To Kill a Mockingbird Journal Two Chapters 11-20 Essays

To Kill a Mockingbird Journal Two : Chapters 11-20 By: Saima Vedachhia "Who beat you up? Tom Robinson or your father ?"( Page 251). This is what Atticus question nineteen-year-old Mayella Ewell in court on the day of the trail. In my opinion, Mayella commits a very sinful act by laying false charges against Tom Robinson. The truth was that Bob Ewell had beat and raped his own daughter, Mayella Ewell. The Ewell's are known to be a very disgraceful, lazy and no educat ed family and have almost no reputation in Maycomb. Mayella accuses Tom Robinson of beating her up, raping her and taking advantage of her. But I feel that Mayella is actually the one taking advantage of Tom since he is a person of colour. In court, Mayella is asked a series of questions by both the lawyers, but it seems that all of her answers are similar everything her father says. It almost seems that she was forced to say what her father told her to say or she would have to face the consequences . When she is asked questions about her fath er, she hesitates and looks at her father before answering the question. This is a sign of lying under oath. This can help us understand how Bob Ewell keeps Mayella under his control and makes her do whatever he wants. When Mayella is asked about the incident, she says that she had called over Tom Robinson to help her break an old dresser. Tom was a nice guy and never did anything to Ewell's but Mayella decided to blame him for her father's actions. Although Mayella tries her best not to give any hint of her father beating her, she gets trapped in one of Atticus's questions. Atticus asks Mayella if her father treats her with love and she replies "He does tollable (tolerable), cept when -" ( Page 245) and then stops. Atticus later points out that she was trying to say he is okay except when he is drunk. The words almost slipped out of Mayella's mouth, but she quickly stops herself before she gets herself into any more trouble with her father. M ayella is simply afraid of facing her father face to face and as follow blames his actions on an innocent person. Mayella had bruises on the right side of her face, which shows that someone who is left-handed is more likely to hit that side. Bob Ewell is left-handed, and Tom Robinson does not even have a left hand, in this case, it is obvious that it was Bob is the one that beat Mayella , not Tom. Mayella's statement constantly changes and this is another sign that proves that Tom didn't commit the crime. Mayella seems desperately immature for a nineteen-year-old and her whiny attitude suggest that she just wants to try to gain pity as a rape victim. Mayella Ewell is simply lying under oath because she doesn't want her father to be guilty. It is very sad and shameful that she takes advantage of an innocent person because she knows that he is unable to do anything about it because he's a man of colour. Tom did not do anything wrong to Mayella , instead, he w as trying to help her. Therefore, Mayella's actions and Atticus points prove that it was Bob Ewell who had committed the crime, not Tom Robinson. Bob Ewell is a cruelly a racist man, makes various racial comments during the trial. This makes it clear as to why he would accuse Tom of his own wrong-doings. Although Mayella being abused, lonely and unhappy is quite pitiful, we cannot overlook and cannot pardon her for her shameful charges over Tom Robinson. This makes really disappointed because in Maycomb it's mixed, but the blacks and whites don't live near each other. But they can oversee that the fact a black m an word can dishonest a white man's word.