In To Kill a Mockingbird, why does Mayella state "don't know- long time" when asked how long her mother's been dead?It seems strange that she would...

In my opinion, we have to use the facts to infer why Mayella
says this. First, we know that Mayella is uncomfortable with Atticus and this shows that she
doesn't want to answer his questions. Her ambiguous and vague answer shows disrespect to
Atticus.

However, it also demonstrates that Mayella has little value
of her family and circumstances. She may have longings outside of her home if she is going to
show such apathy and almost resentment towards her mother's
death.

Perhaps, it is just to painful to
revisit.

Whichever of the three circumstances mentioned above may be
true, Mayella does not want to talk about it. She does not want to trust Atticus or get
comfortable with him because then her guard will drop.