Mayella Ewell accuses an innocent man, of a horrible crime. This is a harsh, mean action, which would lead a reader to thinking that she is a terrible person. But, even though Mayella lies on the witness stand, she still can be seen as a sympathetic character. Perhaps one of the most shocking things about Mayella is that she is different from the rest of her family. She “[looks] as if she [tries] to keep clean” and has a flower garden that is “cared for as tenderly as if [it] belonged to Maudie Atkinson” in their otherwise disgusting yard (179) (171). This shows her kindness and thoughtfulness.
Knowing this, why should readers sympathize (as Atticus does) with Mayella Ewell?
Why do you think she makes the decisions she makes in relation to going along with the trial?
What strategies does the author use to make sure readers will feel some sympathy toward her? Do you?
Brandon Antolino per.3
ReplyDeletePeople should sympathize for Mayella Ewell, because she does seem like a nice girl who is trying to be different from her family. SHe tries to keep clean and has a nice little garden. I think she is making these decisions because she is scarred of her father. she might think he is going to beat and rape her. Tom Robinson could have never done it because he is crippled in his left arm, so she couldnt have a black eye on her right side.i think he father is threatening to beat her if she tells the truth. the author trys to show the good side and then the bad side then a little of the good side again. I dint feel one ounce of sympothy for her. she should have told someone about it and stop scapegoating tom because he is black. also she is lying under the oath which is a sin, and according to scout Maycomb is a very religious town. That is why i fell no sympothy for Mayella Ewell
Tory T period 6
ReplyDeleteReaders should sympathize with Mayella because she doesn't have much. She lives in a house behind the dumps and has to take care of her seven siblings because her father is a drunk. Mayella doesn't have a lot to look forward too in her life. She probably makes these decisions because she feels like if she doesn't she will have no where else to go. She needs her Dad even though he beats her because it's a roof over her head. The author shows how Mayella tries to differentiate herself from her family by staying clean and keeping a garden. The author also makes readers sympathize for Mayella when Mayella starts to cry on the witness stand. This makes you feel bad for her because you look at her as someone who is fragile and doesn't know how to handle herself even at nineteen. I feel sympathy for Mayella because she is a good person caught in a bad situation. Even though what she is doing is wrong, she is still a good person underneath it.
Scott Bartman- period 4
ReplyDeleteReaders should sympathise with Mayella Euel because she realistically has nothing. She lives by a dump and tries to stay clean and plant flowers unlike the rest of her family. Mayella probably makes these decisions because in addition to her father bieng drunk frequently, she has nothing that motivates her to do what is right and proper. It is not possible for Tom Robinson to have commited the crime because he is crippled and can not even use one of her arms. To make sure the readers feel sympathy the authoir shows how bad Mayella's life is and the strugles she has to go through.
Kevin Alvora- period 7
ReplyDeleteReaders should sympathise with Mayella Ewell becasue she really doesnt have much but she trys to be different from her family that is "White Trash". She tries to keep clean and she takes care of a little garden she made as if she was Maudie Atkinson. I think she is making these desicions becasue if she doesnt her dad will beat her and becasue she cant go anywhere else she has to stay with her dad and her family. The author shows that she diffent becasue of the fact she trys to be as clean as she can. The author makes readers feel sympathy by her telling everyone how bad her life is. Which shows how terriable and miserable her life is and makes people that read this book feel bad for her to have such a bad life. I do feel bad for her because she is living a terriable life and her dad probably beats her and he forced her into lieing in court.
Mayella should be sympathized because of her efforts, she tries to be better then her family name but she struggles to more civilized, staying clean and keeping her flowers nice are a treacherous tasks for a family like hers, every person for themselves. I think Mayella is protecting herself by accusing Tom Robinson, her father, Bob, would probably beat her if she didn't go along with the charge even thought she thought it was wrong and it was clearly a false accusation. I think she tries her hardest to testify but Atticus out-witted her and she would be safer going along with the case. Harper Lee made sure the reader was sympathetic by explaining the difference between her and her family and what make her go the extra step to be civilized.
ReplyDeleteKiana Comizio Period 7
ReplyDeleteReaders should sympathize with Mayella Ewell because she doesn't really have control over anything in her life. She was brought up into a "white trash" family and her dad is a drunk. He has the ability to control her life because he can beat her up if he doesn't get his way. This means that it is extremely hard for Mayella to branch out and have a different life than the one she was brought up in. Mayella deserves sympathy because she at least tries to be different and it is proven to readers by the author telling them that Mayella tries to stay clean and tend carefully to her garden. The author also makes readers sympathize with Mayella at the trial. As it becomes more clear that Tom isn't capable of doing what he was accused of and Bob Ewell is, readers note that Mayella crying at the trial is probably because she's upset with her dad for hurting her and making her lie.
Jake Trotta per 7- Readers should sympathise with Mayella Ewell becasue she really doesnt have much but she trys to be different from her family that is "White Trash". She probably makes these decisions because she feels like if she doesn't she will have no where else to go. The author also makes readers sympathize with Mayella at the trial.at the trial it become more obvious that Tom Robinson didnt rape Mayella, her father did. i say this because of all the good lawyer that Atticus is.
