Chapter 27 Summary - To Kill a Mockingbird

Key Events in October

• Bob Ewell's Job Loss

  • Bob Ewell hired and quickly fired from the Works Progress Administration (WPA), a government job program from the Great Depression era.
  • Scout questions how someone could be dismissed from a WPA job due to laziness.
  • Ewell blames Atticus Finch for his job loss.

• Intruder at Judge Taylor's Home

  • A shadowy figure attempts to break into Judge Taylor's house.
  • The community believes Bob Ewell is the intruder.

• Harassment of Helen Robinson

  • Helen Robinson, widow of Tom Robinson, is hired by Link Deas.
  • While passing by the Ewell's residence on her way to work, Helen is harassed by Bob Ewell.
  • Link Deas confronts Bob Ewell, threatening him to stop the harassment.

Halloween Events in Maycomb

• Incident Leading to Change

  • A previous Halloween prank involved local youth hiding furniture from two local women, prompting a response to prevent further mischief.

• New Halloween Pageant

  • The ladies of Maycomb organize a pageant at the high school.
  • The pageant titled "Maycomb County ad astra per aspera" ("to the stars through difficulties") features children portraying agricultural products.
  • Scout Finch is assigned the role of a ham.

Building Tension

• Despite the events not directly impacting the Finch family, Scout hints at a growing tension tied to Bob Ewell's central role in these occurrences.
• An undercurrent suggests further actions by Bob Ewell are likely imminent.