What’s Up With the Ending?

With Ewell out of the way, all is smooth sailing for the Finches, right? Well, perhaps. While Ewell’s death may end the immediate threat to their well-being, there’s a whole lot of Maycomb out there that maybe thought Ewell was trash, but also thought Tom deserved to fry. Will Ewell’s death cause them to reconsider their attitudes? Or will it all be business as usual in Maycomb? What happens after the end of a novel is always speculation, but based on Maycomb’s behavior up to this point, it’s hard to imagine that things will be much different in the immediate future.

The last line of the book, however, suggests the possibility for some kind of happy ending: “[Atticus] would be there all night, and he would be there when Jem waked up in the morning” (31.56). How hopeful is this ending? On the one hand, whatever danger may threaten, Atticus will always be there to counter it. On the other, he’s basically doing damage control, watching over his unconscious son after he was nearly killed. While the ending offers a comforting image, it comes out of pain and struggle, implying that neither the comfort nor the pain wholly wins out.