No love

Author's note: This piece is a character analysis on Mayella Ewell from the novel To Kill a Mockingbird.  I tried to analyze  her behavior,actions and relationships with other characters.

Mayella impatiently walked to the stand; she knew the guilt and pity she condemned would only grow when reminded about that awful day. Mayella thought to herself “What happens if they find out Tom is innocent? I love Tom and I know he loves me, at least I think he does; but why does it have to be this way?” After a few minutes of answering questions, Mayella completely lost all composure and it was evident that she was speaking anything but the truth. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee reminds us of how important love is because without love we may end up doing desperate things for it.

Mayella wasn’t the brightest girl in Maycomb County; however who could blame her?Growing up with no mother and an abusive dad does have its long term effects. Clearly Mayella’s behavior is evident through her actions and decisions.  At nineteen without a formal education, a problematic family, issues of neglect, and a “victim of “rape”, is not exactly the ideal life.  In some instances, it led her to act out by not having anything else important to do with her time and her life. The reason I say this, is because the paragraph on pg. 179 describes Mayella acting out on the witness stand. “Mayella stared at him and burst into tears. She covered her mouth with her hand and sobbed.” Now if  Mayella were telling the truth that outburst most likely wouldn’t have happened.

 Seeing that Mayella is weak, and doesn’t contain any self confidence resulted in her inability to have healthy or steady relationships.  If you’re not happy with yourself, it is evident that you don’t always have the best relationships with people, as this was proven to be true for Mayella Ewell. During the time being on the witness stand Atticus asked Mayella the question of friends and her reaction was very uneasy.  The witness frowned as if puzzled. “Friends”?  Clearly the only friend of her was Tom Robinson and he even said himself on page 197. “ Yes suh,I felt sorry  for her, she seemed to try  more’n  the rest of ‘em .”  Unfortunately she ruined the only two relationships she shared, due to her irresponsible behavior and self pity.

 Within the few chapters Mayella is present, she doesn’t change or alter in anyway; therefore, she is a static character. Even though she can’t help her situation she can do something about it. Unfortunately Mayella never realized the harm she caused to others and revealed the true coward she was. In all honesty, I should feel sorry for this character; however, she will not receive any sympathy from me or Atticus,Jem and the rest of the Maycomb folks who are aware of what is principle.

Underneath, Mayella just wanted to  be loved and to love someone back. However, it is obvious that after time she only grew more desperate and more anxious.  She did anything she could for love,even if the person was not of her color.  Overall when it comes down to it,the color of your skin doesn't mean anything. As the saying goes “Desperate times calls for desperate measures.” Desperate for love, she forced herself onto a man she couldn't have, and by doing so, she made her own situation worse.

Moments

 Authors Note:  I have never published a poem before and this is my first, so it might be a little choppy. I incorporated syntactical patterns and repetition for emphasis on the meaning of moments and how they impact our lives.

There are moments we can’t replace.

Moments waiting to happen

 There are moments we hate

Moments we can’t get enough 

  

Days go by and moments pass

 Moments that went unnoticed

Days go by and moments stop

Moments that are unforgettable

 There are Moments we can’t help

And Moments we can help       

There are Moments we love

 And Moments we despise

Our life is al l one entire moment

 A moment only last so long

So make the most of your moment

Point of View

Author's Note:  I chose to write in Aunt Alexandra's perspective. She came  into the book after part one. I believe we shouldn't have sympathy for this character because she doesn't show any understanding of Dill's and Scout's situation. They don't have a mother and  are growing up in the depression. Eventually  you will notice that Aunt Alexandra is nothing but strict and somewhat  a burden to not only Dill and  Scout, but Atticus as well.

 "Well I can't say much else  Scout,  I am disappointed in your behavior . The way you show yourself and present yourself is much like a boy of two years old, start behaving like a lady!"  Scout trotted of angrily to bed.  Million of thoughts were running  through her head. She  knew Aunt Alexandra was right but how come she had to be so mean about it. Back downstairs  Aunt Alexandra was  knitting and thinking to herself  what a poor girl, I do everything I can to make her become one of the ladies however she declines every opportunity I have given her. I can't help she is angry, it is Atticus fault for not raising those children with class…..if only Atticus knew what those children were getting into. The next morning rolled around and Calpurnia was doing her daily morning routine. Oh how it irritates me Atticus is letting a black lady  raise his kids. She don't know  a square from a circle. Scout scooted her chair out abruptly for me to say something but I kept quiet and decided I'd speak to her after breakfast was finished. The tension at the table was all too much for Aunt Alexandra so instead she decided to make a public apology. Even though she was right about scolding Scout, she knew it came off mean and ignorant. Deep down she loved her niece and nephew but for some reason it was hard to watch them grow up and not say anything.

 Eventually Aunt Alexandra grew tired of scolding her niece and her very own brother so she decided to leave with a note on the dining table: It read

"I have understood my stay here has been all too long and I must return to my family.  Best wishes Aunt Alexandra.

Important

 Author's note- I can not remember the page the saying or quote was on.But it has a very important meaning that is true to our everyday lives and how people interact.
  "People only see what they look for and listen to what they want to hear."  Many times I find myself doing this and in some ways it is wrong  and in some ways it is right. Unfortunately I can not help my perspective on things as well as other people can not help their perspectives on life.In Maycomb county many folks only look to blame the people of the black race and only search for the bad in them however it is the whites who are the ones to be ashamed of because of their mislead and ignorant decisions.