ReplyDeleteOlivia Barbulescu Period 7- Readers should sympathize with Mayella Ewell because even though she comes from a crude family, accuses an innocent man of a horrible crime and lies on the witness stand, she tries very hard to make do with what she has. She tries to keep clean and make her family united, and it is not her fault that her family is “white trash”. She is kind and thoughtful, but she makes decisions to go along with the trial because Mayella has absolutely nothing besides family. If she goes against her family and tells the whole truth, they would reject her and hate her, making the only thing she had simply vanish. To make readers sympathize with Mayella, Harper Lee shows how uneducated and oblivious she is so she cannot be blamed for the accusation of Tom Robinson. Also, the description above is given to show how hard she does try to keep clean, work with the things she has and be a family player. If that description of her was not given, reader wouldn’t sympathize with her and just automatically “hate” her for lying.
ReplyDeleteChris G- Period 7
ReplyDeletePeople should feel sorry and sympathize for Mayella because she is the best of the Ewells. Not only that, we find out that she is constantly neglected and even malested by her own father. This puts Mayella in a sad situation. Although she most likley does not want to, Mayella is forced to go along with this trial, for her father Bob Ewell will most likely beat her. Also, if they do win this case, the Ewells will recieve a lot of money, which could help with the family. Harper Lee drops hints along the way, where Scout says that she is the lonliest girl in the world, and even Tom Robinson says he felt sorry for her. Lee also depicts the look on Mayella's face as she is being cross examined by Atticus, how scared she was of her father. And finally, the worst part is when the author states how Mayella is beat and malested by her own father. These combined all show how we should feel about Mayella Ewell, sympathetic. I really do feel sorry for Mayella, because she really has no where to turn to, and she is stuck in one place hoping she can make it through to the next day.
Mike S. pd. 3
ReplyDeleteReaders should sympathize with Mayella Ewell because of her struggles at home. At the age of 19 she has to deal with her father being a drunk as well as him raping her. Mayella and her family are also dirt poor, so she struggles a lot with her life. Mayella lies in court because she is threatened by her father most likely. Mr. Ewell was the one who raped Mayella, but he doesn’t want to face the consequences, so they choose a black man as the scapegoat. Mayella is probably scared of Mr. Ewell and believes he will hurt her if she tells the truth. Harper tries to make the reader feel bad for Mayella by showing she is not intelligent and having her cry multiple times during the trial. I don’t feel bad for Mayella because she could tell someone and stop being racist towards an African American man. Mayella should also have not come on to Tom Robinson. that just started more problems (if Tom is telling the truth).
Emily Coash Period Seven
ReplyDeleteReaders should sympathize for Mayella Ewell because she was born into a large family that does not have a lot of money and the only attention she gets is from her abusive/alcoholic father when he beats or molesters her.Readers might not like Mayella at first because she is lying and trying to get Tom Robinson In trouble. She may seem like she is against Atticus and Tom but later on the author reveals that Mayella was threatened to tell on story rather then the other by her father Bob Ewell. Mayella probably agrees to follow along with her fathers plan because she doesn't know that people are out their that can help her escape her father from being cruel to her! She also is probably willing to do whatever her father says because he is probably threatening to hurt her if she doesn't! I personally do feel sympathy towards Mayella because she is stuck in the middle of two things that are extremely important!
Jackie Dalfonso Period 6- Readers should sympathize Mayella because she is growing up in a really bad environment,and yet she is the smart one,the cleanest,and she stands out from the rest of them due to her gentle caring: for example her flowers. Readers should also0 sympathize her because she is slights uneducated: meaning some of her words are pronounced incorrectly... The only reason she is going with this trial is obvious; that her father must of told her to go along with it or she be in huge trouble: and back then it was a disgrace to do what she did. Especially down south. I do feel sympathy for her, because she really will never have another chance at life, and she is living in a bad environment that includes an abusive father who is an alcoholic.I also feel bad for her and her siblings because they do not go to school and they do not know how to speak proper English, let alone possible read and write.
ReplyDeleteMax Uretta Period 7- Readers should sympathize Mayella because she is also a victim is this case. Mayella is sexually abused by her father and no matter what you've done wrong in your life, no girl should ever be sexually harassed by their own father, its wrong and disgusting. Anyone living a life where their father kisses them has a sad life and people should sympathize them. I think Mayella goes along with the story her father told because she is afraid that if she doesn't her father is either going to beat her up again or sexually abuse her again. Mayella doesn't want either of these things to happen to her so she agrees and goes along with her fathers story because she is scared. One strategy that the author uses is tone. The author goes from a casual tone and mood to a sad and upsetting tone. Once Mayella said she was kissed by her father the mood completely changes in the story to a upsetting, sympathetic mood. Yes I feel very sorry for Mayella because being touched by your own father is so gross and if you can't do anything to control or stop it, its even worse and more horrific. So yes I feel sorry for Mayella but at the same time I don't like that she is putting an innocent man in jail for her own greater benefit.
ReplyDeleteThe readers should sympathize for Mayella because she has basically nothing. She lives in a tiny place and has to take care of her siblings because her father is a lazy drunk that abuse her. Mayella doesn't have anything to look forward for. She makes choices because she is obedient to her father. She needs her father because he's the one who gets the checks. The Harper Lee shows how Mayella tries to act different by staying obedient . She makes readers sympathize for Mayella when Mayella starts to cry during the case. This makes the readers fell bad for her because she is seen as someone who is fragile and can't handle things at the age of nineteen. I sympathize for Mayella because she is a well mannered person caught in a tough time . Even though she does things wrong, underneath she has a heart.
