Mayella Character Analysis Essay

“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view . . . until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” (page 39) Mayella Ewell, a young white girl, daughter to a drunk father, is hard to understand until you “climb into her skin.” Mayella is viewed very differently on her “outside” than the way she truly is on the “inside.” Additionally Mayella plays an important role in displaying the idea of treating others differently and discriminating a specific group of people. Poor, lazy, and unwilling are all words that many townspeople would use to describe Mayella’s outside appearance. Initially, the only information stated in the story about Mayella is that she is nineteen and a half years old and the

“Against the fence, in a line, were six chipped-enamel slop jars holding brilliant red geraniums, cared for as tenderly as if they belonged to Miss Maudie Atkinson, had Miss Maudie deigned to permit a geranium on her premises. People said they were Mayella Ewell’s" (page 228). Despite the poor qualities of the Ewells, Mayella proves that she strives to be the better person when compared to the rest of her family. The way Mayella acts and her innocence to her father’s wrath show that Mayella has a good heart. Although living in her family’s situation she does not have the resources to better her life. She suffers from her father’s beatings and threats. Many people in the trial of Tom Robinson realize that Mayella lied to the court because she feared what her father would do to her. Additionally, living as a Ewell has given Mayella a very lonely life. “The witness [Mayella] frowned as if puzzled. “Friends?” (page 245) When Tom came over each day Mayella felt less lonely and eventually she went as far as kissing him. When viewed from the “inside” Mayella can be described as sweet, caring, and