Mayella Ewell In To Kill A Mockingbird

Heck Tate, Bob Ewell, and Mayella Ewell testify against Tom Robinson in To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Heck Tate, the sheriff who Bob Ewell sought after once he discovered Mayell, attests first. Several statements from Heck’s testimony reflect a prejudice mindset. For example, when asked if anyone fetched a doctor to attend to Mayella after her attack, Heck simply says, “It wasn’t necessary, Mr. Finch… Something sho’ did happened, it was obvious.” (141) His statement portrays thoughts of preconception because Heck believed Bob and Mayella Ewell’s claims of the occurrences on November twenty-first without receiving a second opinion from a medic and without any legitimate reason or proof other than their word. Bob Ewell offers his testimony to the court after Heck Tate. As …show more content…
Mayella Ewell herself, the victim of the alleged sexual assault by Tom Robinson, speaks in front of the jury during the case. During the final part of Mayella’s testimony, she states, “...if you fine fancy gentlemen don’t wanta do nothin’ about it then you’re all yellow stinkin‘ cowards, stinkin’ cowards, the lot of you…” Simply if the case ends in Tom’s favor, she claims that the men involved in the decision of the case acted cowardly without any real reason other than not receiving the verdict she desired. (158) After Mayella, Atticus calls Tom Robinson, the defendant accused of attacking Mayella Ewell, to the stand to provide his account of the events on November twenty-first. Unlike the first three witnesses, Tom’s story of the evening possesses no prejudices. In fact, when being cross-examined by Mr. Gilmer, Tom confesses, “Yes, suh. I felt sorry for her, she seemed to try more’n the rest of ‘em-” Through the testimonies of the first three witnesses, Harper Lee attempts to show that prejudices during the time of To Kill A Mockingbird appeared frequently and heavily, especially in the treatment and feelings towards certain minority groups, specifically African