To Kill a Mockingbird Group

Question:

ddddddddddddddddd
dddddddddddd...
Student
High School - 9th Grade

Why did Tom Robinson enter the Ewell's property on many occasions? What does this show about Mayella Ewell?

chapter 19-20

Rate question:

Posted by ddddddddddddddddd on Saturday May 30, 2009 at 4:15 PM and tagged with chapter 19, chapter 20, tom robinson.

Answers:


  1. ms-mcgregor Teacher
    High School - 12th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    Best answer as selected by question asker.

    Under questioning by Atticus, Tom testifies that he entered the Ewell's property because Mayella had asked for his help. However, when Tom is questioned by the prosecutor, Mr. Gilmer, Tom says he also felt sorry for Mayella. According to Scout, that admission may have been a mistake because the white jurors would think it impudent for a black man to feel sorry for a white girl. Nevertheless, this shows Mayella's neediness and loneliness. According to Tom, on the day he supposedly raped Mayella, she had actually hugged him around the waist. Since Tom's bad arm makes it unlikely that he hit Mayella, much less raped her, this makes her seem not only a sad character, but also a malicious one. She accused Tom, the person who was the only one that seemed to help her, of a deed that eventually led to his death.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/mockingbird

    Rate answer:

    Posted by ms-mcgregor on Saturday May 30, 2009 at 7:10 PM