| What is Mayella’s version of what happened that night? | Mayella confirms most of what her father had said and adds that she invited Tom Robinson in to break up a piece of furniture. |
| What part of Mayella’s testimony contradicts that of her father’s? | Mayella says that after the rape, her father asked who had done it: “…next thing I knew, Papa was in the room a’standing over me hollerin’ who done it, who done it?” Mr. Ewell claimed to have actually seen Tom raping Mayella. |
| What does Mayella’s testimony lead the reader to believe? | The reader is led to believe that either Mayella or Mr. Ewell (or both) are lying. |
| What does Mayella think that Atticus is mocking her? | Mayella is not used to people calling her “miss” or “ma’am.” Since she does not understand that Atticus is merely being polite, she assumes that he is using the courteous words sarcastically. |
| Why does Atticus begin by asking Mayella a lot of questions about herself and her family? | He wants the jury to understand how Mayella’s home life is depressing and lonely. |
| How does Tom Robinson look as he stands up? | Tom Robinson has one arm that is much shorter than the other. According to Reverend Sykes, Tom had gotten his left arm caught in a cotton gin when he was a boy. |
| How is the information about Tom’s arm relevant to the case? | The fact that Tom Robinson’s left hand is totally useless makes it extremely doubtful that he could have beaten and choked Mayella. As Atticus previously established, the bruises on her face suggest a left-handed assailant; the bruises on her neck suggest that someone choked her with both hands. |
| “Who beat you up? Tom Robinson or your father?” | What is the last question Atticus asks Mayella? |
| Mayella does not answer Atticus, and her face was “a mixture of terror and fury.” After a few moments, she angrily explodes, reiterating her charge against Tom Robinson. She then breaks down and begins to cry. | How does Mayella respond on the stand to Attticus’ last question? |
TKAM Chapter 18
January 31, 2020