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Jem and Dill were out swimming on the day that Atticus and Calpurnia went to see Tom's wife, and they got a ride with them. Dill said that when Tom's wife saw the two of them, she seemed to faint, falling to the ground in a heap. Scout is remembering this weeks later, after Dill has gone home to Meridian. Tom's death was only news in Maycomb for two days - it was regarded as "typical" in the sense that black men are thought to typically run away without having any plan, as if it reflects badly upon his character. Scout reflects that "in the secret courts of men's hearts" nothing Atticus could have said could have freed Tom. Upon hearing the news, Mr. Ewell is rumored to have said "one down and about two more to go," but Jem tells Scout that Mr. Ewell won't really take action on his threats. Analysis Maycomb's reaction to the news of Tom's death demonstrates how willingly they will interpret the actions of one black person negatively in order for it to feed into their existing negative feelings for all black people. Scout realizes that the decision to see the world fairly can only occur within each individual's heart, and that there is no way to reach a person who has not become personally convinced in the virtue of following a moral course of action. For the black community, however, the news of Tom's death is devastating, as exemplified by Helen's collapse. Atticus could not promise Tom that all would go well for him, because he did not want to promise anything that he couldn't be sure of. Tom lost the courage and determination to keep living long enough to be potentially released: possibly, like Jem, his hopes that people would listen to the voice of reason were dashed completely, and given all the injustices he has experienced in his life, he did not think it possible that his case would be appealed. Chapter 26 Summary School is in session again, and Scout has lost her fear of the Radley place - every now and then she thinks about what it would be like to see Boo one day sitting on the porch, and greet him as if they spoke to each other every day. School is hard for the Finch children: their peers are generally somewhat cold toward them, as if their parents had instructed them to be civil but not outwardly friendly. One day Scout's class gets into a discussion about Hitler and the persecution of the Jews. Her teacher, Miss Gates, speaks at length about how the German dictatorship allows for the Jews to be persecuted by a prejudiced leader, but she claims that in America, "we don't believe in persecuting anybody." Scout tells Jem that she is confused because on the day of the trial, she heard Miss Gates say that she thought it was "time somebody taught them a lesson, they thought they was getting' way above themselves, an' the next thing they think they can do is marry us." Jem is furious and doesn't want to discuss the events surrounding Tom's trial at all. Atticus assures Scout that Jem just needs some time to think about things, and then he'll be himself again. Analysis The coldness of the schoolchildren shows that when children grow up in racist households, they act with racist attitudes, just as Jem and Scout grew up in a household which valued fairness and learned this vale instead. Again this shows how people are influenced by their societies: their identity becomes shaped by the society and family life they grow up in. Boo has gone from being a monster to a sad recluse to a potential friend - the events of the trial have made the children consider that maybe Boo needs a good home to run to (Dill's theory) or maybe he prefers to stay out of contact with people (Jem's theory).
Approximate Word count = 2580
Approximate Pages = 10.3
(250 words per page double spaced)
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