Student Question
Compare and contrast Atticus Finch and Mayella Ewell to demonstrate loneliness and isolation in To Kill a Mockingbird.
Quick answer:
In To Kill a Mockingbird, the theme of loneliness and isolation is shown in Atticus Finch and Mayella Ewell by their emotional distance from Maycomb society. The characters’ situations contrast in that Atticus’s isolation is primarily social, as many townspeople oppose his defending an African American man, while Mayella is both physically and socially isolated, due to her family’s poverty.
In To Kill a Mockingbird, the theme of loneliness and isolation can be found in both Atticus Finch and Mayella Ewell. One similarity is that the characters are emotionally distant from the majority in small-town Maycomb. There are more differences than commonalities in the characters’ situations and personalities. As Atticus has close relationships with most of his family, his isolation main occurs in relationship to the people in Maycomb who support racial segregation and challenge his decision to defend an African American man. Mayella, however, is not supported by her family, and her father physically abuses her. The Ewell family’s poverty and remote location of their home contribute to her isolation.
Atticus is a quiet, reserved person who is respected by his family and peers. While his wife’s death has left him lonely, he makes efforts to maintain close associations with his family—both his siblings and his children. Atticus’s...
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strong sense of civic duty extends to his belief that he should defend Tom Robinson because he believes in his innocence. The extent of the public opinion against him can be seen in the racial slurs that other children share withScout. Although his sister understands his sense of integrity, Alexandra worries about his safety in case of racist violence.
Mayella is shown as far more lonely than Atticus. Their family home is on the poorest outskirts of town, and there is no mention of her having any friends. Her father is portrayed as lazy and brutal; he not only beats her but forces her to lie to the authorities. One measure of her social isolation is Tom’s expression of pity toward her. Her behavior on the stand shows that she is so unused to being treated with consideration that she thinks that Atticus is mocking her.
How is the theme of loneliness and isolation presented through two characters in To Kill a Mockingbird?
The town of Maycomb may be a small, relatively close-knit community, but it has more than its fair share of lonely, isolated people. In some cases, this is because the people in question have chosen to cut themselves off from society. For the most part, however, loneliness and isolation are the inevitable by-products of a judgmental society in which those who don't fit in are expelled to the margins.
A prime example of this comes in the case of Tom Robinson. He exists at the margins of society purely on account of his race. As an African American, he's a second-class citizen in a town steeped in racial prejudice. Among other things, this means that when Mayella Ewell makes a false accusation of rape and assault against him, he stands no chance of getting a fair trial.
Though a large number of Maycomb's African American community show up in court to offer Tom their support, they know as well as Tom that the end result of this travesty of justice is a foregone conclusion. Tom may have plenty of support in the public gallery during his trial, but as he sits there in the courtroom, he must feel like he's the loneliest man in the world.
Boo Radley is also lonely and isolated. This is partly due to his personality, which is shy. But for the most part, it's due to society's prejudice against him. Boo is one of those people who just doesn't fit into so-called normal society. As he's different from everyone else, he's singled out as being weird, a creepy guy who's more of a monster than a human being.
Even if Boo ever did venture out into the world outside his porch, he almost certainly wouldn't be accepted by most folks in Maycomb. They've already made their minds up about him on the basis of gossip, rumor, and hearsay. Such is the power of small-town society to marginalize those who don't fit in.