Chapter 24, is the end of August, it started with Jem and Dill have gone swimming, because Jem discover that nobody had ever bothered to teach Dill how to swim, Jem considered that swimming is a skill necessary as walking, and wouldn't let Scout come along because they were planning to skinny dip. Aunt Alexandra has ladies over for a meeting of the Missionary Society of Maycomb, missionary tea is just a church fund-raising activity to support missionary or generous projects; Scout attends dressed in her finest clothes and working hard to behave properly in order for her to learn to be a lady.
She has difficulty following the conversation as the women gossip and discuss various topics. The women discuss the trouble of the Mruna people, a non-Christian group in Africa who are said to live in dirt and are being renewed thanks to the efforts of a missionary named J. Grimes Everett. Scout doesn't enjoy being around women but does her best to take part. Miss Stephanie Crawford asks Scout if she wants to be a lawyer when she grows up, since she's already taken to attending trials.
Scout tries to be polite, but Miss Stephanie keeps irritating her.So finally, Scout replies that she doesn't want to be a lawyer, just a lady. Scout try to take up conversation with Mrs. Grace Merriweather, Eventually Mrs.
Merriweather is distracted by a conversation going on next to her. The conversation moves toward the topic of Tom's wife, Helen. Mrs. Merriweather talks about how stressful it is when the colored help is cranky about something, and how it's important to remind them that Jesus was never cranky about anything so they should try to do the same.Another lady says that no amount of education will ever make "Christians" out of black people, and that, "there's no lady safe in her bed these nights. " Miss Maudie tersely shows her differing opinion on this topic.
Aunt Alexandra smooths things over with more cake, and turns the conversation in less dangerous directions, while also shooting Miss Maudie a thank-you look. While socializing with the ladies, Scout realizes that ideal of Womanhood is much different from the reality.When she sees Aunt Alexandra thank Miss Maudie with only body language and no words, Scout realizes the difficulty of this social order: "There was no doubt about it, I must soon enter this world, where on its surface fragrant ladies rocked slowly, fanned gently, and drank cool water. " But in spite of the sudden lure of being with women, Scout admits that she prefers the company of men.
Suddenly Atticus enters the house and requests Aunt Alexandra and Calpurnia's presence in the kitchen. He reveals that Tom tried to escape from prison and was shot to death by the prison guards.Apparently the guards tried to tell him to stop and fired warning shots, but Tom kept running trying to climb over the prison fence right in front of the guards and was shot, no less than seventeen times. Atticus needs Calpurnia to go with him to Tom's wife to give her the news. The two of them go, leaving Aunt Alexandra to tell Miss Maudie in the kitchen that she's concerned about Atticus.
The trial has taken a lot out of him and it seems to be unending. Miss Maudie thinks that the town has paid Atticus a high tribute by trusting him to do right and uphold justice.Scout is amazed at how Miss Maudie and Aunt Alexandra handle the news of Tom's death. All three of them are shook and shaken, yet they carry on with the meeting as yet nothing has happened. Scout understands the importance of doing so, even though she can't explain it.
But in her first true attempt to knowingly change into a young lady, she follows Aunt Alexandra's lead and continues serving refreshments, saying "If Aunty could be a lady at a time like this, so could I. "Symbolism: The deepest symbolism conveyed is through the use of the concept of the mockingbird. The mockingbird is a symbol of everything that is harmless. They only make music for others to enjoy and to kill such a being is a sin. Both Boo Radley and Tom Robinson are harmless individuals, who never intend to hurt a soul. Yet Tom’s life is lost, and this is like shooting a mockingbird.
Thus the mockingbird has been used to symbolize the good and the harmless things in this world which should not be abused. The mockingbird is a symbol for two of the characters in the novel: Tom Robinson and Boo Radley.
