Class, Gender, and Race in ​To Kill a Mockingbird​: Is Mayella powerful?

To Kill a mockingbird. It is many stories woven into one, but told from one perspective.

One of these stories is the of Scout Finch, her brother Jem and their friend Dill. These children

are growing up and trying to make sense of the adult world of Maycomb Alabama, in the 1930’s.

Another story is that of scout’s father, Atticus Finch. Atticus is a lawyer who has been appointed

to defend Tom Robinson is a case that turned the sleepy town of Maycomb it’s head. Mayella is

what some might call a powerful character. However based on evidence it can be considered

that mayella Ewell isn’t powerful and her victory in court can be put down to three forces thanks

to the time period and those forces are Class,Gender, and Race.

Class is the reason why Mayella isn’t powerful.The reason she isn’t powerful is stated in

Document A. Which states” Maycomb’s Ewells lived behind the town garbage dumb in what was

once a Negro cabin, Its’ windows were merely open spaces in the walls, What passed of a

fence was bits of tree-limbs,broomsticks, and tool shafts, Enclosed by this barricade was a dirty

yard.” Now this means that Mayella is not powerful because she and her family are poor. Which

does not allow for control of others lives. However there are more ways to control others lives.

Gender part of the reason that Mayella won the trial. Now while targeting someone

based on there gender is something Mayella did. She didn’t do it in the trial, so it is not Ad

hominem. However in Document B when mayella is asked how her father treats her this

happens” Mayella looked at her father, who was sitting with his chair tipped against the railing,

he sat up straight up and waited for her answer”.This is what he does after Mayella’s answer of

nothing, “Mr.Ewell leaned back again.” Now both of these quotes suggest that Mr. Ewell was

threatening her daugther with a beating if she doesn’t lie. Which means gender is a big factor.

However that is not the only reason Mayella won the trial.
 Race is the final reason mayella won and it play’s a big part, because of the time period.

The time of to kill a mockingbird is the 1930’s. Now targeting someone because of there race is

something that happens. Mayella does not do it. It is actually the Ewell’s lawyer Mr. Gilmer that

targets tom in document E. Which states” You felt Sorry for her?, The witness realize his

mistake but the damage was already done.” Now this quote is important because mr Gilmer is

targeting Tom for his race and he gets him to slip up into saying he put himself above a white

person and shows ad hominem. However in document D the text reads” The Ewells have

presented themselves to you gentlemen , to this court confident that ou gentlemen would go

along with them on the assumption-the evil assumption-that all Negroes lie”. This quote shows

the rasictism at this time that the ewell expect the court to go along with the ways of the time

and believe them.

Now in closing, to kill a mocking bird is a collection of stories that take place in the south

during the 1930’s. The story of Scout, Jem and Atticus is one of these stories. Atticus tries to

protect a black man named Tom Robinson, but falls due to three forces. Those forces are

class,gender, and race.

To Kill a Mockingbird. It is many stories woven into one but told from one perspective. One of

these stories is the of Scout Finch, her brother Jem and their friend Dill. These children are

growing up and trying to make sense of the adult world of Maycomb Alabama, in the 1930s.

Another story is that of scout’s father, Atticus Finch. Atticus is a lawyer who has been appointed

to defend Tom Robinson is a case that turned the sleepy town of Maycomb it’s head. Mayella is

what some might call a powerful character. However based on evidence it can be considered
that mayella Ewell isn’t powerful and her victory in court can be put down to three forces thanks

to the time period and those forces are Class, Gender, and Race.

Class is the reason why Mayella isn’t powerful. The reason she isn’t powerful is stated in

Document A. Which states” Maycomb’s Ewells lived behind the town garbage dump in what was

once a Negro cabin, Its’ windows were merely open spaces in the walls, What passed of a

fence was bits of tree-limbs, broomsticks, and tool shafts, Enclosed by this barricade was a dirty

yard.” Now this means that Mayella is not powerful because she and her family are poor. Which

does not allow for control of others lives. However, there are more ways to control others lives.

Gender part of the reason that Mayella won the trial. Now while targeting someone based on

there gender is something Mayella did. She didn’t do it in the trial, so it is not Ad hominem.

However in Document B when Mayella is asked how her father treats her this happens” Mayella

looked at her father, who was sitting with his chair tipped against the railing, he sat up straight

up and waited for her answer”.This is what he does after Mayella’s answer of nothing, “Mr.Ewell

leaned back again.” Now both of these quotes suggest that Mr. Ewell was threatening her

daughter with a beating if she doesn’t lie. Which means gender is a big factor. However, that is

not the only reason Mayella won the trial.

Race is the final reason Mayella won and it plays a big part, because of the time period. The

time of to kill a Mockingbird is the 1930’s. Now targeting someone because of there race is

something that happens. Mayella does not do it. It is actually the Ewell’s lawyer Mr. Gilmer that

targets tom in document E. Which states” You felt Sorry for her? , The witness realizes his

mistake but the damage was already done.” Now, this quote is important because Mr. Gilmer is

targeting Tom for his race and he gets him to slip up into saying he put himself above a white

person and shows ad hominem. However, in document D, the text reads” The Ewells have

presented themselves to you gentlemen, to this court confident that you gentlemen would go
along with them on the assumption-the evil assumption-that all Negroes lie”. This quote shows

the racism at this time that the Ewell expect the court to go along with the ways of the time and

believe them.

Now in closing, to kill a mocking bird is a collection of stories that take place in the south

during the 1930s. The story of Scout, Jem, and Atticus is one of these stories. Atticus tries to

protect a black man named Tom Robinson but falls due to three forces. Those forces are class,

gender, and race.