Tkam how old is mayella

But whatever Mayella's hopes and dreams are, she doesn't get a chance to express them to the reader; she appears only at Tom's trial. And there, she has to perform a role: the poor innocent white woman attacked by the evil black man, who must be protected by chivalrous white men.

Mayella's a Ewell, and everyone knows what the Ewells are like: ugly, shiftless, and trashy—they even live by a dump. But when she takes the stand, she represents something else entirely: a flower of "Southern womanhood," an idea that itself is, according to Atticus, a "polite fiction" But to justify sending an innocent man to death, the jury has to believe in her as a representative of "fragile" white women everyone:.

A young girl walked to the witness stand. As she raised her hand and swore that the evidence she gave would be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth so help her God, she seemed somehow fragile-looking, but when she sat facing us in the witness chair she became what she was, a thick-bodied girl accustomed to strenuous labor.

In order to convict Tom , the jury has to believe in, or at least pretend to believe in, the fragile, helpless girl who gets taken advantage of by Tom, rather than see her as a desperate, lonely teenager who actively desires him. It's not just ideals of women at stake, but also of men:.

Your fancy airs don't come to nothin'—your ma'amin' and Miss Mayellerin' don't come to nothin', Mr. Finch-" Then she burst into real tears. Mayella's comment suggests that for men to be big brave heroes, they have to believe that women are helpless timid victims in need of protection or avenging.

When Mayella accuses a black man, she's able to access the privileges of white Southern womanhood—namely, the chivalrous protection of men, no questions asked. If she had told Heck Tate that it was her father who beat her up and raped her, apparently—"what her daddy did didn't count" , would she be in court testifying against him? Well, maybe, but there certainly wouldn't be the huge audience that turns out to see Tom convicted.

Like most people in similar situations, Bob and Mayella would like to better their station in life. However, Bob is unwilling to put forth the effort necessary to change his family's lot and Mayella doesn't have the resources to change her own life. With her mother dead, Mayella becomes a surrogate wife for her father and mother for her younger siblings. The fact that Mayella wants a better life for herself is evidenced by the red geraniums she grows so lovingly — they're the only sign of beauty in a dismal, filthy shack and yard.

She can't attend school because she has to take care of her younger siblings, especially when her father leaves on days-long drinking binges. She's involved in an incestuous and abusive relationship, but she doesn't have anywhere to go or anyone to help her.

At 19, her future is set. She will most likely stay with her family, continuing to be both sexually and physically abused, until she marries and starts the cycle anew. The idea of having an affair with a black man is exciting in a dangerous sort of way, but more importantly, making advances toward Tom gives Mayella power. This completely powerless woman has total control over Tom in this situation. If he were to agree to a liaison with her, then he would remain at her beck and call for the rest of his life.

Readers know what happened when he didn't agree. Ewell has, in fact, sexually abused Mayella in the past. Though Mayella comes close to admitting that Mr. Ewell beats her when he drinks, she refuses to change her testimony and admit that she accused Robinson of rape, so that she can escape the fact that she broke an important social code as a white woman tempting a black man. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:.

Chapter 19 Quotes. Related Characters: Tom Robinson speaker , Mr. Gilmer speaker , Bob Ewell , Mayella Ewell.

Page Number and Citation : Cite this Quote. Explanation and Analysis:. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance. Chapter Ewell called him out because Tom raped his daughter. Tate found Mayella beaten up on the floor and she identified Tom as her rapist, so he took Gilmer and makes a crude joke when Mr. Judge Taylor tells Mr. Ewell to not speak like that in his courtroom, but Ewell agrees with what Mr.

He asks the court reporter to read them word for word, and then asks She understands that Atticus is making the case that Mr. Mayella takes the stand.

Scout can tell that Mayella tries but fails to keep clean, and