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How or why is Mayella Ewell a mockingbird?

Mockingbirds symbolize innocent beings who bring joy to others, cannot defend themselves, and never do anything to harm anyone. Although Mayella Ewell does not strictly fit this definition because she harms Tom Robinson by accusing him of assaulting and raping her, Mayella is in many ways a symbolic mockingbird. She grows up in an abusive home, and it is suggested that her father, Bob Ewell, sexually molests her. She is also forced to take care of her siblings and do all the household chores by herself. Mayella is so busy taking care of her siblings that her social life suffers, which is why she has no friends. She is completely helpless, which connects to the defenseless nature of mockingbirds. Similar to how mockingbirds bring joy to others, Mayella also tries her best to keep her home clean and even plants red geraniums to beautify her trashy yard. Overall, Mayella can be described as a symbolic mockingbird because she is helpless and attempts to make her family happy, although she does directly cause Tom Robinson and his family harm by falsely accusing him of rape.

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