Final answer:
The text provided does not contain enough information to determine which woman defends Zora against Ella Wall, thus requiring further reading or context from the narrative.
Step-by-step explanation:
The tough woman who helps out Zora and is prepared to defend her honor against Ella Wall is not explicitly named in the provided text excerpts. Therefore, based on the options provided: a. Big Ma, b. Phoeby Watson, c. Nanny Crawford, d. Mary Jane, we cannot definitively confirm which character fulfills this role without further context from the work. However, it is essential to read the full text or refer to more specific parts of the narrative to determine the correct answer.