Before the incident with the dog, Scout and Jem saw their father as old, reserved, and not particularly powerful. More books than SparkNotes. Tom testifies that he always passed the Ewell house on the way to work and that Mayella often asked him to do chores for her. Atticus provides a good home and a strong caretaker in Calpurnia. SparkNotes PLUS Tom had to serve time because he couldn't afford to pay the fine, whereas the other man could. Atticus insists Tom share what Bob said. My students love how organized the handouts are and enjoy tracking the themes as a class., Requesting a new guide requires a free LitCharts account. Atticus then attempts to get her to admit that her father was the person who beat her up. She changes her story, claims to not remember, and struggles to give a clear picture of events, all of which is clear behavior of someone nervously trying to string together a lie. Conway Junior High School. If you don't see it, please check your spam folder. Did you know you can highlight text to take a note? She's not like Mr. Raymond, who can spend time with black people because he's wealthy. Mayella then closed the door with him inside. As Jem and Scout walk home that night, two figures emerge from the shadows, each with their own intentions. Atticus asks Tom to tell the jury what happened the evening of November 21st. Part of the childrens pity for her derives from her suspicious attitude to Atticus, whose words and actions are relatively clear to them, but opaque to her. Why does Dolphus Raymond hide Coca-Cola in a brown paper bag? "That's okay. Mayella declares that her father has never harmed her. The gifts also represent one of the ways that Boo tries to engage with the world around him without giving up the secrecy and privacy that he requires. What is about Mayella that makes Scout think of the red geraniums in the front yard? Avery Gordon has experience working in the education space both in and outside of the classroom. Though Tom is the symbolic mockingbird at the heart of the novel, he is not the only character who fits that description. When Tom climbs up on a chair to reach the box, Mayella knocks him to the ground. Mayella was offended by the polite words Atticus used. Summarize his testimony. Why does Atticus take Tom Robinsons case knowing that hell lose? From her testimony, the courtroom observers learn that her family lives in poverty, and she takes care of the house and her seven brothers and sisters. In the following sections, the To Kill a Mockingbird Chapter 19 summary is broken down into several sections: a summary of the previous chapter, the events as Tom Robinson takes the stand, his testimony, the cross examination, and the children's reactions. Atticus asks Mayella to admit that her father is actually the person who hit her, not Tom Robinson. "She was even lonelier than Boo RadleyWhen Atticus asked had she any friends, she seemed not to know what he meantShe was sad..". Mayella invited him into the house to do a chore, she made sexual advances towards him, he tried to run, he tried to push past her, Mr. Ewell showed up and said, "you ******** *****, I'll kill ya." Atticus Finch then begins to cross-examine the witness. Mr. Gilmer opens by asking Tom about his disorderly conduct charge again. The people in the courtroom become loud for a moment when Tom says Mayella hugged him. While she is on the witness stand, Atticus asks her numerous questions about her home life and Scout begins to pity her. Although Atticus is an old father according to Scout, he dearly loves his children, Scout and Jem, and offers them a role model of integrity, wisdom, trust, and honesty. According to Tom, he was going home from work as he always did when Mayella asked him to come inside the house to help her. Refine any search. From the time Mayella takes the stand, Scout reflects that she is unlike her father in some ways. If you don't see it, please check your spam folder. You can view our. Tom works for Mr. Link Deas most of the year, and knows of no way to get to work except passing the Ewell house. Tom fled. Atticus asks her to identify the man who raped her, and Mayella points to Tom, who Atticus asks to stand. This reaffirms Atticuss lesson that courage means doing what is right even in the face of opposition or failure. To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. Subscribe now. Unlike Tom Robinson, Boo Radley is not destroyed, though he does suffer greatly. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. He insists that he did not hurt Mayella in any way, and tried to get away from her without 'being ugly to her.' Her father told her what to say while on the stand and likely threatened to hurt her more if she refused. Mayella is a liar who puts an innocent man's life in danger, but her testimony does make her more of a sympathetic character. Scout does not understand why Dill is upset because 'after all, he's just a Negro.'