To Kill a Mockingbird, Part 1 - Crash Course Literature 210 - YouTube (2)

backbone for Harper Lee's argument about the dangers of limiting women's political

rights, like had those women sat on that jury, Lee implies, the trial might have gone very

differently. But of course, the jury ends up taking the

side of Mayella Ewell. And although it's difficult to forgive her for wrongly accusing

Tom, it's clear that she is also a victim of this perverse form of patriarchy.

Rather than being permitted to, like, attend school and have a normal life, Mayella has

been forced to care for seven siblings and keep house for a violent, drunk father. She's

isolated and friendless, and she tries to kiss Tom and when her father catches her,

he beats her, and possibly rapes her. And only then does she allow herself to try to

escape that violence by blaming someone else. Mayella's world is circumscribed and terrifying,

which is strongly contrasted with Scout's pre-adolescent freedom and wonder.

So in the end, I would argue that what some critics read as a one-dimensional treatment

of the Ewell family, turns out to be a pretty sophisticated commentary on gender relations

in the time and place of the novel. This reminds us again that when we read, we

as readers are empowered to make choices. A novel really is a collaboration between

the author and the reader. And Harper Lee's great novel may be straightforward

in its prose and in its plot, but when it comes to opportunities for that collaboration,

it is extremely rich. Thanks for watching. I'll see you next week.

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