On the day Mayella tried to seduce him, Tom found himself in a predicament. He was acquainted with Mayella Ewell prior to her accusing him of ra.pe. he walked by her property on his way to working for Link Deas. On his way, he would often "tip m'hat when i'd go by". He often set foot on the property to chop wood and tote water for Mayella. He was well acquainted with her and would not have dared, under any circumstances, to strike a white woman if he had any hope of living. Instead, he took the chance and ran when he could which came across as a sign of guilt. Tom simply had no good option, nothing was better than the other, he was going to lose no matter what.
