In “To Kill A Mockingbird” Mayella Ewell disrupted the town of Maycomb, Alabama using her power based from her class, race, and gender. Even though Mayella was lower class she was still considered a higher class than Tom Robinson, an African-American man. Since Mayella was a white female, and Tom was a black man, Mayella held power over Tom. Though males usually had the advantage, Mayella held the power now because she is white. As a result of being a white woman in the segregated 1930’s, Mayella had power over other races. In particular black males and females, because Mayella is white. People would gladly take a young, white woman’s word over a black man’s word. This helped her rise to power in the court case. In the statement that Reverend Sykes (a black male) makes (DBQ Document D), Reverend says “Now don’t you be so confident, Mr. Jem, I ain’t ever seen any jury decide in favor of a colored man over a white man”. This shows just how much more power Mayella had over Tom because Mayella is white. …show more content…
When people would see and hear just how low class Mayella was they would feel pity for her. This made her look innocent to the court and to the people of Maycomb. It is stated that (DBQ document A) “Maycomb’s Ewells lived behind the town garbage dump in what was once a Negro Cabin. It’s windows were merely open spaces in the walls. What passed for a fence was bits of tree-limbs, broomsticks and tool shafts. Enclosed by this barricade was a dirty yard”. This statement describes the property on which the Ewells live. The people of Maycomb would put this into the consideration of Mayella’s class during the court