In Harper Lee's novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch is defending Tom Robinson in a court case. Tom has been accused of sexually assaulting Mayella Ewell, a matter made all the more grave by the fact that Tom is black and Mayella is white. At this time in Alabama, race relations were difficult, and if a white person accused a black person of violence, the black person was almost guaranteed to be found guilty and go to jail, even if the black person was innocent.
On the night of November 21st, Robinson was invited by Mayella Ewell into her home, where she tried to hug and kiss him. When Bob Ewell, Mayella's father, saw this, he ran inside and beat Mayella while Robinson ran away. Later, Bob Ewell made up the story that Robinson had assaulted Mayella to protect her dignity as a white woman and cover up the fact that he beat his daughter.
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