To Kill a Mockingbird !
Dramatic adaptation of Chapter 24 !
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Of all the chapters in this novel, the comprehension of chapter 24 poses the greatest
challenge for students. The setting of this chapter is a social gathering organized by
Aunt Alexandra at Atticus’s home. Alexandra has decided to stay a while longer
with her brother’s family in the hopes that she will bring her type of order and
normalcy back to Atticus’s home following the outcome of Tom Robinson’s trial. As
hard as Alexandra tries to keep the conversation away from the topic of the trial, the
women guests subtly bring it up and also lace their conversations with underlying
negative remarks about Atticus. In the following adaptation, the original dialogue is
mixed with created dialogue in order to make this important scene easier for
students to understand.* Hopefully, Harper Lee would not be too upset.
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*Thank you Mrs. Calorio!!
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As the curtain goes up and the scene begins, Scout is dressed uncharacteristically in a
starched pinafore dress, looking very uncomfortable. She is doing her best to keep her word to
Atticus to try and get along a bit better with her Aunt Alexandra. Scout is getting ready to
help her Aunt host a social gathering at the Finches’ home. Alexandra’s guests include Miss
Maudie Atkinson, Miss Stephanie Crawford, Miss Rachel Haversford, Mrs. Grace
Merriweather, Mrs. Gertrude Farrow, and Miss Gates—all of the women are considered
important figures in the town of Maycomb. Calpurnia is present to serve the guests. Atticus
enters near the end of the scene. !
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Scout: (entering into the kitchen) “Can I help you, Cal?”!
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Calpurnia: (with reservation in her voice) “You be still as a mouse in that corner, an’
you ! can !
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help me load up the trays when I come back.”!
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Cal and Scout enter into the dining room carrying the refreshments. As they enter the room
the hum of the ladies’ conversation has become louder and clearer.!
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Mrs. Meriweather: “Why, Alexandra, I never saw such delicious-looking charlotte
cookies! ! They are just lovely.”!
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Miss Gates: “Did you make these same desserts for the church social last month?
They were !
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the hit of the night.”!
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Miss Stephanie: (stuffing her mouth) “And just look at these tarts…I can never get my
crust !like this—never can. Who’da thought of making these little blueberry tarts?
Calpurnia? Well, who’da thought it?”!
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Miss Rachel: (gossiping to Alexandra) “…Anybody tell you about the preacher’s
wife…that !she’s expecting again. Noooo? Well, she is…and can you imagine that
her littlest one is not even walking yet!!
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Alexandra: (seeming preoccupied in other thoughts) “No, no, I didn’t realize she is
expecting ! again. Well, what do you know!!
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All of the women become quiet for a few minutes as they busy themselves with eating the food
on the table. Scout remains in the kitchen waiting for Calpurnia to return. Cal returns to
the kitchen for the coffee. !
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Calpurnia: (struggling to handle the heavy coffee service) “This coffee pitcher’s a
curiosity. ! They don’t make ‘em like these here old ones anymore.”!
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Scout: (eagerly) “Can I carry it in?”!
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Calpurnia: (sternly) “If you be careful and don’t drop it! Set it down at the end of the
table !by Miss Alexandra. Down there by the cups’n things. (gesturing towards
Alexandra) !She’s gonna pour.”!
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Scout struggles to hold the coffee tray and push the swinging door open to the dining room.
Grinning, Calpurnia helps her to enter into the room. !
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Calpurnia: “Careful, now. It’s heavy. Don’t look at it and you won’t spill it.” !
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Scout manages to make it to the table successfully. Aunt Alexandra is beaming.!
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Alexandra: (nodding to Scout to take a seat at the table) “Stay with us, Jean Louisee.” !
Miss Gates: (nodding) “Yes, stay, Jean Louisee…it’s not very often I get a chance to
see you look like an actual young lady. (turning to Miss Maudie) You should see her
at school…the child is usually a total mess by recess time.”!
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Miss Maudie: (smiling at Scout) “You’re mighty dressed up, Miss Jean Louisee.
Where are ! your britches today?”!
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Scout: “Under my dress.” !
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All of the woman except for Miss Maudie and Calpurnia break out into laughter. Scout feels
embarrassed as she doesn’t understand why her statement is considered funny.!
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Miss Stephanie: (changing the subject) “Whatcha going to be when you grow up, Jean
Louisee? A lawyer? !
