The climax of a story is the decisive moment when all of the conflicts are finalized. In To Kill a Mockingbird, part of that moment is when Bob Ewell is killed by Boo Radley in defense of the Finch children's lives. This moment clarifies how Bob Ewell's life ends and when Scout finally gets to meet and speak with Arthur Radley face to face. Sheriff Tate announces to Atticus and the family that Bob Ewell is lying out there dead with kitchen knife in him at the end of chapter 28. In chapter 29, a lengthy discussion is had between the sheriff and Atticus about the proper legal procedures to follow in this case.
Atticus thinks Jem killed Mr. Ewell, but Sheriff Tate says it was Boo Radley. As a result of Tate's findings, the Sheriff decides to report that Mr. Ewell fell on his own knife in the scuffle with the children. This way, Boo Radley is saved from the pomp and circumstance of saving the children and he can continue with his private life without any hype from the community. Once the decision has been made to keep Boo Radley safe from gossip, another part of the climax is complete. Boo Radley is to remain as quiet as he was before the incident.
The final part of the climax is the fact that Scout sees and talks with Boo Radley. Ever since the first chapter the children have wanted to see him. They tried a few tricks to get him to come out so they could see what all the rumors were about. Scout is the lucky one because she actually gets to talk with him for awhile. She even walks him home once the Sheriff and Atticus are done discussing the case. Scout describes her walk with Boo as follows:
"We came to the street light on the corner, and I wondered how many times Dill had stood there hugging the fat pole, watching, waiting, hoping. I wondered how many times Jem and I had made this journey, but I entered the Radley front gate for the second time in my life . . . I never saw him again" (278).
In summation, the climax deals with three parts: the end of Mr. Ewell, the emergence of Boo Radley, and Scout's opportunity to finally meet Boo Radley. These loose ends needed to be tied up and they all came together in one last fight over the children's lives. It's as if all of the conflicts throughout the book combine in that one deciding moment when Boo Radley takes care of Maycomb's biggest problem--Bob Ewell. And, for all the times Jem wanted to meet Boo Radley, it isn't he that gets the chance, even though he was carried home by the hero, but it is Scout who gets to speak, walk, and talk with him all by herself.
