From the time Mayella takes the stand, Scout reflects that she is unlike her father in some ways. While Bob Ewell is filthy, Mayella seems to try to keep herself clean. Scout associates this with the red geraniums she tries to grow to bring a bit of beauty into her life.

When Mayella, who is not a child but a young woman, begins crying on the stand, Scout and Jem don't know what to make of it. After all, their father is always kind and respectful, and they have always seen people react to him positively based on this reputation. Scout wonders if Mayella has "good sense," and Jem wonders if she's just trying to get the judge to feel sorry for her.

Scout also notices that Mayella acts especially nervous on the stand, first twisting a handkerchief into a "sweaty rope" and then trying to get her story straight:

Mayella was silent. She seemed to be trying to get something clear to herself.

Although Scout notes that it causes Atticus physical pain to bring the truth of Mayella's situation to the knowledge of the court, Mayella nonetheless lashes out at him one final time before refusing to say another word. It is at this point that Scout realizes how "poor and ignorant" Mayella really is. Her situation is so dire that even the judge fails to chastise her the way he should.

In short, Scout and Jem have never encountered a woman like Mayella, and they have a difficult time processing both her tragic situation and her erratic personality on the stand.