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Scout: (trying hard to be lady-like) “No, ma’am, I hadn’t thought about it. (Scout
hesitates to ! think of some occupation to mention) “Well…”!
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Miss Stephanie: (setting Scout up for her punch-line) “Why shoot, I thought you
wanted to ! be a lawyer. You’ve already commenced going to court.”!
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Miss Rachel: (laughing to Miss Gertrude) “That Stephanie’s a card!”!
Miss Gates: “Oh, I think I know…with all the reading and writing this little one
does, I’m sure she’ll be a teacher like me.”!
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Miss Stephanie: (encouraged by the laughter turns back to Scout) “Don’t you want to
grow !up and be a lawyer?”!
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Miss Maudie subtly reaches out to grasp Scout’s hand as a gesture of support. Miss Maudie
knows what Miss Stephanie is trying to do even as Scout remains confused with the
conversation. !
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Scout: “No, ma’am. Just a lady.”!
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Miss Stephanie: (considering Scout’s response suspiciously) “Hmmph! Well, you won’t
get very far until you start wearing dresses more often.”!
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Miss Maudie gives Scout’s hand another supportive squeeze.!
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Scout: (turning to speak to Mrs. Merriweather) “What did y’all talk about this
afternoon?”!
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Mrs. Merriweather: (eagerly) “Oh, child, we’ve been discussing the plight of those
poor !Mrunas. (starting to tear up as she speaks) It’s just awful the way those natives
live…in the jungle with nobody but that dedicated missionary J. Grimes Everett to
help them. Not a white person’ll go near ‘em but that saintly J. Grimes Everett!”!
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Miss Gertrude: (fanning herself as she listens; slight stammer) “S-s-s-Never a truer word
spoken, Grace. S-s-s Go on, sister, testify!!!
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Mrs. Merriweather: (dramatically) “Oh, ladies, I’m telling you of such poverty…the
darkness…the IMMORALITY—nobody but J. Grimes Everett knows. I tell you that
when the church gave me that trip to the camp grounds for our revival meeting, J.
Grimes Everett said to me---”!
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Scout: (confused) “Was he there at the camp grounds, ma’am? I thought you said he
was ! back in Africa---?!
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Mrs. Merriweather: (irritated at being interrupted) “He was home on leave. As I was
saying...J. Grimes Everett said to me…he said… ‘Mrs. Merriweather, you have no
conception of what we are fighting over here.’ That’s what he said to me.” !
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Scout: “Yes, ma’am.”!
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Mrs. Merriweather: (getting more energized) “And then I said to him ‘Mr. Everett,’ I
said, !‘the ladies of the Maycomb Alabama Methodist Episcopal Church South are
behind you one hundred percent.’ That’s what I said to him. And you know, right
then and there I made a pledge in my heart. I said to myself, when I go home, I’m
going to give a course on the Mruna natives of Africa and bring J. Grimes Everett’s
message to !Maycomb, and that’s just what I am doing.”!
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Scout: “Yes, ma’am.”!
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Mrs. Merriweather: “Jean Louisee, you are fortunate girl…a fortunate girl, don’t you
forget that. You live in a Christian home with Christian folks in a Christian town.
Out there in J. Grimes Everett’s land there is nothing but sin and squalor. !
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Scout: “Yes, ma’am.”!
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Mrs. Merriweather: (voice raising) Sin and squalor, I say—what was that, Gertrude?!
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Miss Gertrude: “I was just saying that we have problems of our own right here in ss-s-! Maycomb when it comes to sin and squalor…”!
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Mrs. Merriweather: (somewhat dismissively) “Oh, that. Well, I always say forgive and
forget, forgive and forget. The thing that church ought to do is help her lead a !
Christian life for those children from here on out. Some of the men ought to go out
there and tell that preacher to encourage her.”!
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Miss Gates: “Well, if you ask me, I’d say that preacher is part of the problem, too.”!
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Alexandra: (attempting to change the topic) “Ladies, more coffee? Please try the orange !
marmalade…Calpurnia just made it last week. Cal, please bring us more coffee.”!
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Calpurnia has been standing by the door to the kitchen. Upon Alexandra’s request, she leaves
the dining room and heads into the kitchen. !
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Scout: (interrupting) “Excuse me, Mrs. Merriweather, are you all talking about
Mayella Ewell?”!
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Mrs. Merriweather: (surprised) “Mayella? Why no, child. I’m talking ‘bout that
darky’s wife. Tom’s wife. Tom…what’s his last name? !
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Scout: “Robinson, ma’am.”!
