Examples Of Power In To Kill A Mockingbird

Power has different meanings and stages in different places. To Kill A Mockingbird is an enticing tale, based in the 1930’s, of Jem and Scout Finch and their journeys through Maycomb County, Alabama. One of the biggest plots in this story is when their father, Atticus Finch, is called upon to defend a black man, Tom Robinson. He has been accused of raping a white woman, Mayella Ewell. Mayella is the oldest of the eight children of Bob Ewell. The Ewell family lives in an old “Negro cabin” by the local dump. They are very poor and are trying to gain power on a social scale. Many questions have been raised in To Kill A Mockingbird about how powerful Mayella really is. So, is she powerful? First, power means: The ability to control one’s own life and the lives of others. Based on her gender, class, and race how powerful is she really? Mayella Ewell may be powerful because of her race as a caucasian female, but her gender and class strip her of all the power she had. Back in the 1930’s women weren’t looked upon the same way as they are now. So, she has little power as a woman. The Ewell family is very poor and can barely afford the basic things needed for survival. So, their social class plays a major role in the amount of power she receives. All together, Mayella is not as powerful as people think. …show more content…
Bob Ewell thinks he has superiority over Mayella, because he is a man. When Atticus was interrogating her, as a witness, she was asked if she loved him and if he was ‘good to her’. Mayella’s reply was “He does tollable, ‘cept when-” and she was cut off by her father sitting up in his chair. This body language indicates intimidation. Bob was trying to get Mayella to not say what she was about to say. (Doc B) Now, because Mayella is a woman in the 1930’s, her gender has a lot to do with her levels of power. She has little power over