ReplyDeletePeriod 3
DeleteCarlye Uretta Period 4- People should feel sorry for Mayella because after all she is pretty much told what to do and say by her father, because shes scared of him because he sexually molested her. She is neglected and i do think she is the best out of the Ewells. I think that everything she is saying during the trial is all just what her father is making her say, he wants to get Tom accused of rape and he is scaring his own daughter into doing it because he sexually molested her. In the book just as she was about to confess Mr. Ewell leaned forward to kind of intimidate her into saying what he wanted her to say and thats exactly what happened. She lying because shes scared of her own father. The author uses the fact that she comes from a very poor family, that her father sexually abused her and when she starts crying during the case. This makes the readers feel bad because she is a girl going through a lot. I sympathize for Mayella because she is the most mature one out of the Ewells and is facing a struggle that she doesnt really need.
ReplyDeleteHarrison Steins- Period 7
ReplyDeleteReaders should sympathize with Mayella, this is because she is an optimist and even in the gravest of situations ( where she lives, how she is treated) she still tries to find the good in them. She still tries to act nice and plant flowers even though she lives in a dump. She also tries to separate herself from the other Ewells by keeping her self clean and not acting as foul and drinking like her father. I think that she made the decisions regarding the trial because her dad was forcing her to. I think that her dad would threaten to beat her and molest her again if she didn't comply to his demands in accordance to the case and proving Tom guilty. I think that the author makes Mayella cry in the book to show true sadness and to show to readers that she is not as cold as her father. I do sympathize with her because of what the author has written about her life.
Jake Williams Perioid 6-
ReplyDeleteReaders should sympathize for Mayella Ewell because she is controlled by her drunken father and the book does show that Mayella is molested by her father. so the case agents Tom might not be her accusing Tom of rape but her father forcing her into saying it was rape because Tom was the only one who was really nice to Mayella so why would Tom rape her? she knows toms innocent but can't shake the fear of her father so Mayella goes along with the story her father made, so her decision is out of fear not because she wants to do wrong by tom. the author shows how Mayella was molested and how she is under a lot of pressure by her father and the possibility of Mayella being beaten by her father the reader does feel for Mayella she's under a lot of pressure and doesn't need it, so i do sympathize for Mayella, she's forced to lie by her father and she will most likely continue to be abused by her father.
Katie Stevens. Period 4- Readers should sympathize with Mayella because she is a nineteen year old girl who has and is still being raised with hardships at home. She and her family face great poverty, which makes it a struggle to survive and move forward. Readers should feel sympathetic for her because her own father, who is as drunk, rapes, abuses, and constantly harrases her. Not being able to do anything because her father provides her with her necessities to survive, she is threatened to go along with her dads story about Tom Robinson raping her. The author tries to get the readers to sympathize with Mayella when she is crying on the stand during the trial. I feel very guilty and sympathetic towards Mayella because she is a hopeless girl looking for a way out of this harsh and cruel situation she was dragged along into.
ReplyDeleteJames Delia-Period 6
ReplyDeleteReaders sympathize Mayella Ewell because she has nothing, her mom died, and her dad gets drunk and beats her. Mayella makes the decisions in the court room because she is afraid of her father. She might think that he will rape and beat her if she doesn't go along, just because Bob Ewell is racist. Mayella knows that Tom Robinson is innocent and that everything she is saying in court is a lie, but she is afraid that her father will hurt her. Mayella is not racist herself, but fears to tell the truth, so she goes along with her fathers story. The author shows sympathy for Mayella by explaining her life and how sad it is. The author also shows that she is the only Ewell who is actually trying to make a change in their family.
Sydney Mueller (Period 3)
ReplyDeleteReaders should sympathize with Mayella for various reasons, including that she is forced to live in the raggedy old house down by the dump and has to deal with an uneducated, unhealthy family around her. These conditions are tough to endure for a nineteen-year-old girl who has not experienced the world around her because she has no way of escaping these circumstances. Just like in “A Hidden America: Children of the Mountains”, they have to endure their circumstances and living conditions because there is no way to escape them. Mayella is forced to make her decisions with consequences on both sides, such as going along with her father’s side of the trial. When she goes home everyday she is forced to live a life just like the rest of the Ewells; full of disorder and filth. No one can save her from that life so she has to go along with the story so her own family does not disregard her and beat her as a punishment. To emphasize the situation Mayella is put in the author includes strategies to help the reader understand what is happening. She describes Mayellas ignorant knowledge of what a friend is, what having a social life is, and she describes her erratic responses during court. Mayella feels as if she is being made fun of by Atticus with all the questions and she does not know how to properly answer them without making her father upset. I sympathize with Mayella because I realize she cannot win either way, if she lies and is caught she might go to jail (even though it was highly unlikely for a white person to go to jail). If she tells the truth, her family will disown her and treat her as if she is dirt. If Mayella truly is different from the rest of her family that means she has a good conscious and knows the right decision to make while forced to be making the wrong one. This is a valid reason to be sympathetic because she is obligated to make the wrong decision in the end.