Acceptance

Melinda slowly turned the crooked knob, taking a nervous step forward into the empty halls filled of terror. Luckily classes were in session which meant Mr. Neck wasn’t anywhere in sight. Melinda felt a sigh of relief traveling through her parched  throat. Melinda can’t remember the last time she felt any sort of relief. The novel Speak  by Laurie Halse,  speaks for many teenagers today, teenagers who are struggling with acceptance and forgiveness by their peers.

   Living without acceptance from others is very difficult. Except imagine living without it  everyday, as Melinda does. There are many reasons a person isn’t accepted by others, such as personality, reputation and mistakes of their past. As for Melinda her past haunted her, the taunts lasted all too long for something she had no control over. The exclusion, and the whispers, ate away at Melinda and her self-esteem -- emotionally, mentally and physically breaking her down. Unfortunately people don’t forget things in high school; reputations last as long as they take to build.

 There are various causes to Melinda’s struggle of acceptance; however the effects are numerous. Effect number one: she doesn’t talk and when she does, she isn’t really saying anything. Example A: “I close my eyes. Breathe,breathe,breathe. Don’t say anything. Breathe.” Clearly she is uncomfortable when attempting to speak up for herself. Effect number two, due to her past, her social life has completely been destroyed. Effect number three, school is not significant in any regard. Effect number four, depression: caused by loneliness, hurt, shame, exclusion and regret.  Last but not least, effect number five: her parents’ marriage, they are too busy on their own life too even care about their own daughter.

          Even though Melinda feels trapped inside her past, there are ways to get out and be set free. All Melinda needs to do is stand up for herself, tell people the truth and find people who make her feel good about herself. Once she can accomplish that, she will be surprised with the results. Eventually people will come to reasoning and apologize for being judgmental of her. No one deserves to be blamed or ridiculed for their long lost history.

      High school can either make or break someone.  Sadly in Melinda’s case it destroyed her mentally and emotionally but not completely. Instead of letting your mistakes hurt you, learn and prosper from them. Therefore things improve and you won’t have to search for acceptance or forgiveness; it will come to you once you are doing what is best for yourself.

Insanity

 Imagine life without true love and happiness. Existing is the way of living.  No voice, no opinions and no  triumph. However, it takes one brave citizen to attempt to revolutionize the ways of the buttress society.  How about Guy Montag, for example a firefighter who initiates fires instead of putting them out, or Harrison Bergeron, a boy born with god-given talents, but without the ability to use them, they are worthless. Even though these characters share many similarities, they have their differences as well.  Throughout Fahrenheit 451 and Harrison Bergeron the main characters are frequently affected by their inhumane and dystopian societies; but nevertheless, they continue to fight for what they believe is right.

  In both stories, the effects of the unruly society are more than obvious.  There are various signs of brainwashing within their communities.  It is an understatement to say, that Guy Montag enjoys fires, and lives in a world where reading is illegal. The evidence of severe brainwash is on the very first page. “It was a pleasure to burn, to see things blackened and changed.”  Only people filled with sickening thoughts speak that way. Like Montag, Harrison experienced the brainwashing as well.  He was a perfectly normal boy, a natural athlete and intelligent, yet was in jail at only fourteen. The society forces him to believe he is just like everybody else, but deep down he knows he isn’t.  Even his own parents think he is an outcast to society.   Unfortunately for these two main characters, the society was an everlasting challenge.

 Although each character is negatively affected by their government, each rise above the system and their beliefs and opinions slowly change. At first, Guy Montag was just like every other firefighter in his station. He took to burning books and houses with immense pleasure. He never questioned the way he lived, until he met Clarisse, an outcast to society. Given a new perspective, he realizes how horrible of a person he is being and his beliefs and dreams soon transform. Therefore, he becomes a dynamic character. Before Harrison went to jail, he followed what everybody else did. That is until he outgrew the ways of his chosen life and realized his talents. Eventually his thoughts and perspectives quickly change, after he finds the courage to believe in himself.  Consequently, he is also a dynamic character. After putting his skills to the test, his disorderly government takes him away, puts him in jail and accuses him for the most foolish of reasons. Luckily Guy Montag and Harrison Bergeron found ways to alter their lives within an already damaged world.

Seeing that each character has their similarities, there is also one trivial difference, and that is between their destinies. When Montag lived the way society wanted him to. He had a house, a wife and the job of his dreams. After he met Clarisse, his feelings and ideas were altered about the world. Following that, he lost his home, his career, and his caring wife. However he gained more knowledge on the world and a newfound happiness; reading,that is ironically. Meanwhile Harrison never got to fulfill his destiny; his escape from jail is short lived and he was shot at the age of fourteen.  Harrison never gives up on what he believes, even though no one believes in him. He believes in himself and that is a true act of courage.

    Overall, living in any dystopian civilization isn’t simple or amusing especially when humans realize how putrid the world is. And for those who reach recognition like Harrison Bergeron and Guy Montag, eventually they will change for the better.  After everything is over, they can venture into  the unknown with their own original thoughts and dreams.