This completely powerless woman has total control over Tom in this situation. The idea of having an affair with a black man is exciting in a dangerous sort of way, but more importantly, making advances toward Tom gives Mayella power. She will most likely stay with her family, continuing to be both sexually and physically abused, until she marries and starts the cycle anew. She's involved in an incestuous and abusive relationship, but she doesn't have anywhere to go or anyone to help her. She can't attend school because she has to take care of her younger siblings, especially when her father leaves on days-long drinking binges. The fact that Mayella wants a better life for herself is evidenced by the red geraniums she grows so lovingly - they're the only sign of beauty in a dismal, filthy shack and yard. With her mother dead, Mayella becomes a surrogate wife for her father and mother for her younger siblings. However, Bob is unwilling to put forth the effort necessary to change his family's lot and Mayella doesn't have the resources to change her own life. Like most people in similar situations, Bob and Mayella would like to better their station in life. The single thing that elevates them at any level in the community is the fact that they're white. They have no money, no education, and no breeding. The Ewells know that they are the lowest of the low amongst the whites in Maycomb. Full Glossary for To Kill a Mockingbird.Famous Quotes from To Kill a Mockingbird.Comparing To Kill a Mockingbird to Its Movie Version.Racial Relations in the Southern United States. ![]() Aunt Alexandra and Miss Maudie Atkinson.
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