I believe readers should be sympathetic towards Magellan Ewell because all her life she has been living in horrible conditions with awful influences from her father. It’s even stated that Mayella is abused by her father several time, which must extremely awful to experience knowing she is the only girl in the family. She has no way out of this lifestyle because her family has no money to succeed. Even with the little money they do have her father spends it all to get drunk. Considering that Mayella also doesn’t have a mother she doesn’t really know much. Even though it must be extremely hard to endure all these negative conditions, Mayella does seem to try to be different by keeping herself clean or caring for her own garden. Mayella probably went along with the trial because knowing her father does abuse her, she is probably scared that her father might try to hurt her if she doesn’t go along with it. The author shows how Mayella is so ignorant and uneducated that she barely knows when someone is trying to be respectful towards her. This is seen when Atticus calls her M’am.
ReplyDeleteDaniel Quinn Period 4-
ReplyDeleteReaders should sympathize for Mayella Ewell because she tries to make her life better but realy, there is nothing she can do. She has to stay where she is because of her father. The reasins she makes her decisions in trail because of the the threats coming from her father. Her testinmony is one her father wants her to say, not what acutally happened. Even while the trail is giong on, Bob Ewell is making gestures that threaten Mayella for her to make his decision. I think that Harper Lee is trying to get readers to sympathize for Mayella because she didn't chose to live this life, she was born into it. With no way out all she has to do is endure what is giong on. This is also how I feel about Mayella.
Sam O period 6 I do feel soprry for Mayella I mean she was molested by her o9wn father whos always drunk, she has 7 siblings and has no mom or friends her own age. I can relate not to the molesting part but the part about having no friends. theree are times i feel alone
ReplyDeletejacob mckinsey period 6
ReplyDeleteI should sympathize with mayella because she only a girl and she doesn’t have any one to teach her better than what her father teaches her (which is relatively nothing). Because she doesn’t want to see tom Robeson walking by her house every morning because she couldn’t bear with the thought of being dined by a black man, so she is trying to get him away from her by any means possible even sending him to jail for something he didn’t do. The author uses the illiteracy of Mayella and poor speech to make her seem mistreated and unfairly place in this trial. I understand why Mayella is doing what she is doing but sending Tom Robeson to jail won’t fix her problems, So I don’t really feel sympathy for her because I believe what she doing is wrong and an abuse of the American courts
Nick Falciglia Period 3 -
ReplyDeleteI do have sympathy for Mayella because she is all alone in a house filled with dirty ignorant people. She has no one to teach her and support her. She lies in the trial because she is afraid of her father hurting her again. He was clearly the one who abused Mayella and took advantage over her and she goes along with the lie because she is scared that he'll do it again. People should feel bad for her because she has no control over what she says or does, only Mr. Ewell does, because he frightens her.
Jillian Roos, Period 4
ReplyDeleteI think most readers should sympathize Mayella Ewell considering she doesn't have any friends and doesn't really know what true, 'love' is due to the fact that her father sexually abuses her. She is also often beaten by her dad when he gets violent after a long day of being in the swamp and drinking. Therefore, Mayella goes along with the trial and has been going along with the things her father tells her because she is very scared of him and his threats that he says upon her. Harper Lee tries to emphasize this by showing that in the trial Mayella gets sensitive when Atticus asks her, "does your daddy love you ?" and she simply doesn't reply.
Nicolette Forgione Period 3 - I think readers should sympathize Mayella Ewell because she obviously has a lot of family problems, the biggest one being that her father is an alcoholic and that she probably has no alone time since she has so many siblings. Mayella doesn't know how to take a compliment because she's never been treated kindly before and she doesn't have any friends and never experienced true love. Although she is beaten and molested by her father, Mayella's image comes off as a regular girl because she doesn't dress in dirty, ripped clothing and her hair isn't messy like most poor girl's would be. I think Mayella chooses to make the decisions she makes in relation to going along with the trial because she's afraid that if she doesn't, her father will beat her again and maybe even kill her this time. The strategies that the author uses to make sure that readers will feel some sympathy toward Mayella are making her seem like she doesn't have a choice as to tell the court that it was her who came onto Tom and that her father beat her up because of it. The author also hints to the readers that Mayella's life is really hard and her not having any friends and getting mad when Atticus called her "ma'm" shows how she never receives any love from her father other than him molesting her when he's drunk. Personally, I feel sympathy towards Mayella because I can tell that if she could tell the truth she would and she can't help that her father is an alcoholic and loves alcohol more than her and her family. I find Mayella to be very strong-willed because she looks as if she is just another normal white girl in Maycomb when she is really a girl who gets beaten and molested and has no friends to comfort her through those hard times and no one to turn to except for herself.
ReplyDeleteSierra Struzzi, Period 3
ReplyDeleteReaders should sympathize for Mayella Ewell as does Atticus Finch, due to her attempt to have an optimistic attitude in her horrible life. Unlike the rest of her family, Mayella tries to keep clean and she has a flower garden that she takes care of very carefully in her otherwise disgusting yard. Mayella is most likely being abused/molested by her father, which may be the reason for her testifying against Tom Robinson. Mayella will do what her father says because she fears getting him angry and having him beat her. I think the author using strategies such as making Mayella cry to demonstrate her true sadness and she shows how Mayella is going through this horrible life alone, I do sympathize for Mayella Ewell.
Rebecca O.
