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Essay / To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee: Compassion for Mayella Ewell
To Kill a Mockingbird, a novel by Harper Lee shows several people deserving of compassion, during the difficult times of the Great Depression. Mayella Ewell is a misunderstood young girl who is exposed for her false and crude accusations against an innocent African American. When looking at Mayella's family life, being the eldest of many motherless children, Mayella must take care of her poor and broken family, a burden she must bear alone. Mayella and her lonely life lead her to kiss Tom Robinson, a black man who took pity on her hard life. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayThis book illustrates the pitiful life of Mayella Ewell, a character worthy of compassion, despite her socially unacceptable actions. Although she lives in a large house, Mayella Ewell, described as a lonely person, has no one to help her but herself. As Atticus showed Mayella Ewell that "a nineteen-year-old girl like you must have friends", Mayella thought Atticus was making fun of her, showing that Mayella really didn't have any friends. Mayella has clearly never spoken to anyone her age since she said she only went to school for two or three years. Scout's realization at the trial that "Mayella must have been the loneliest person in the world" shows that it was obvious to those present at the trial that Mayella was a motherless child surrounded by her siblings who did not respect her and who had an abusive father who often left the family for long periods of time due to his drinking problem. On a larger scale, Mayella is isolated from the world, living her life separately due to her lowly Ewell status. Due to the world of loneliness that surrounds Mayella, she seeks comfort from Tom Robinson, a black man, to feel dominant and in control in a situation, for once in her life. When Tom Robinson emphasized during the trial "I was trying to help him", it showed that Mayella's future actions towards Tom were motivated by desperation and loneliness, not cruelty. Early in Mayella's testimony, her lie on the stand, convicting Tom Robinson of rape, was due to fear implanted by her father, Bob Ewell, and her attempt to make him proud. Throughout the court scene, the revealing details of Mayella's difficult upbringing and her relationship with her father are called into question, when she responds to Atticus' question about Bob Ewell's behavior with "he does, except when he drinks”, hesitating due to the presence of his father. the courtroom. Mayella, paralyzed by the knowledge that her father might beat or sexually abuse her if she does not lie to convict Tom Robinson of a crime he did not commit, is torn between her morals and fear of a future horrible that could await him. Even during her testimony, Mayella cries several times, hiding her guilt and fear under the pretense that Atticus was making fun of her, presenting Mayella as a fragile and vulnerable character. Atticus responds to the situation with “Let her cry if she wants, judge.” We have all the time in the world", knowing that Mayella was not ready to tell the truth with her father nearby. At the end of the trial, Atticus begins asking several questions simultaneously, and Mayella breaks down emotionally, finalizing her testimony with mixed feelings of anger, fear and guilt The outcome of the trial and the lie recited by Mayella during her testimony were the result of her difficult background and her home life. Mayella's house, a "shack." resting with difficulty on four pieces of limestone", the.