Dibs in Search of Self: Chapter 22 Summary & Analysis

When Dibs comes in for his last session before summer, he asks to spend part of it in Axline’s office. He wants to add to the tape that he previously made, saying that this is his last visit to the playroom before summer. Then he and Axline go back to the playroom and Dibs once again builds his town. He sets up two houses, which he designates as his house and Axline’s house; he also sets up his grandmother’s house. Dibs sets up a church, a jail, and a big chestnut tree, and he says his father’s office is on the first floor of the jail. He also places his mother and sister in jail.

Dibs picks out a male figurine in the toy set and explains that the man is Dibs. He then takes a child figurine out of the city that he’s built and exchanges it for the grown man figure. When he asks if he can come back to the playroom one more time after summer, Axline says yes. Dibs then picks up the two figures—the man and the boy—and says that both of the figures are himself.

Dibs says that the mother, father, brother and sister figures are a family and they’ll go to the beach together with the grandmother. The jail is next to Axline’s house, and Axline doesn’t like jails so he buries the jail. Dibs’s house and Axline’s house are moving further apart. He then explains that the big Dibs figure goes to school, and the little Dibs figure gets sick and shrinks until he’s gone; Dibs buries the little figure in the sand. The big Dibs figure is strong and brave. Then he says goodbye to Axline.

Axline explains that Dibs came to terms with himself—Dibs poured out his hurt feelings and emerged with strength and security. While his upset feelings with his family still flare up sometimes, they’re now much less intense. Dibs is building a concept of himself that is in harmony with his abilities; he learned to understand his feelings and cope with them. He is no longer angry or guilty—he has confidence and security. He’s not afraid to be himself anymore.