Mayella Violet Ewell is 19 years old in To Kill a Mockingbird.
Mayella is the oldest of Bob Ewell’s eight children and lives in extreme poverty on the edge of Maycomb. Her age is significant because she is legally an adult but remains trapped in a chaotic household, caring for younger siblings while enduring her father’s neglect and abuse.
During Tom Robinson’s trial, Mayella accuses Tom of attacking her. Atticus Finch’s questioning reveals contradictions in her story, particularly when Tom’s useless left arm is considered alongside the injuries she suffered. Her isolation and fear help explain her behavior, but they do not make the accusation against Tom true.
Some editions and study guides describe Mayella as nineteen and a half, while reference summaries commonly shorten this to nineteen. That wording difference does not change the quiz answer: she is the nineteen-year-old Maycomb girl at the center of the trial. She is also the oldest of the eight Ewell children.