Unspoken barriers divide people based on class, wealth, intelligence, and origin. This has affected many people throughout history who were then assigned unfair places in society based on factors such as family ancestry, behavior, etc. In To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee argues that negative repercussions will arise when one attempts to step outside one's predetermined place in a small, judgmental society. This is obviously proven through the characters of Mayella Ewell, the children Jem and Scout and finally Atticus Finch. In the town of Maycomb, hereditary relationships play a big role in reputation, meaning your family's social status instantly becomes your own. Mayella Ewell's character unfortunately belongs to the dirtiest family in town. This is proven in the text, which states: Atticus declared that the Ewells had been the shame of Maycomb for three generations… Against the fence, in a row, were six chipped enamel liquor pots containing brilliant red geraniums, neat too tenderly as if they were. they belonged to Miss Maudie Atkinson, if Miss Maudie had deigned to allow a geranium on her premises. People said they belonged to Mayella Ewell...it was easy to tell when someone bathed regularly, as opposed to annual washes: Mr. Ewell looked burned; as if a nighttime soak had deprived him of protective layers of dirt, his skin seemed sensitive to the elements. Mayella looked like she was trying to stay clean, and it reminded me of the row of red geraniums in Ewell's yard. (Lee 30-179) It is evident that Mayella wants to be better than her established family status when she tries to keep herself clean and make her living quarters presentable, actions that the rest of her family would never bother with. ..... middle of paper ... Ticus' naive mindset that believes everyone has a fair and equal chance. Treating everyone with respect and courtesy, whether rich, poor, black or white, was not the way he should have behaved according to society's categorical rules. To conclude, it is proven through numerous examples found in Harper Lee's award-winning novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, that societal pressures and the rigid rules and boundaries set by society can overwhelm anyone, regardless of their class, race or origin. It is unfair to assume someone's character based on their status, but unfortunately, negative aftereffects immediately occur as soon as one tries to step out of one's predetermined place. As Mayella Ewell, Scout and Jem Finch and Atticus Finch were the examples of this bitter truth, there are many other characters affected by the societal impacts on daily life in the novel..