In Chapter 13, Jem states, “I think I’m beginning to understand why Boo Radley’s stayed shut up . . . it’s because he wants to stay inside.” Jem says this as a direct response to the behavior of the people of Maycomb in response to Tom Robinson’s trial, and the way people are treated because they’re different.

After the trial, Atticus is bitter, but he hopes to win the case on appeal. Bob Ewell is also bitter, threatening Atticus in public and spitting in his face. Atticus tells the kids that the only person on the jury willing to acquit Tom was a relative of the Mr. Cunningham Scout had faced down in the lynch mob.

For Jem, who watches the proceedings with rapt attention, the trial results in a newfound, deep respect for his father. As the trial wraps up, he is very excited, believing that Tom will be acquitted. He is therefore devastated when the verdict is handed down.

Miss Maudie

Summary: Chapter 19 Tom testifies that he always passed the Ewell house on the way to work and that Mayella often asked him to do chores for her. Mayella told him she had saved her money and sent them all to buy ice cream. Then she asked him to lift a box down from a dresser.

“Do you remember him beating you about the face?” She says no then yes, changing her answer. What question does Mayella have a difficult time answering Atticus’ questions? She is making up her testimony as she goes along. “She seemed to be trying to get something clear to herself.”

Jem cries because Nathan Radley cements in the hole in the tree, eliminating their connection to Boo Radley. At the beginning of the book, Jem and Scout just see Boo Radley as a curiosity and form of amusement. They can act out his life story, or be afraid to pass his house.

Hover for more information. In Chapter 20 of To Kill A Mockingbird, Mayella’s offense is that she has tempted a black man by kissing him. She tried to hide that offense by saying Tom Robinson attacked her.