ReplyDeletePeriod 4:
I feel readers should sympathize with Mayella because she was abused, and it wasn't fair, during all the things that she went through that she had to be thrown onto the witness stand accusing a man of an innocent crime. Atticus sets it up as her father, Bob Ewell has raped and abused his daughter, which he most likely has. We don't know if he threatened her saying if she didn't accuse Tom Robinson he would do even more unspeakable things to his daughter.
I think she makes these decisions because she's scared of her father and the things her father does to her, and she doesn't want them to happen, so she protects her father thinking he wouldn't harass her anymore if she lies on the witness stand.
The author tries to make you feel sorry for her by setting her up as a normal girl, who's part of a family who doesn't take care of themselves regularly, saying things like "she tries to keep herself clean". I feel partial sympathy for her because of the abuse she stands, but she did lie on the witness stand which i think is incredibly untrustworthy, but I think she was scared that her father would beat her if she did tell the truth.
Daniella Lagani Period 7-
ReplyDeleteLike Atticus, readers should sympathize Mayella because she does not know any better. She was know mother, a usually drunken father, and seven younger siblings. She has to be like a mom to her siblings while taking care of the house while her father gets wasted. She has the mind of a child due to her lack of education and does not know how to behave around proper people like Atticus. Mayella probably makes the decisions she does because her father told he rand she does not know better. Throughout the trial, the reader finds out that it was most likely Bob Ewell who beat his own daughter. He probably told her to lie about what happened or else he would do it again. So that is a possibility to why Mayella went with the decisions she did throughout the trial. The author Harper Lee uses the strategy of diction to allow the reader to sympathize Mayella. Mayella talks with misspelled words, proving that she is uneducated.
Nicole D'Annibale (Period 4)
ReplyDeleteKnowing this, readers should sympathize for Mayella Ewell, like Atticus, because she does not have any control over anything in her life. She was born into a white trash family with many siblings, no mother, and a father who is a drunk. Mayella most likely makes the decisions she makes in relation to going along with the trial because he father has control over her and if she said anything to go against him, he could have beaten her up again. She tries to be different from her family and probably wants to tell the truth but is restricted to do so. The author makes the readers sympathize for Mayella during the trial. She cries and acts nervous because she doesn't know how to handle everything. She wants to and almost tells everyone what really happened but stops herself because she knows that if she did that, her father would hurt her. Harper Lee does a good job making the readers feel sympathetic because I do. It is sad that Mayella is beaten and can't do much about it.
Shannon Zuccarelli period 6:
ReplyDeleteReaders should sympathize with Mayella because she doesn't have a lot. She has seven siblings, and a drunken, abusive father. She still tries to make the best of it by having a little garden and doing her best to look presentable. Her father is probably threatening her if she doesn't testify the way he told her, which maybe is why she's agreeing with the trial against Tom. The author makes Mayella uneducated, having a poor family, and feeling alone much of the time, to make sure the readers will give her sympathy. I do sympathize with Mayella. On the witness stand, she seemed uneasy and nervous. She thought Atticus was making fun of her, because of her lack of education, and then started to cry, maybe from what she has to deal with from her father. I also feel that it must be difficult to make the decision to go with the trial against an innocent man, or be beaten, or worse, by your own father.
Gabriella B(period 3)- Readers should sympathize with Mayella Ewell like Atticus does because she lives a tough life. Her family is extremely poor, she’s growing up with 7 other siblings, no mother, and a father who beats and molests her. Once readers find out about all the hardships Mayella deals with, it’s easy to say she has a tough life. I believe she follows along with the story in trial simply because she fears her father. Aside from being afraid of her father, Mayella doesn’t know right from wrong because she has no good influences in her life or people to teach her the correct way to act. The author makes it possible for people to sympathize with Mayella Ewell because when she is called to the stand to answer questions she acts like an innocent, fragile girl. She also shows her emotions by crying on the stand through out the direct and cross examinations.
ReplyDeleteAriel Coonin period 6:
ReplyDeleteReaders of the novel should sympathize with Mayella Ewell because it is not her fault that she is the way she is. She only went to school for one to two years and has not learned proper social skills because her family is isolated from society due to her father. Atticus sympathizes with her because he knows that she tries hard to be the best she can with what she has. Mayella attempts to keep clean even though she doesn’t have running water in her house. She chooses to go along with her father’s story towards the trial because family is all she has. If she went against her dad’s story he would beat her very badly and possibly kill her. She truly has no choice but to go along with the story. The author tries to get readers to sympathize with Mayella by showing that she tries to keep clean and that she cares for the children and some flowers. Even though I do not like her character, I have been able to sympathize with her.
Tristan Votta Period 6:
ReplyDeleteReaders of To Kill A Mockingbird should sympathize for Mayella Ewell for several reasons. One is that in the novel, it states she is quite a generous and responsible human being, due to the fact that she gave her money away to the children, so they could buy ice cream. It took her a year to earn that money and she simply gave it away. Also, she was born into that family and did not choose to live that way. She makes the decisions she makes on the trial for two obvious reasons. One is that her father probably threatened to beat or kill her if she told the actual truth. Another reason is that she doesn't want people to think that she willingly kissed a black man, considering that was highly frowned upon at the time. One strategy Harper Lee uses to get readers to sympathize for her is that Lee tells of Mayella's generous acts, such as giving her hard earned money away. Something else Lee did was have Mayella act completely aggressive towards Atticus, when is treating her with utmost respect. This shows that she is never treated with respect, to the point where she takes kindness as an insult. Even if readers dislike the fact that she is lying under oath and putting Tom's life in jeopardy, readers are still able to sympathize for Mayella Ewell.
