Home > To Kill a Mockingbird Summary & Study Guide > To Kill a Mockingbird Group > Question and Answer

Question:

Answers:

1. 
   katemschultz Teacher
   High School - 12th Grade

   eNotes Editor

   Lee artfully weaves bits and pieces of Mayella's home life with her attitude and other details to cause the reader to both pity and be angry with Mayella.
   
   For instance, Mayella thinks Atticus is making fun of her when he calls her "ma'am" or "Miss Mayella" and when he asks if she has any friends. Obviously, no one has shown this girl even the most basic of respect and she doesn't have any friends outside of her brothers and sisters, who are depicted as children who run wild, rather than take care of each other.
   
   Mayella also reveals, though the body language, hesitations and brief statements that her father beats her when he's drunk. When Tom stands up, it is so obvious that he could not have raped her, the reader beings to get angry with both Mayella, and to some extent, Bob, because they are so ignorant to have brought this case to court and wasted everyone's time. Personally, I feel more sorry for Mayella, because, in my mind, Bob forced her to take this case to trial because he didn't like the idea of her kissing Tom.
   
   Scout also comments that it looks as though Mayella had tried to get clean and that she tried to keep a bit of brightness on the Ewell property with her well-taken-care-of red geraniums. I see Mayella as someone who wants to rise above her current poverty and meanness, but has a father who won't let her.

   Mayella is also in a difficult situation in court--she can either do as her father says, and lie to convict Tom or she can tell the truth and risk a beating and perhaps worse from her father after the trial.

   Sources:

   http://www.enotes.com/mockingbird/chapter-18-summary-anal...

   Rate answer:

   • Flag as inappropriate

   Posted by katemschultz on Sunday November 9, 2008 at 4:14 PM