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Miss Gertrude: “Oh, that one…S-s-s I’m not so sure she deserving of our forgiveness
for all the commotion her husband has stirred up.”!
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Mrs. Merriweather: (sounding self-righteous) “Now, now…there’s one thing I truly
believe, Gertrude. Some people just don’t see it my way, but if we just let them
know we forgive ’em…that we’ve forgotten it, then this whole unpleasantness will
all blow over.”!
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At this point, Calpurnia returns to the dining room and begins refilling coffee cups and
picking up dishes. She continues to keep her head lowered as the women’s conversation
continues. !
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Scout: “Ah—Mrs. Merriweather, what’ll blow over?”!
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Mrs. Merriweather: (adopting a teacher-like tone) “Well, Jean Louisee, it’s like this, you
see. ! The cooks and the field hands are just dissatisfied, but they’re settling down
now—sure, they grumbled all next day after that trial ended…”!
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Miss Rachel: (interrupting) “Seems to me, that the lot of them are doing some mighty
loud !grumbling still.”!
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Miss Stephanie: (eagerly) “Isn’t that the truth! When I was at the grocery store, I
overheard ! Mrs. Jacobs saying that her maid Luella gave her some backtalk about
the outcome of the trial. Now who ever heard of such a thing! Seems like some
people are forgetting their place.!
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Calpurnia has moved further away from the women and is attempting to return to the
kitchen.!
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Miss Gates: “Couldn’t agree more. Do you know that there’s talk about our school
sharing books with the colored teachers? ‘Course that never going to happen. Really,
who would stand for it in these parts?!
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Alexandra: (quickly) “Calpurnia, please bring out the peach cobbler pie. (turning to
the women) Ladies, I think we do need to bring our focus back to the purpose of our
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meeting. Now, I was just beginning to give an account of our donations thus far to
the Mrunas tribe and I think—!
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Miss Gertrude: (ignoring Alexandra) “Bold as brass, that is…some of ‘em are acting
just bold as brass.”!
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Mrs. Merriweather: “Gertrude, I tell you there’s nothing more distracting than a
sulky darky. (pointing to the floor)Their mouths go down to here. Just ruins your day
to have one of ‘em in the kitchen behaving that way. You know what I said to my
girl Sophy, Gertrude? I said ‘Sophy,’ I said, ‘you simply are not being a Christian
today. Jesus Christ never went around grumbling and complaining.’ And you know,
my little talk did her good. She took her eyes off that floor and said, ‘No ma’am, Miz
Merriweather, Jesus never went around grumblin’.’ I tell you, Gertrude, you never
ought to let an opportunity go by to witness for the Lord.”!
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Miss Gertrude: (nodding approvingly) “S-s-s Grace, it’s just like I was telling Brother
Hutson. I said, ‘…looks like we’re fighting a losing battle, a losing battle.’ I said, ‘Ss-s it doesn’t matter to ‘em one bit. We can educate ‘em till we’re blue in the face, we
can try till we drop to make Christians out of ‘em, but there’s no lady safe in her bed
these nights.’ He said to me, ‘Mrs. Farrow, I don’t know what we’re coming to down
her.’ S-s-s I told him that was certainly a fact.”!
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Calpurnia returns to the table with the requested pie. Miss Maudie sits stiffly in her chair
with her face reddening in anger, yet she remains silent as the conversation continues. !
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Miss Stephanie: “Some people just seem to like stirrin’ up trouble. I tell y’all, it’s not
right to try to change our ways. After all, this is our home and it’ll be the poor
innocents like us that will suffer if certain people get their way around here.”!
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Scout: (confused) “What people, Miss Stephanie? Do you mean the Ewells? ‘Cause
they sure do seem to like to stir up trouble. Just the other day, Mr. Ewell came up to
Atticus and—”!
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Alexandra: (urgently) “Hush, now, Jean Louisee. No one here is interested in the
comings and goings of that unruly Ewell tribe. Even the Lord himself has done lost
patience with that family.”!
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A brief silence comes over the group as coffee cups clink and Calpurnia serves each woman a
slice of pie. After a longer pause in the conversation, Mrs. Merriweather clears her throat
and directs her attention back to Mrs. Farrow. !
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Mrs. Merriweather: “Gertrude, I tell you there are some good but misguided people
in this town. Good, but misguided. Folks in this town who think they’re doing
right, I mean. (looking at Alexandra) Now far be it from me to say who, but some of
‘em in this town thought they were doing the right thing a while back, but all they
did was stir ‘em up. That’s all they did. !
