Gavin Howe
Mayella breaks the law against perjury by giving false testimony while on the witness stand during the Tom Robinson trial. She also breaks a social code against interracial relations by kissing Tom Robinson, a black man.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Law | Perjury |
| Social code | Against contact between black men and white women |
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What You'll Learn
Mayella commits perjury
Mayella's lie on the stand is not the only law she breaks. She also breaks a social code against having black men and white women in contact with one another. Atticus elaborates on this strict social code during his closing arguments. In Maycomb, the breaking of this social rule would be considered much more serious than perjury because their whole society is based on the separation of white and black people. By breaking that social rule, she is undermining the foundations of their social order.
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She gives false testimony
Mayella breaks the law against perjury. Perjury is the intentional act of swearing a false oath during an official proceeding. Mayella gives false testimony while on the witness stand during the Tom Robinson trial. She falsely accuses Tom Robinson of assaulting and raping her. The truth is that Bob Ewell, Mayella's father, assaulted her after he witnessed his daughter kissing Tom Robinson. Mayella's false testimony breaks the law against perjury, as she intentionally swears a false oath during an official proceeding.
Mayella's false testimony has serious consequences for Tom Robinson, who is falsely accused and put on trial for a crime he did not commit. Perjury is a serious offence, as it undermines the integrity of the justice system and can lead to miscarriages of justice. By giving false testimony, Mayella not only breaks the law but also contributes to the injustice suffered by Tom Robinson.
Mayella's false testimony is a direct result of the social code that she breaks, which concerns white women having contact with black men. In 1930s Alabama, interracial relations were taboo, and it was considered an unspeakable act for a white woman to kiss a black man. Mayella's father, Bob Ewell, assaults her after witnessing her kissing Tom Robinson. Rather than admitting to this taboo act, Mayella falsely accuses Tom Robinson of assaulting and raping her, breaking the law against perjury in the process.
Mayella's false testimony highlights the racial tensions and injustice of the time. By accusing Tom Robinson, a black man, of assaulting and raping her, a white woman, Mayella plays into the racist beliefs and prejudices of the time. Her false testimony is an attempt to uphold the racist social order and maintain the power dynamics between white and black people. However, in doing so, she breaks the law and contributes to the injustice and discrimination faced by black people in 1930s Alabama.
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She breaks a social code
Mayella breaks the law against perjury by giving a false testimony while on the witness stand during the Tom Robinson trial. She falsely accuses Tom Robinson of assaulting and raping her. The truth is that her father, Bob Ewell, assaulted her after he witnessed his daughter kissing Tom Robinson.
She also breaks a social code by having contact with a black man. In 1930s Alabama, interracial relations were taboo, and it was considered an unspeakable act for a white woman to kiss a black man. Atticus elaborates on the strict social code that Mayella broke, which concerned white women tempting black men, during his closing arguments. By breaking that social rule, she is undermining the foundations of their social order.
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She falsely accuses Tom Robinson of rape
Mayella breaks the law against perjury by falsely accusing Tom Robinson of rape. Perjury is the intentional act of swearing a false oath during an official proceeding. Mayella gave false testimony while on the witness stand during the Tom Robinson trial.
In addition to breaking the law, Mayella also violated a social code by having contact with a black man. In 1930s Alabama, interracial relations were taboo, and it was considered an unspeakable act for a white woman to kiss a black man. When Mayella was caught making sexual advances towards Tom, her father, Bob Ewell, assaulted her. Mayella then attempted to cover up her actions by falsely accusing Tom of raping her.
Atticus, during his closing arguments, elaborates on the strict social code that Mayella broke, which concerned white women tempting black men. He suggests that the citizens of Maycomb would consider the breaking of the social code to be much more serious than perjury because their whole society is based on the separation of white and black people. By lying in court, Mayella undermined the foundations of their social order.
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She makes sexual advances towards a black man
Mayella breaks the law against perjury by giving false testimony while on the witness stand during the Tom Robinson trial. She falsely accuses Tom Robinson of assaulting and raping her. However, it is later revealed that she made sexual advances towards Tom, and her father, Bob Ewell, assaulted her after witnessing this. Mayella then attempts to cover up her actions by lying under oath and blaming Tom for the assault.
In addition to breaking the law, Mayella also violates a strict social code concerning white women and black men. In 1930s Alabama, interracial relations were taboo, and it was considered an unspeakable act for a white woman to kiss or make sexual advances towards a black man. By breaking this social rule, Mayella undermines the foundations of the racist and segregated social order that the people of Maycomb hold dear.
Mayella's actions of making sexual advances towards Tom Robinson, a black man, are considered a serious crime in the eyes of the racist citizens of Maycomb. Their traditional, racist views of how society should operate are challenged by the idea of a white woman tempting a black man. This violation of the social code is seen as more serious than her act of perjury because it threatens the very basis of their segregated society.
During his closing arguments, Atticus Finch elaborates on the strict social code that Mayella broke. He highlights the taboo nature of interracial relations in 1930s Alabama and how Mayella's actions went against the accepted norms of the time. Despite the seriousness of her actions, Mayella is not held accountable for her perjury or the violation of the social code. Instead, Tom Robinson is found guilty of the assault and rape charges, further perpetuating the injustice and racism prevalent in Maycomb.
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Frequently asked questions
Mayella breaks the law against perjury.
She gives a false testimony while on the witness stand during the Tom Robinson trial.
Perjury is the intentional act of swearing a false oath during an official proceeding.
Mayella breaks the social code against having black men and white women in contact with one another.
