Chapter 18 Summary

Mayella makes her appearance in the court and is reasonably clean, but she is also terrified. Her testimony was that she called Tom inside the gate and offered to pay him five cents to break up a dresser. She says that once the he was inside, he took advantage of her. Atticus asks about her life and she admits her father is a drunk, her seven siblings don't help around the house and she hasn't got any friends. He is curious why she didn't fight harder or why no one heard her scream. Atticus is also confused about how Tom Robinson, who's left hand was caught in a cotton gin, could've hurt her on the right side. Along with Atticus' words, the reader begs her to admit she wasn't raped and her father beat her. She begins to cry and refuses to say...