To Kill a Mockingbird?!
Question:
To Kill a Mockingbird?
In the court scene of the movie "To Kill a Mockingbird", I will be glad to get answer to my following questions;
(1) The criminal (a boy) says, "She said she'd never kissed a grown man before ....and she might as well kiss me."
In this sentence, the last sentence "she might as well kiss me" has different meaning from "she wanted to kiss me."?
(2)The lawyer (Gregory Peck) speaks to the victim "Miss Mayella ...." The accused also calls her "Miss Mayella ...." Why do they put Miss on her first name. It sound strange to me, because I am a Japanese.
Thanks
Answers:
The main reason she says "might as well kiss me" is due to the severe racial prejudice of the time. No white woman would admit to wanting to kiss a black man. Further no black man would insinuate that a white woman would want to kiss him.
"Miss" was a term of respect. Even though Mayella may not have deserved respect she was entitled to it by social norms of the time.