. Tom refused and asked to leave, but Mayella wouldn't let him. If she were hit straight on, it would have come from someone's left hand. Mayella's testimony adds background to the case. Once in the chair, we learn that Tom is twenty-five years old, has a wife and three children, and once had trouble with the law. Why do you think she hesitates? The judge tells Atticus to call the witness. While he was getting the box, Mayella knocked Tom to the floor and asked him to kiss her. People didn't respect her because of her class, and you can tell Mayella is not used to being respected because in court Atticus calls Mayella "ma'am and miss" (DBQ Mayella, 15) and Mayella gets mad. At this statement, Mayella lashes out in anger and refuses to answer any more questions. When Jem and Scout set off through the woods to the high school for the harvest pageant, they begin a journey that is long in a figurative sense, for the events that occur that night will change their lives forever. Teacher Editions with classroom activities for all 1699 titles we cover. Tom says that on the night of November 21st he was walking home from work when Mayella asked him to come inside the house to help her retrieve a box that was on top of a tall dresser. Mr. Ewell says, "I seen that black ****** yonder ruttin' on my Mayella!". Mayella lives a harsh life of poverty with no means of escape. Mr. Ewell is sexually abusing his daughter: "She says she never kissed a grown man beforeShe said what her papa do to her don't count". He admits that he even staggers sometimes to reinforce his charade. The judge attempts to explain that Atticus is simply being polite. I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. The most obvious reason justice isnt served is because the jurys overwhelming racism prevents Tom from getting a fair trial. Analyze Mayella's responses, including her body language, to Atticus's questions about her father. to start your free trial of SparkNotes Plus. In her cross-examination, we learn Mayella is nineteen and her family receives relief checks, but there isn't enough food to go around; her father seems to be a drunkard. He wonders if the questioning can be completed that afternoon, and Atticus says he thinks so since he only has one more witness. Although she is a mean, racist neighbor, Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose teaches the children a lesson in courage. When she tells Atticus that she screamed, he asks where the children were. At first, Mayella takes exception to Atticus calling her "Miss Mayella," and the judge has to explain that Atticus is imply being polite. Dill replies, saying that Atticus wasn't hateful to Mayella when he cross-examined her. Instant downloads of all 1699 LitChart PDFs In Atticuss cross-examination, Mayella reveals that her life consists of seven unhelpful siblings, a drunken father, and no friends. This concept is figuratively represented by Scout and Jem losing their youthful innocence as they begin to understand the racial prejudice that exists in Maycomb. Summarize Tom's testimony. The way the content is organized, LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in. Mayella Ewell's sad life makes her more sympathetic to readers and the onlookers despite her lies about Tom. She says that she called Tom Robinson inside the fence that evening and offered him a nickel to break up a dresser for her, and that once he got inside the house he grabbed her and took advantage of her. He does this to establish Tom's credibility of being an honest man with nothing to hide. Doing so would play right into the racist belief that all black men are violent rapists and a threat to white women, the belief on which Mr. Ewell is basing his entire case. Latest answer posted December 18, 2020 at 11:09:54 AM. She thinks Mayella may be as sad as 'what Jem called a mixed child' since white people look down on her, and black people will not go near her because she's white. There are two main events in Chapter 18. While initially the reader might assume Jem broke his arm through innocent childhood games, by the end of the novel we understand the darker, more complicated truth behind the accident. His questioning of her brings to light the fact that she is lying about what happened, and that her father is the one who beat her up, not Tom. Chapter 18 of To Kill a Mockingbird is significant because it allows a deeper understanding of Mayella Ewell. The phrase "it's a sin to kill a mockingbird" refers to intentionally and pointlessly destroying something that does no harm. Use this CliffsNotes To Kill a Mockingbird Study Guide today to ace your next test! Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. "She seemed to be trying to get something clear to herself.". They have sat through the entire trial, and they know that Atticus has established Tom's. The small sample of his cross-examination that Scout and the reader do hear is enough. ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS. She is making up her testimony as she goes along. Dill begins to cry, and Scout takes him out of the courtroom. You may cancel your subscription on your Subscription and Billing page or contact Customer Support at custserv@bn.com. Tom ran out of the house as fast as he could. As they walk, Scout and Dill encounter Mr. Dolphus Raymond, the rich white man with the Black mistress and mixed-race children. What does Judge Taylor say about Mr. Ewell's testimony? His story is the true version of events: because of both Toms obviously truthful nature and Atticuss brilliant and morally scathing questioning of the Ewells, the story leaves no room for doubt. Atticus then increases the pressure on Mayella when he begins asking her numerous questions at a rapid pace, which further emphasizes her lies. This causes uproar in the courtroom. Subscribe now. There was "something stealthy" about [it] it was like "a steady-eyed cat with a twitchy tail.". After her mother's death, Mayella has been saddled with the care of her seven younger brothers and sisters. Being an honest man with the black mistress and mixed-race children what is right even the... The content is organized, LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in as... Subscription on your subscription and Billing page or contact Customer Support at custserv @ bn.com the people in courtroom... N'T hateful to Mayella when he begins asking her numerous questions about her home life Scout. 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