What is the theme of Chapter 18 in To Kill a Mockingbird?
Fear controls the mind This theme is relevant to the chapter because Mayella is scared to speak her mind to the courtroom when she is in the stand testifying her case. When Atticus is asking Mayella whether or not Mr. Ewell is a drinker or not, “Mayella looked at her father [Mr.
What are the symbols in To Kill a Mockingbird?
The mockingbird, the mad dog, and the tree by the Radley House are important symbols that are within the novel. The Mockingbird symbolizes innocence, so the title suggests that innocence is being killed or destroyed. There are many examples of mockingbirds in the novel, which is why this symbol is the most significant.
What happened in chapter 18 of To Kill a Mockingbird?
Summary: Chapter 18 In Atticus’s cross-examination, Mayella reveals that her life consists of seven unhelpful siblings, a drunken father, and no friends. Atticus pleads with Mayella to admit that there was no rape, that her father beat her.
What does Tom’s left arm symbolize in To Kill a Mockingbird?
He says that the muscles in Tom’s arm were torn from the bone. The fact that Tom’s left arm is useless is significant in proving that he is innocent. Mayella’s injuries to the right side of her face, meant that her attacker led predominantly with his left hand.
What do we learn about mayella in Chapter 18?
Mayella is a vulnerable, defensive product of her environment, and her accusation of rape was only a response to her father’s violent reaction to seeing her with Tom. In chapter 18 of “To Kill a Mockingbird,” we learn that Mayella Ewell is a sad, lonely, and abused girl. She is also illiterate and uneducated.
What do Scout and Jem learn about Tom in Chapter 18?
When the Cunningham mob comes to lynch Tom Robinson, both Scout and Jem intervene. They learn that the Cunninghams are not bad people, but they just got carried away. Atticus tells them that most people are well-intentioned.
What is the symbolism of a mockingbird?
The Mockingbird Symbol Analysis. Mockingbirds symbolize innocence and beauty in the novel. Atticus and Miss Maudie tell Scout and Jem that it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird because these birds cause no harm to anyone or anything—they just sing. In doing so, they make the world a better place.
What happened in Chapter 18 A Lesson Before Dying?
In Chapter 18 of A Lesson Before Dying, Jefferson’s godmother goes to the jail to visit him. This time, they are allowed to sit in the dayroom for their visit. Jefferson’s mood has not improved and he refuses to eat, even after his godmother tries to feed him by hand. A few days later, Grant comes to visit him.
What’s wrong with Tom Robinson’s arm?
Tom has a physical handicap from a cotton gin. His left arm is 12 inches shorter than his right and he cannot use his left arm!
What lesson does mayella teach?
Scout learns by Mayella’s behavior, speech, and choices that she has a better life as a Finch. She’s taught to obey the law, go to school, and to live up to the high quality and character that the Finch name represents.
What happens in Chapter 18 of to kill a Mockingbird?
Scout can tell that Mayella tries but fails to keep clean, and she thinks of the geraniums in the Ewell yard. Mr. Gilmer asks Mayella to share what happened. Mayella promptly bursts into tears and says that she’s afraid of Atticus. Judge Taylor assures her that Atticus won’t scare her.
Who are the mockingbirds in to kill a Mockingbird?
Mockingbirds. Though Tom and Boo are the primary symbolic mockingbirds of the novel, an argument can be made that Atticus is also figured as a mockingbird. In this chapter, Mayella even accuses him of “mocking” her, which may be Lee’s way of playing on the word and indicating to the reader that Atticus is innocent of what she accuses.
Is there any sympathy for Mayella Ewell in to kill a Mockingbird?
We can have little real sympathy for Mayella Ewell—whatever her sufferings, she inflicts worse cruelty on others. Unlike Mr. Cunningham, who, in Chapter 15, is touched enough by Scout’s human warmth to disperse the lynch mob, Mayella responds to Atticus’s polite interrogation with grouchy snarls.
Why is it a sin to kill a Mockingbird?
Most important, Miss Maudie explains to Scout: “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but . . . sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.”