Journal #6- Chapters 16 - 19 (Mayella Ewell)

Journal #6- Chapters 16 - 19 (Mayella Ewell)

I sat there in the court room watching as my father was being questioned as to what had happened to me the night of November twenty-first. My father knew as well as I about what really happened that night. I had always felt lonely and so distant from all the other kids; That was until the day I asked, that one boy, Tom Robinson to come help me and chop up a chiffarobe. I told him that if he came over the fence this instant and help me chop up that chiffarobe n' I'd give him a nickel. That Tom said he wasn't gonna take no nickel and to keep my money. I asked him why not and he said because he didn't want no nickel. He was so nice to me, that Tom was the only person who talked to me with much respect and ever since then by the time he came by, I'd have something for him to do. Whether it was telling him to come ad help me with the garden, of help me chop up another piece of furniture, I would always have something for him to do for me.

One day I suggested that he help me fix a door that I knew was perfectly fine and things got a little out of hand. My daddy saw and took all of rage out on me by forcin himself on me. I was screamin' and hollarin'... My daddy blammed it all on that Tom Robinson, and threatened me that if I didn't cooporate, he would hurt me again and again until I swore to him that I would go along with prosecuting him.

So during Toms trial, that Atticus start callin' me ma'am and Miss Mayella. That got me so mad! Why was he sayin that type of stuff to me? It was rude and I had finally had enough. I told that Atticus that he should watch what he was sayin' and that I wasn't even about to cooperate with him if he was gonna call me that. Judge Taylor told me that he was just bein' polite. An' then all of a sudden, Mr. Atticus asks me if my dad drink alot. I was terribly confussed for I had no idea what that question had to do with convicting Tom of rape and so I answered truthfully. I told him that he did drink and that sometimes he would get out of hand but wouldn't hurt me. I almost blew it by saying that he did but then caught myself before my father could beat me again.

Although I didn't say that he abuses me, I could see him sitting on the edge of his seat. I was off the stand and it was time for the jury to come to a decision. I told them what had happened, for the most part, but I knew that no matter what happened, my only friend was going to be gone forever after this. Atticus gave a speech that I thought was very convincing and heart felt. As old as he was, Atticus was still courteous and a very respectable man for all I knew. No matter how accurate or correct Atticus' assumptions were about my father and I, the jury still pleaded Tom guilty but only because he was black.

Although I knew that I had just been a part of convicting an innocent black man, I was also humiliated,just as my father probably felt right then. Atticus had accused my father of beating and abusing me. I just walked out of the court room with my head down all the way to my house in shame of what I had just been a part of.