Sunday, October 2, 2016
Chapters 18 and 19: "What do you make of Mayella Ewell's testimony? Pay close attention to her physical appearance, speech and attitude." (Will Friedman)
In Chapter 18, when Mayella Ewell is called up to the witness stand, she is very hesitant and chooses not to answer some questions when she testifies for Atticus. Mayella is asked by Mr. Gilmer what happened on the night of November 21st the year before. Mayella claims that she was on the porch and Tom Robinson came, and she asked him to bust up a chiffarobe. She said she was going to go into the house to get a nickel for Tom, "So he come in the yard an' I went in the house to get him the nickel and I turned around an 'fore I knew it he was on me" (Lee 241). She claims that after that he hit and took advantage of her. She tried to fight back, but it was no use. The next thing she knew, her father was in the room, and he was yelling about who had done it. Later on in the testimony, Atticus asks Mayella if her father had ever beaten her. She says, "my paw's never touched a hair o'my head in my life" (Lee 246). Atticus asks Mayella if she had ever asked Tom Robinson to come inside the fence before. She answers no. Later on when Tom Robinson is testifying, he claims he had been inside the fence doing many other tasks for her before. This proves that there is something suspicious going on. Atticus restates what Mayella had said before and stresses the fact that she did not say anything about being hit in the eye. Mayella hesitates, then she stutters saying she did not get hit in the eye, but quickly changes her statement and says she did get hit in the eye. This is further proof that she very well could be lying. Throughout the whole scene, Mayella constantly glances towards her father almost like to make sure she is saying what her father wants her to say. The way Mayella stutters and glances makes it clear to the reader that Atticus is getting the truth out of her that she is lying.
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I definitely agree with you that parts of Mayella's story were suspicious and she hesitated while reciting some of it. Another part of Mayella's testimony that leaves room for suspicion is when Atticus is questioning her actions after Tom "took advantage of her." Towards the end of Mayella's testimony, Mayella is being pressured with many questions, "Who beat you up? Tom Robinson or your father"(Lee 251)? After Atticus asks this question, Mayella does not answer, and when she does, she does not answer the question. But though Atticus is slowly getting the truth out of her, the real question is if the jury will see through the fact that Tom Robinson is African American and Mayella is white, and look at the facts before making their decision.
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ReplyDeleteI agree that because Tom is an African American the Jury will judge him differently. Atticus builds a strong argument for Tom over time that because Tom can't use one of his arms he couldn't have hurt Mayella. He furthers this in the future by saying that because Mr. Ewell is left handed if he attacked her it would bruise on the same side of her face that has a black eye. Tom testifies telling his side of the story, that Mayella came onto him but in the end, but it will come down to racial prejudice in the end.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Will, Mayella was constantly hesitating when she was asked to tell her side. For example when she was asked to talk about her father, she started to say something then ended it after looking over at her father. The text says “Mayella looked at her father, who was sitting with his chair tipped against the railing. He sat up straight and waited for her to answer. ‘Except when nothing’ said Mayella… Mr Ewell leaned back again.”(Lee 245). I think Mayella is scared of her father so she chooses what she says about him and the events that happened on November 21st.
ReplyDeleteMayella is afraid. She's in a highly abusive home with no escape. She knows that if she says or does the wrong thing she'll be in trouble. However, Mayella isn't weak. She keeps herself clean and tries to protect and care for her siblings. This struggle between her morals and her safety is really breaking her. When she chooses to lie it's not her trying to condemn Tom, it's her trying to save herself.
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