Mayella Ewell Is A Mockingbird Essay

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I agree and disagree with the statement, “Mayella Ewell is a mockingbird.” Mockingbirds symbolize innocence, and the novel’s title, To Kill A Mockingbird, means to destroy innocence. Two of the most prominent mockingbirds in the novel are Boo Radley and Tom Robinson. They are like mockingbirds in the sense that they cause no harm. These two individuals are corrupted by evil, in other words, victimized by the prejudice of Maycomb throughout the course of the novel. Taking this into consideration, I believe Mayella Ewell is a mockingbird but also isn’t. What I mean by this is, she can be seen being harmed and causing harm. Mayella Ewell comes from a family that is seen as the disgrace of Maycomb. In Atticus’s cross-examination of Mayella, he builds up a picture of the Ewells’ home life. From this information, the jury can see that Mayella is constantly working for her family and her life is not easy. When Atticus calls Mayella, “Miss Mayella” …show more content…

When Mayella falsely and purposely accuses Tom Robinson of rape, she causes him harm. In chapter 20, the text says, “I have nothing but pity in my heart for the chief witness for the state, but my pity does not extend so far as to her putting a man’s life at stake, which she has done in an effort to get rid of her own guilt” (Lee 271). What Atticus means by this is, although he feels pity for the victimization Mayella receives from her father, that does not make up for her accusation of Tom Robinson. This accusation causes Robinson harm and ultimately leads to his death. Mayella is different from Boo Radley and Tom Robinson in the aspect that she did cause harm, whereas Boo, who left presents for Jem and Scout in the knothole of a tree and Tom Robinson, an innocent Negro who offered her help, did nothing but perform acts of generosity. Therefore, I agree and disagree that Mayella Ewell is a

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