To Kill a Mockingbird: Chapter 22 Summary & Analysis

Jem cries angrily as he, Dill, and Scout find Atticus outside. He says that it’s not right and Atticus agrees. At home, Aunt Alexandra apologizes to Atticus and asks if Jem will be okay. Atticus insists he will be and says that the children may as well learn to deal with Maycomb County as it is. He excuses himself to bed, but Jem catches him and asks how the jury could’ve done this. Atticus says he’s not sure, but they’ve done it before, they’ll do it again, and only children cry about this. In the morning, Atticus assures Jem that there will be an appeal. Calpurnia shows Atticus the huge amount of food people left on the porch to thank him. Touched, Atticus excuses himself to go to work.

Dill arrives, eats Atticus’s breakfast, and says that Miss Rachel said that Atticus can bang his head against a wall if he wants to, but he decided not to set her straight since she was so worried about him. Jem tells him to stop going off without telling Miss Rachel, but Dill insists he did tell her—she just drinks too much and forgets. Aunt Alexandra deems this observation cynical and unbecoming, so Jem leads Dill and Scout outside. They see Miss Stephanie talking to Mr. Avery and Miss Maudie. Miss Maudie yells for Jem. Miss Stephanie starts asking why the children were in the balcony at court, but Miss Maudie hushes her and shoos the children inside for cake.

Miss Maudie baked two small cakes and one large one, which seems wrong until Miss Maudie cuts Jem a piece out of the big cake. She tells Jem that Atticus is a man who does unpleasant jobs for them all. Jem says that he thought Maycomb was good and safe. Miss Maudie says he’s not wrong, but Maycomb isn’t often called on to act Christian, so Atticus acts Christian for them. Jem asks if there’s anyone else, and Miss Maudie points out that the black neighborhood, Mr. Tate, and Judge Taylor stepped up—Judge Taylor didn’t give Tom’s case to the newest lawyer, for instance. Miss Maudie insists that she knew Atticus wasn’t going to win, but it’s a step in the right direction that the jury took so long to decide.

Outside, Miss Stephanie and Mr. Avery are still talking. Miss Rachel heads toward them as Dill says he’s going to be a clown and laugh when he grows up. He suggests that everyone else should be riding broomsticks as Miss Rachel waves wildly at them. They approach and Miss Rachel sends the children into the yard. Before Miss Rachel can stop her, Miss Stephanie shares that earlier, Mr. Ewell stopped Atticus, spat in his face, and threatened him.