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

During the 1960’s, racism was at its highest and tensions were high between whites and
blacks. ​To Kill a Mockingbird ​is about a poor white women who accuses an African American
male of raping him when all he did was help her out. Mayella Ewell knew that everyone would
believe her just because of the fact that Tom Robinson was colored. Mayella Ewell is powerful
because she used her race, class, and gender as an advantage to win the case.

Mayella Ewell is powerful through the use of her race. During the setting of this story,
tension is high between the whites and blacks. African Americans are discriminated against and
are not considered part of society in the South.In document D, it says, “Now don’t you be so
confident, Mr. Jem, I ain’t ever seen any jury decide in favor of a colored man over a white
man…’ (Document D). This means that the jury would support Mayella Ewell regardless if she is
lying or what class she is in. This is because Tom Robinson is black; back then, colored people
were not listened to or relative in society. The jury would never want to support a colored man.
This is important because it shows Mayella Ewell’s power because of her race.

Mayella Ewell is powerful because of her class and the fact she has nothing to lose. The
Ewell’s are a very poor family. As poor as any African American family in the county. So they
have nothing to loose or that could happen that has been any worse that has happened to their
family. In document A, it says, “Ewells lived behind the town garbage dump in what was once a
Negro Cabin….” (Document A). This means that although the Ewells were poor, they still had
nothing to lose in the case. This is important because it shows that she had an advantage
because Tom had everything to lose but the Ewell’s could not lose anymore because of how
poor they already were.

Mayella Ewell is also powerful because her gender gives her power. Although Mayella is
a girl and they had no rights at this time, Tom Robinson is a man and it makes the rap claims
look like Tom Robinson is a terrible person for taking advantage of a women when he is much
stronger. Everyone also feels bad for Mayella because of the fact that she is abused by her
father. Gender play a role in the abuse because she is obviously not able to revoke against her
father. In document B, the court asks Mayella if her father is good to her and she hesitates and
looks at him, he leans back and then she says he is good to her (Document B). This shows
obvious verbal and physical abuse. The people in the court could probably see this and in result
felt bad for her not being able to do anything back because she is a women.

Although many people started to believe Tom Robinson at the end of the case, Mayella
Ewell had power through class, gender, and race. Mayella Ewell was able to have many people
in the county believe her because she had nothing to lose, she was white, and she was a
female.