream first at your father instead of at Tom Robinson? Was that it?’ No answer. ‘Who beat you up?, Tom Robinson or your father?’ No answer” (251). During this time of the trial Mayella realized that she had been caught as a liar. “No answer,” suggested that Mayella didn’t know what else to say. She couldn’t put together additional sensible lies to cover up the real story. When Atticus said, “Who beat you up? Tom Robinson or your father?” Atticus gave his audience another possibility to Mayella’s story indicating she was telling lies and was guilty. Although Mayella may have seemed guilty, she was also seen as innocent. The environment she lived in involved violence and anger which caused the audience to sympathize with her rather than criticize her for lying. When Tom Robinson explained his side of the situation he said, “’ She says she never kissed a grown man before an’ she might as well kiss a nigger. She says what her papa do to her don’t count…. (Mr. Ewell) says you goddamn whore, I’ll kill ya’” (260). From this passage it can be inferred that Mayella was abused by her father. When Mr. Ewell began screaming at Mayella, negative connotations could be perceived. Mr. Ewell’s perception became tainted and the audience would no longer see Mayella as guilty, but innocent instead. When Tom said, “She says what her papa do to her don’t count,” suggested that Mayella, rather than protected by her father, was abused. With the ruthless and immature father that she has grown up with, she didn’t have anyone positive to learn from. Since she didn’t have anyone to learn from, in a way, it “canceled” out her guilty actions. In conclusion, Mayella Ewell showed how
Even though it appeared as though Mayella was guilty, the sympathy felt for her, caused some to believe she was innocent. During the Tom Robinson case, it was very evident that Mayella was lying, which made the audience believe she was guilty. Atticus questioned her, “’ Did you scream first at your father instead of at Tom Robinson? Was that it?’ No answer. ‘Who beat you up?, Tom Robinson or your father?’ No answer” (251). During this time of the trial Mayella realized that she had been caught as a liar. “No answer,” suggested that Mayella didn’t know what else to say. She couldn’t put together additional sensible lies to cover up the real story. When Atticus said, “Who beat you up? Tom Robinson or your father?” Atticus gave his audience another possibility to Mayella’s story indicating she was telling lies and was guilty. Although Mayella may have seemed guilty, she was also seen as innocent. The environment she lived in involved violence and anger which caused the audience to sympathize with her rather than criticize her for lying. When Tom Robinson explained his side of the situation he said, “’ She says she never kissed a grown man before an’ she might as well kiss a nigger. She says what her papa do to her don’t count…. (Mr. Ewell) says you goddamn whore, I’ll kill ya’” (260). From this passage it can be inferred that Mayella was abused by her father. When Mr. Ewell began screaming at Mayella, negative connotations could be perceived. Mr. Ewell’s perception became tainted and the audience would no longer see Mayella as guilty, but innocent instead. When Tom said, “She says what her papa do to her don’t count,” suggested that Mayella, rather than protected by her father, was abused. With the ruthless and immature father that she has grown up with, she didn’t have anyone positive to learn from. Since she didn’t have anyone to learn from, in a way, it “canceled” out her guilty actions. In conclusion, Mayella Ewell showed how