In chapter 18, Atticus questions Mayella on the stand. She is as nervous as her father had been on the stand. Atticus is polite but thorough, and Mayella's struggles to keep her story straight.
Mayella is questioned about her father, as well. She tries to explain that he is fine unless he drinks. There are times that she seems as if she is going to break down and tell the truth, but she does not.
When Atticus questions her as to why no one heard her scream, and tries to get her to admit it was her father that beat her up, Mayella starts to cry. She tells Atticus that all the social niceties, calling her ma'am and such, are not going to get her to say what Atticus wants. At this point she breaks down into sobs, and refuses to answer any more questions.
Mayella's lack of knowledge of the legal protocols expected of her was evident at this point.
"I guess if she hadn't been so poor and ignorant, Judge Taylor would have put her under the jail for the contempt of court she had shown everybody in the courtroom." (188) Because Mayellla was ignorant of the rules she was breaking, it would serve no purpose to charge her with contempt of court, and there would be no one to come forward with money to bail her out.
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