1.) Pay attention to Mayella’s testimony. Are there inconsistencies? Do your feelings about her change once she testifies? In what way? Caverley-Light


During the trial, Harper Lee depicted Mayella as a young girl who seemed lonely. She herself said she had no friends and Scout realized that the girl was lonelier than Boo Radley. It seems that Mayella’s testimony was inconsistent. She was fidgeting and hesitating, like she didn’t know how to answer Atticus’ questions. At one point Mayella said, “He does tollable, ‘cept when–” (208). Mayella is referring to her father when Atticus asked her if he was good to her. Mayella knew she had to answer a certain way but couldn’t lie and after that, there’s a paragraph stating how Mr. Bob Ewell stiffened as if he was expecting her to rat him out. Maybe she was manipulated by her father and maybe he threatened her. There is evidence that could prove that it wasn’t Tom Robinson. For example, Tom’s hand was crippled at the age of 8, which means he couldn’t have strangled her with one hand if there were finger marks and it was hard enough to hurt her. Why might her father have the motive to her Mayella? Why weren’t the younger children (Mayella’s siblings) there?

QUESTIONS:
1.) Pay attention to Mayella’s testimony. Are there inconsistencies? Do your feelings about her change once she testifies? In what way?
2.) What does Tom Robinson suggest happened the day of the rape? Do you think the jury will believe his version of events? Explain why you think this.
3.) Contrast Tom Robinson’s treatment by Atticus and then by Gilmer.

4.) Free response post

Comments

  1. AnonymousSeptember 26, 2019 at 6:12 PM

    Mr. Ewell could have a motive to hurt Mayella if he had been drinking. During the trial, Atticus tries to finish Mayella’s sentence by saying, “Except when he’s drinking?” (209). This shows the Maycomb way. Atticus knows what happens behind the closed doors of the Ewell house as the Ewells abide by the Maycomb way. The Ewell children don’t really go to school and they act like wild animals. Any person in Maycomb knows this. However, the Radleys are suspicious and don’t really follow the Maycomb way. No one knows what happens behind the closed doors of the Radley house. Harper Lee is trying to show how small Maycomb is, but also giving the reader the sense that Mr. Ewell could have hit his daughter for attention and a higher social status.

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