1. How Others View Her
1.1. Never been treated with respect
1.1.1. "if you fine fancy gentlemen don't wanta do nothin' about it then you're all yellow stinkin' cowards, stinkin' cowards, the lot of you. Your fancy airs don't come to nothin'—your ma'amin' and Miss Mayellerin' don't come to nothin', Mr. Finch-"
1.1.1.1. Here, we see Mayella assuming that Atticus is mocking her by calling her 'Ma'am' and 'Miss'
1.2. Because of poverty, she is stuck in the middle: whites won't associate with the Ewells because they are poor, and blacks won't associate with them because they are white.
2. Beliefs and Values
2.1. Ingrained racism
2.1.1. "IThat nigger yonder took advantage of me"
3. Textual Issues and Concerns Related to Her
3.1. Mayella can't escape her family reputation, she is doomed to live the same way they have for generations
3.1.1. · "I maintain that the Ewells started it all. Atticus said the Ewells had been the disgrace of Maycomb for three generations."
3.2. Her father beats her
3.2.1. So if spitting in my face and threatening me saved Mayella Ewell one extra beating, that's something I'll gladly take. He had to take it out on somebody and I'd rather it be me than that houseful of children out there. You understand?"
3.2.1.1. Atticus explains to the children Mr Ewell's abusive behaviour
3.3. There is a reference that Bob Ewell potentially raped her
3.3.1. "what my daddy does don't count"
4. Looks Like
4.1. Solidly built from a life of poverty and hard labour, but also scared and weak
4.1.1. "she seemed somehow fragile-looking, but when she sat facing us in the witness chair she became what she was, a thick-bodied girl accustomed to strenuous labor."
4.2. Dirty, but does her best to be civilised
4.2.1. "looked as if she tried to keep clean"
5. Acts Like
5.1. Makes an effort to be better than her surroundings, wants to be different
5.1.1. "Against the fence, in a line, were six chipped-enamel slop jars holding brilliant red geraniums, cared for as tenderly as if they belonged to Miss Maudie Atkinson, had Miss Maudie deigned to permit a geranium on her premises. People said they were Mayella Ewell's."
5.1.2. "Yes, suh. I felt right sorry for her, she seemed to try more'n the rest of 'em-"
5.2. Mayella acts like she is guilty in court, jumping at every threat and avoiding questions
5.2.1. "There was something stealthy about hers, like a steady eyed cat with a twitchy tail."
5.3. She is not sure of her story, faltering and slipping up
5.3.1. "No, I don't recollect if he hit me. I mean yes I do, he hit me."
6. Motivated By
6.1. She is trying to protect herself and is willing to sacrifice Tom for that
6.1.1. She must destroy the evidence of her offense. What was the evidence of her offense? Tom Robinson, a human being."
6.2. Mayella kissed Tom because she was incredibly lonely, and trying to escape the dreary sameness of her life so far
6.2.1. " As Tom Robinson gave his testimony, it came to me that Mayella Ewell must have been the loneliest person in the world"