Federica Balboni Period 4
ReplyDeleteReaders feel sympathetic to Mayella Ewell because they feel guilty and bad that a white girl is living in the conditions she does and she isn't even educated and doesn't get to experience life the way she wants to. I think she feels threatened by her father because she has been there for her since she was younger even if he neglected her she still didn't have many other people in her life and she doesn't seem to know right from wrong so she feels trapped to do what her fathers tell her to because maybe she feels like there is no way out. The author describes the outcome of her being beat up by someone not sure who yet though, and how Tom Robinson explained that Mayella says "I've never kissed a real man, daddy doesn't count" (she said something among those lines according to Tom) and she also didn't know what "friends" were when Atticus asked her if she had any. She doesn't know whats outside the world she is living in because her father won't let her because he wants her to himself and it makes people feel bad that thats the way she was raised and how she is living. I feel somewhat bad for her but she shouldn't lie to people about the Tom Robinson case because lying isn't going to get her anywhere she didn't do anything that bad but is making Tom look very bad because she feels threatened by her Pops.
Jacee C (period 7)-
ReplyDeletePeople, reading this book, who sympathize for Mayella Ewell only do so because of her actions and family life. You feel bad for her because she comes from an extremely messed up and poor family. And being the oldest female (because her mother passed away) she is kind of alone. But yet she still manages to make the best out of the bit she has, caring tremendously for her flowers and cleansing herself. I think that Mayella decides to go along with this lie all the way to trial, because she feels guilty. Guilty for "tempting a black man" which is unthinkable back in the 1950's especially because Mayella was white. So i think that by making up a lie, saying how Tom raped her, he would hopefully be killed and she wouldn't have to deal with the constant reminder of what she did. Although this is evil of her to do, the author uses strategies to make you feel bad for Mayella, the way she acts on the witness stand, all helpless and scared. Or the fact that she manages to live so poorly with nine other kids and a pathetic excuse for a father. All in all you cant help but feel bad for Mayella, i sort of feel bad, but on the other hand i do not. Mostly because, i think, she brought this all on herself and put a great deal of time into getting her (lied) stories straight. And i just don't like her she is stupid and viscous.
Nick Nelson period 6
ReplyDeleteReaders of this book should sympathize for Mayella Ewell for a few reasons. One is that it is said that she is the only one in her family that tries to be different. She tries to keep clean and keep a garden, even though they live in a dump. Also she is a generous and kind person. She spends an entire year to save up seven nickels, and gives it to her brothers and sisters to go out to buy some ice cream. Also she was born into a large, white trash family with no mother and an alcoholic father, something that she couldnt choose not to have. The reason she made the decisions that she made at the trial is obvious. After the event had occurred her father had most likely threatened to beat her senseless if she did not go along with his story, which was to turn the story around and to blame Tom Robinson for everything that they did. One of the strategies Harper Lee uses to have the readers sympathize Mayella is when Atticus is trying to "get to know" her better. I the most kind and respectful way, he asks Mayella simple things like, "do you have any friends," and she believes that she is being made fun of because she has never been spoken to kindly at home and hasnt had the support from having friends. I do personally feel sympathy knowing her background information and feel that Lee's strategies have successfully worked on me.
Michelle Aguirre-per.3- Everyone makes mistakes and has reasons for what they do. Mayella lives under very harsh living conditions that should make anyone sympathetic for her because she wouldn’t know better and struggles so much to barely live. She isn’t educated enough to sound convincing therefore the best she can do is follow along with the trial as it was set up to be to blame Tom Robinson for raping her. Harper Lee characterizes her as a confused, poor and hopeless girl who gets molested and a life in the worst conditions… all factors that should be taken in while looking at Mayella. The situation she is put in causes her to do the things she does although wrong (blaming Tom) but for what she deals with, what else would she do? She’s just trying to gain some sort of support, and I do feel some sympathy for her as I do for Tom as well.
ReplyDeleteDominique Loguidice (Period 4)
ReplyDeleteAlthough Mayella might not be the easiest person to feel sorry for, she does deserve some sympathy. The reasons that allow readers to feel sympathy for her, is her conditions at home and her family life. She is not wealthy, sparkling clean nor loved. She has very little knowledge on what love, caring and family is. Sympathy comes for Mayella because of what she has to deal with. Although she has a hard family life, she really does try to make herself somewhat presentable by trying to clean herself and maintaining her own garden. This shows that Mayella does try to present herself as someone better than she actually is which shows a good personality trait about her. I think that Mayella makes these decisions in the trial because she feels guilty of her actions and has no other choice but to blame it on someone else. Also, she might be trying to cover up the fact that her father acts inappropriately to her and lays harmful hands on her frequently. The strategies that Harper Lee uses is when Mayella lets out little bits of information about her life at home. Readers are intended to develop some sympathy for her knowing that she has no idea what love is because she always confronts Atticus that he is trying to make fun of her when he is clearly trying to be nice. The fact that she isn't treated with respect and care at home makes readers feel sorry for her and almost understanding of why she is acting like this in the trial. Originally, I didn't have sympathy for Mayella when she first stepped up to get questioned, but as little bits and pisses were dropped about her life at home, I began to feel sorry for her and almost understanding of why she accused Tom Robinson and why she feels and acts this way in court.
