To Kill a Mockingbird

by

Harper Lee

Mayella Ewell Character Analysis

Bob Ewell’s 19-year-old daughter. She’s described as thick and used to hard labor and cultivates bright red geraniums in the family’s yard. and Scout can tell that though Mayella tries to keep clean, she’s regularly unsuccessful. The oldest child in her family, it falls to her to care for the younger children. She accuses Tom Robinson of beating and raping her, though Atticus, through his questioning of her and of Robinson, shows that Mayella was unloved, abused, starved for attention. It’s clear that she was actually beaten by her father when he caught her forcibly touching Robinson, and was not raped at all—though it’s heavily implied that Mr. Ewell has, in fact, sexually abused Mayella in the past. Though Mayella comes close to admitting that Mr. Ewell beats her when he drinks, she refuses to change her testimony and admit that she accused Robinson of rape, so that she can escape the fact that she broke an important social code as a white woman tempting a black man.

Mayella Ewell Quotes in To Kill a Mockingbird

The To Kill a Mockingbird quotes below are all either spoken by Mayella Ewell or refer to Mayella Ewell. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Good, Evil, and Human Dignity Theme Icon
).
Chapter 19 Quotes

“If you had a clear conscience, why were you scared?”

“Like I says before, it weren't safe for any nigger to be in a—fix like that.”

“But you weren't in a fix—you testified that you were resisting Miss Ewell. Were you so scared that she'd hurt you, you ran, a big buck like you?”

“No suh, I's scared I'd be in court, just like I am now.”

“Scared of arrest, scared you'd have to face up to what you did?”

“No suh, scared I'd hafta face up to what I didn't do.”

Related Characters: Tom Robinson (speaker), Mr. Gilmer (speaker), Bob Ewell, Mayella Ewell
Page Number: 225
Explanation and Analysis:
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Mayella Ewell Quotes in To Kill a Mockingbird

The To Kill a Mockingbird quotes below are all either spoken by Mayella Ewell or refer to Mayella Ewell. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Good, Evil, and Human Dignity Theme Icon
).
Chapter 19 Quotes

“If you had a clear conscience, why were you scared?”

“Like I says before, it weren't safe for any nigger to be in a—fix like that.”

“But you weren't in a fix—you testified that you were resisting Miss Ewell. Were you so scared that she'd hurt you, you ran, a big buck like you?”

“No suh, I's scared I'd be in court, just like I am now.”

“Scared of arrest, scared you'd have to face up to what you did?”

“No suh, scared I'd hafta face up to what I didn't do.”

Related Characters: Tom Robinson (speaker), Mr. Gilmer (speaker), Bob Ewell, Mayella Ewell
Page Number: 225
Explanation and Analysis: