The Ewell family lived in a small,
square cabin consisting of four compact rooms, which used to be a Negro
property. They lived behind Maycomb's town dump. In addition, the cabin was
topped with flat tin shingles and was held up by four, large blocks of
limestone. The shack barely had windows and in the summertime, cheesecloth was
used to prevent rabid animals from invading the cabin. Although, an unhealthy
environment surrounded the cabin, the corner of their yard contained an item
that left the people of Maycomb bewildered.
“Against the fence, in a line, were six chipped-enamel slop jars holding
brilliant red geraniums (228).” Mayella Ewell was the possessor of the beautiful
flowers. She watched over them carefully and paid a lot of her time, attending
to the flowers. “Cared for as tenderly as if they belonged to Miss Maudie
Atkinson (228).” The geraniums obviously meant a lot to Mayella, shown by her
hard work to keep them alive. Throughout Maycomb, the Ewells are left with a
negative representation, mainly because they lived by the reeking dump. I’m
sure Mayella was aware of what other folks in Maycomb thought of her. She must
have used these flowers as a getaway from all of the dark, pessimistic thoughts
constantly whizzing through her head about her and her family. Behind the dump
it was probably smelly, dark, and lonely. The vibrant red geraniums pulled her
away from all of the nonsense. The plants enlightened her. They made her feel
pretty and clean, a feeling she probably doesn’t feel often. This also goes to
show that the Ewells are human. Everybody has something that they use to escape
the rumors and busyness of daily life. Mayella Ewell’s keeps the Red Geraniums as
her escape.
What do other folks in Maycomb do to occasionally disappear and take a
break from their regular life? Could these particular flowers represent
something else that has to do with the trail on Tom Robinson? How does Harper
Lee further describe the setting of Maycomb?
I agree that the flowers Mayella cares for help her escape from the problems she faces in Maycomb. Mayella is part of the Ewell family, which is characterized by Maycomb as dirty and disrespectful people. Mayella can't escape this description as a result of no one willing to change their ideas in Maycomb. Similar to Mayella, Dill also attempts to avoid his problems. In Dill's case, Mayella's geraniums can be compared his wild imagination. Scout often describes Dill as being her source of entertainment in the summer, through his eccentric stories, acting out plays, and his obsession with Boo that is contagious. As happy as Dill may seem, he often uses his imagination to escape from his troubling life outside of the summer. When Dill is not with Scout, Jem, and Aunt Rachel, he find himself going from family to family and not having a permanent home. In a way Dill copes well with not feeling as if he has a "real' family because he could have chosen to drop out of school or be mean to others. The only disadvantage to Dill's wild imagination is that it is delaying him from maturing.
ReplyDeleteHow do you think Dill's crazy imagination affects him in his life? Do you think Atticus is prejudice for mentioning in the beginning of the novel that the Ewell's are a disgrace?
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