TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD Chapter 18
Chapter 18
The third witness is Mayella Ewell. She is nineteen years old. She walks to the chair. She is wearing clean clothes, but she is very quiet. She does not look at the people. She is afraid. Mr. Gilmer, the state lawyer, asks Mayella to tell her story.
“I asked Tom Robinson to come into the yard,” Mayella says softly. “I wanted him to break a big cupboard for me. He has helped me before.” Mr. Gilmer asks, “What did the accused man do next?” Mayella says Tom came inside the house, and then he attacked her. She starts to cry. The judge tells her to only tell the facts.
“I was scared,” she says. “I tried to stop him, but I couldn't. Then my father was standing in the door.” Mayella points at Tom Robinson. “He attacked me.” She speaks loudly now. “He is the man who did this to me! He is the one!” “Thank you, Miss Mayella,” says Mr. Gilmer. “I don’t have any more questions for her.”
Atticus Finch stands up to ask his questions. He speaks gently. “Miss Mayella,” Atticus starts, “is it true that Tom Robinson hurt you very badly?” “Yes, sir.” “When you talked to the police, did you tell them that Tom Robinson put his hands on your neck? And that he raped you?” says Atticus. “That’s what I said,” she answers.
“Did he hit you in the face?” asks Atticus. She does not answer immediately. “You said he choked your neck. And that he hit you. Did he hit you?” “Yes, he did,” she answers. She is beginning to get angry. “I just don’t remember. Everything happened so fast.”
“I only want to make sure you are accusing the right man,” says Atticus calmly. “You say he choked you, hit you in the face, and took advantage of you. Will you identify the man who raped you?” She is very angry now. “I will identify him!” she yells. “That’s him right there!” She points at Tom.
Atticus turns to Tom. “Tom, will you stand up, so everyone can see you?” Tom stands up slowly. He is a tall, strong man. His shoulders are wide and powerful. But everyone can see very clearly that his left arm is deformed. It is almost thirty centimeters shorter than his right arm. His left arm is useless. It was destroyed in an accident when he was a child. Scout and Jem can see Tom’s arm, too.
“Is that the man who raped you?” Atticus asks again. “Yes, that’s him, I said!” yells Mayella. Then Atticus asks one more question. “How? How did he rape you?” Mayella becomes very angry. “I told you I don’t remember! It happened so fast!” “But you said he choked you, and hit you, and raped you…” says Atticus. “Do you want to change your story?”
She does not say anything. “Why didn’t you run, Miss Mayella?” says Atticus. “I couldn’t,” she says. “He was on top of me. I was screaming and yelling and fighting.”
“But you brothers and sisters did not come to help you. Even when you screamed? Or you only screamed when you saw your father in the window?” She does not answer.
“Who hit you, Miss Mayella?” asks Atticus. “Did your father hit you when he saw you in the house with a black man?” She doesn’t say anything. “I have no more questions, your honor,” says Atticus. The judge asks to hear from Tom Robinson.