Brian Ganis Pd-3
ReplyDeletePeople should sympathize Ms. Mayella for a couple of reasons. First and foremost the reader is led to believe and infer that Bob (her dad)molests and beats Mayella constantly. Not to mention she has no moral compass. I believe that her reason for going along with her story, is she has no guidance, no friends, no mom, money. All she really has is a father and siblings. She is too uneducated to interpret right from wrong, also in the society she lives in, interaction with a black person(especially sexual) is extremely frowned upon.The author applies characterization at its finest to convey a feeling of sympathy towards her. Compared to her family she is much more considerate and optimistic then the rest of her family. I understand that she has had a rough life. However by no means is it right to blame an innocent man who has been nothing but good to you. Also the crime she is accusing Tom Robinson on is of a serious matter (Rape and assault).
Emma LaBarbera-Period 7:
ReplyDeleteI believe that readers should sympathize with Mayella because as she accuses an innocent man of a horrible crime, she has a reason for the way she feels or acts. I believe that since Mayella is so limited to the knowledge outside of the discriminatory town, Maycomb, she only knows of people who disagree with african american people having the same rights as white people. As a victim of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse, Mayella is physically and mentally traumatized by her past experiences, which is why she longs for someone to treat her respectively, like Tom Robinson did. The readers can sympathize with Mayella because even though she did force herself upon Tom Robinson, and accused him of such, the reason why she did that was because she was lonely and mistreated. The way Tom treated her with such respect, made her love him and only want to be comforted by him. By accusing Tom Robinson of such, this shows that Mayella is a very insecure and vulnerable person, and the actions that she is doing is coming from a deeper place than hate for african americans. I believe that she made the decision to blame Tom Robinson for this crime because he was at her house frequently. I believe that Mayella made the choice to lie about Tom Robinson raping her because she knows that her father will retaliate and lash out against her even more if she were to get him in trouble for what he had done to her. I believe that Mayella's decisions to lie have mainly come from the fear that her father may hurt her. I believe that Harper Lee made it clear to her readers that Mayella was uneducated and poor which makes the readers feel sympathetic towards her because it shows that she wasn't given much and it has taken a toll on the kind of person she is. Lee also uses the way that Mayella responds to Atticus during the trial. Mayella responded rudely and irrationally when Atticus was being respectful and kind towards her, a feeling she felt uncomfortable with and unusual for her. This shows that she does not usually receive this kind of a respectful and kind treatment, which is why she was so angry with Atticus because she thought that he was making fun of her. This makes you sympathize with Mayella to show that she was never treated correctly as a person.
Conor McGillicuddy -Period 3-
ReplyDeleteMayella is a sympathetic character because she was raised by an ignorant family and she cannot help if she is ignorant or not. She has been forced to live a life of poverty, filth and shame. Although her intentions are good, her circumstances do not allow for reasonable sense or proper behavior. She has a low education level and has never been exposed to manners, etiquette or normal social interactions. Since she is so deprived of a normal teenage life, she does not know how to handle the social setting of the court and she cracks under pressure. She is a sympathetic character because she is struggling in a world where she has little control. People pity her because she could be and honest, upright citizen if she was born into a different family. Her opportunities in life are limited because she is associated with the Ewells. She did not make smart decisions when in the trial. Her lying is excusable and it just makes her seem less good than she already is. Although she is a victim of abuse from her father, she should have not lied in court and ruin the life of poor Tom Robinson. Her excuse for bearing false witnesses is pitiable and a shows her true circumstance of confusion and fear. Her father is probably why she is testifying against Tom. Since her father beat her, he threatened her into lying to protect himself. The author uses her poor education to gather pity. By not being educated, people can see how unfortunate her life is and how her behavior can be pardoned on account that she does not know any alternative.
Roma S. (pd.4)…Readers should sympathize with Mayella Ewell because she is struck with a mass amount of poverty and is labeled as a disgrace to the rest of Maycomb. Her father gets drunk and allegedly beats her and sexual abuses her. Tom Robinson was the only man who hadn’t seen her as just “white trash.” This is ironic considering she thought that Tom, before he was helping her, was just another African American. Mayella has become ignorant and was hopeless. If she told the truth, her father would punish her. If she lied, Tom would get punished. There was no middle ground in her situation. The author tells its readers that Mayella always tries to look clean when public even though people know she doesn’t keep clean every day. She also gardens a few flowers in the mist of the dump and poor living conditions she in habits in. Mayella all these years has tried to make the best of her situation even under all these circumstances.