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Miss Rachel: (nodding in agreement) “It’s the truth…that’s all it did—stir up trouble.”!
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Miss Gates: (confirming) “Just like that silly woman Roosevelt. Honestly, if this is the
behavior of our First Lady, how are we going to stop such talk in our parts. It’s all
just rubbish!!
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Mrs. Merriweather: “Might’ve looked like the right thing to do at the time, I’m sure I
don’t know. I’m no expert in the field, but sulky…dissatisfied…I tell you, if my
Sophy’d kept it up another day I’d have let her go. It’s never entered that wool’en
head of hers that the only reason I keep her is because this depression’s on and she
needs her dollar and a quarter every week she can get it. (turning to Calpurnia and
pointing to her empy coffee cup) Calpurnia, more coffee if you please. And are there any
more of those delicious blueberry tarts in the kitchen?”!
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Calpurnia returns to the kitchen. Miss Maudie looks directly at Mrs. Merriweather with a
penetrating glare. She continues to sit perfectly still. Her facial expression is tense and
serious.!
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Miss Maudie: (sharply) “His food doesn’t stick going down, does it?”!
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The women jump a bit at the sound of a coffee cup shattering on the kitchen floor. No one
speaks as the attention is directed at Mrs. Merriweather. !
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Mrs. Merriweather: (coldly) “Maudie, I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.”!
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Miss Maudie: (glaringly) “I’m sure that you do.”!
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Alexandra quickly rises from her chair as she desperately attempts to engage the women in
light, banal conversation in order to change the tense mood of the moment.) !
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Alexandra: (anxiously) “Ladies, please you must help finish up the peach cobbler. It
never tastes as good the next day. (turning to Miss Stephanie) Lordy, Stephanie, I feel
ashamed…I never even complimented you on your handsome new hat. Did you
buy that at the new millinery store in town? I’ve been meaning to go in and see the
new fall styles. (turning to Mrs. Merriweather) Grace, you simply must arrange for me
to meet Mr. Everett the very next time he visits Maycomb. I find your stories about
the Mrunas positively inspiring. We are all grateful for the fine Christian example
you have set for giving to the less fortunate…!
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As Alexandra rattles on, she quickly gets all of the women back on track and engaged in
trivial conversation. The previous moment of tension between Grace Merriweather and Miss
Maudie seems to have faded. As Mrs. Merriweather bickers with Miss Stephanie on the best
way to send money to their mission in Africa, Miss Maudie glances at Alexandra.
Alexandra breathes a heavy sigh and gestures a nod of appreciation to Miss Maudie. Scout
catches their silent exchange and sits in wonder at the confusing world of women. Gradually
Mrs. Merriweather begins a heated discussion with Miss Gates on the topic of racial
integration.!
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Mrs. Merriweather: “As I was saying, Miss Gates, hypocrites, just born hypocrites
they all are. At least we don’t have that sin on our shoulders down here. People up
there set ‘em free, but you don’t see ‘em settin’ at the table with ‘em. At least we
don’t have the deceit to say to ‘em ‘Yes, you’re as good as we are but stay away from
us.’ Down here we just say ‘You live your way and we’ll live ours.’ I think that
woman, that Mrs. Roosevelt’s lost her mind—just plain lost her mind coming down
to Birmingham and tryin’ to sit with ‘em. If I was the mayor of Birmingham I’d—!
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The front door slams and Atticus’s footsteps are heard in the hall. He stands at the doorway
to the dining room with his hat in his hands, looking tired and pale. !
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Atticus: “Excuse me, ladies. Go right ahead with your meeting. Don’t let me disturb
you. Alexandra, could you come into the kitchen a minute? I want to borrow
Calpurnia for a while.”!
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Atticus doesn’t enter the dining room, but heads to kitchen from an entrance off the back hall.
Scout and Alexandra join him in the kitchen as Calpurnia sits at the kitchen table. Miss
Maudie enters from the dining room. Calpurnia begins to rise.!
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Atticus: (seriously) “Cal, I want you to go with me out to Helen Robinson’s house—”!
Alexandra: (alarmed) “Why, what’s the matter, Atticus?”!
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Atticus: (sadly) “Tom’s dead.”!
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Alexandra puts her hands to her mouth in horror at the news. Scout and Miss Maudie stand
close by, stunned by this revelation. !
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Atticus: (continuing) “They shot him. He was running. It was during the prison
exercise period. The guards say he just broke into a blind raving charge at the fence
and started climbing over. Right in front of them—”!
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Alexandra: (upset) “Didn’t they try to stop him? Didn’t they give him any
warning?”!
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Atticus: (quietly) “Oh, yes. The guards called to him to stop. They fired a few shots
in the air, then to kill. They got him just as he went over the fence. They say if he’d
had two good arms he’d have made it, he was moving that fast. Seventeen bullet
holes in him. They didn’t have to shoot him that much. Cal, I want you to come out
with me and help me tell Helen.”!
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Calpurnia: “Yes, sir.”!
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Alexandra: (angrily) “This is the last straw, Atticus.”!
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Atticus: “It all depends on how you look at it. In their minds, what was one Negro,
more or less, among two hundred of ‘em at the prison? He wasn’t Tom to them; he
was an escaping prisoner. (rubbing his eyes) We had such a good chance, too. I told
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him what I thought about an appeal, but I couldn’t in truth say that we had more
than a good chance. I guess Tom was tired of taking white men’s chances and
preferred to take his own. (glancing back at Calpurnia) Ready, Cal?”!
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Calpurnia: “Yessir, Mr. Finch.”!
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Atticus: “Then let’s go.”!
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Atticus and Calpurnia leave the house through the kitchen door. Alexandra wearily sits
down. Miss Maudie breathes heavily as Scout glances from one woman to the other. The
women guests in the dining room remain unaware of the latest news and their chatter is
muffled. !
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Alexandra: (turning to Miss Maudie) “I can’t say I approve of everything he does,
Maudie, but he’s my brother, and I just want to know when this will ever end. (voice
rising) It tears him to pieces. He doesn’t show it much, but it tears him to pieces.
I’ve seen him when—what else do they want from him, Maudie! What else!”!
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Miss Maudie: “What does who want, Alexandra?”!
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Alexandra: “I mean this town. They’re perfectly willing to let him do what they’re
too afraid to do themselves—it might lose ‘em a nickel. They’re perfectly willing to
let him wreck his health doing what they’re afraid to do, they’re—”!
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Miss Maudie: (hushed) “Be quiet, they’ll hear you. Have you ever thought of it this
way, Alexandra? Whether Maycomb knows it or not, we’re paying the highest
tribute we can pay a man. We trust him to do right. It’s that simple.”!
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Alexandra: (confused) “Who?”!
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Miss Maudie: “The handful of people in this town who say that fair play is not
marked ‘White Only;’ The handful of people who say a fair trial is for everybody, not
just us; the handful of people with enough humility to think, when they look at a
Negro, ‘There but for the grace of God go I;’ (with emphasis) The handful of people in
this town with background, that’s who they are. (turning to Scout) Stop shaking, Jean
Louise. Get up Alexandra, we’ve left your guests long enough.”!
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Alexandra: (wiping her nose with her handkerchief) “Does it show that I’ve been upset?”!
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Miss Maudie: (in firm control) “Not a sign. Are you all together, Jean Louise?”!
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Scout: “Yes, ma’am.”!
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Miss Maudie: (firmly) “Then let’s join the ladies.”!
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Miss Maudie, Alexandra, and Scout enter into the dining room and immediately begin to
converse with the woman. It appears that none of the guests sense that anything different
has occurred in the Finch household. !
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Alexandra: (charmingly) “Oh, Miss Rachel, you need more coffee. Let me get it.”!
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Miss Maudie: “Calpurnia’s on an errand for a few minutes, Grace. Let me pass you
some more of those blueberry tarts. Miss Stephanie, ‘dyou hear what that crazy
cousin of mine did the other day… the one who likes to go fishing…well….”!
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The normal chatter of the group slowly builds again until all the women are engaged in lighthearted gossip and storytelling. Aunt Alexandra looks across the room and smiles. She and
Miss Maudie exchange a subtle nod to one another. Scout brushes the cookie crumbs from
her starched, pinafore dress and stands up straight. In her most lady-like stance, she reaches
to pick up the tray of remaining cookies and walks across the room towards Mrs.
Merriweather. !
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Scout: (smiling politely) “Mrs. Merriweather, would you care for another cookie?”!
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Mrs. Merriweather: (slightly shocked) “Why, Jean Louise, you are a vision of the
perfect young Southern lady. And people say there are no more miracles!”!
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The scene fades as the stage lights dim. The curtain draws the scene to an end.
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