ReplyDeleteMike Gaudreau period 3
ReplyDeleteReaders should sympathize with Mayella for many reasons. Firstly Mayella's testimony leads us to believe That her father, Bob Ewell, molests and beats her. She is so afraid of her father that she will do anything he wants. I believe that her reason for going along with her story, is she has no guidance except for her father, who we know is a drunk, racist who has no moral ideas. She has no friends, no mom, no money, and no opportunity. All she has is a father and so many siblings that she can't even count them. She is too uneducated to interpret right from wrong, and kindness from rudeness. Also due to the setting she lives in, interaction with an African American is extremely frowned upon, especially if that interaction is sexual.The author applies the characterization of Mayella to convey a feeling of sympathy towards her. Compared to her family she is much more neat, clean, and considerate than the rest of her family. Mayella has a difficult life, but accusing a man of a crime serious enough to give him the death penalty is no way to deal with it. Tom has been nothing but good to her, but since Mayella is so scared of her father, she will go along with anything he says.
J.T. Scapp
ReplyDeletePeriod 7
Readers should sympathise with Mayella Euel because she realistically has nothing. She lives by a dump and tries to stay clean and plant flowers unlike the rest of her family. Mayella probably makes these decisions because in addition to her father bieng drunk frequently, she has nothing that motivates her to do what is right and proper. It is not possible for Tom Robinson to have commited the crime because he is crippled and can not even use one of her arms. To make sure the readers feel sympathy the authoir shows how bad Mayella's life is and the strugles she has to go through.
Alissa Hochman period 7 said:
ReplyDeleteKnowing that Mayella was raped and tries to keep clean and act like she has some money people should sympathize her for trying and being a young lady. I believe Mayella lies at the trial because she wants her life to be as normal and good as anything. If it was her father who raped her then he would have to go to jail for a very long time. Then Mayella would have to live by herself and her life would be very abnormal, sad and depressing. If she lies then her father gets to live with her in her house just like normal. To show sympathy towards Mayella the author shows how poor and bad her life is. I do feel bad for Mayella but how she chose and innocent African American to ruin his life was very rude and uncalled for.
mayella tries to give the blame to someone else because she knows what realy had happen but fears to say she has all these guilt but doesnt know what words to say that makes her not the problem.she had made up stories to make her inccent because she knows if she say what really happened people will hate her and try to kill her bcause of that reason. another reason she might not say any thing is because if her dad gouse to jail she might have to face th epople alone or live alone with know one to live with
ReplyDeleteluis barrera period 7
Readers should sympathize with Mayella because has nothing. Mayella has a reason for the way she acts and speaks. Her family and her are living in poverty and are very poor. Mayella has no friends so when Atticus will say something that she doesn't understand every well, she thinks he is making fun of her. This is also shows that she is very educated because she only went to school for one year. The situation that Mayella is put in causes her to do the things that she does wrong. For example, blaming Tom Robinson is not a smart idea but its to keep her father, Bob Ewell, from getting in trouble which is not right. Mayella claims in court that Tom raped her but there is a lot of evidence stating that he did not rape her or perform any harm to her. There is evidence that shows Bob Ewell could have been the one who raped her based on who he is as a person and his actions. Bob Ewell is an alcoholic who is abusive towards Mayella. I do feel some sympathy for her as I do for Tom as well based on Mayella's life and her surroundings.
ReplyDeleteAmanda Levkoff Period 6
Jenn Moran (Period 7)
ReplyDeleteMayella sympathize people by starting to cry during the court case, this makes you feel bad for her because when you think about it she doesn’t know how to handle herself at that mature age she’s at. She also tries to keep her flowers nice and as well tries to keep herself clean. Mayella makes these decisions because she doesn’t have any friends except for her family members, but also Mayella is forced to go along with the trial because if something happens to go wrong, her father Bob Ewell would beat her. It has become clear that Tom isn’t the one who raped Mayella because of his physical disabilities with his arm, and just maybe Mayella starts crying because maybe her dad is the one who has raped his own daughter and is making her do all this by lying to everyone in the courtroom. What the author did for us as readers is to have some kind of kindness over Mayella by telling the truth and just saying that it wasn’t Tom’s fault and it was just her fault, she was the one who forced herself onto him, and then when Bob found out he beat her up for what had happened.
Courtney Mezzancello (period 4)
ReplyDeletewhile Mayella is on the witness stand she is not telling the whole truth. when Mayella starts to cry she is making people feel sorry for her but the way of her actions.
she may have gone allong with the trial because Bob (her father) beats his kids so the reason from my point of view is she felt scared not to go because of what may have happened to her if she didnt.
the reader may sympathize for mayella because of how her dad treats her and by the way she lives just like i do.
Kyle Lometti period 3- Readers should sympathize for Mayella because she a more normal Ewell then the others and she makes an effort to fit into society but she cant becuase her father pressures her to do things like lie in court to defend him. I think she testified in her fathers favor becuase she is afraid of him and that he threatened her that if she did not do what he said he would beat her. The author shows little bits of Mayella that make her look like she is struggling to fit in and trying to improve her and her siblings life style.
ReplyDeleteOriana Flecha
ReplyDeletePeriod 7
Readers should sympathize with Mayella Ewell because her father sexually harasses her and she is also afraid of her own father because of the way he acts, crazy. Any person that has a father that sexually harasses them or is a crazy drunk, people should sympathize for that person. I think Mayella lies to the jury and the whole court because she feels that if she doesn't her father will either beat her or harass her and since she doesn't want either of those things to happen she lies. One thing the other used to make sure readers will feel some sympathy towards Mayella is the tone the passage was written in. The tone before the passage was written in was more serious and during and after the passage there was a sad and sympathetic tone and yes I do feel bad for Mayella.