What happens to Scout and Jem on their way home from the pageant in To Kill a Mockingbird?

This climactic scene is one of the most exciting portions of the novel.  Jem and Scout are returning home on Halloween night after the school held a pageant for Maycomb’s children.  Scout’s part in the play about the agricultural history of Maycomb is that of a ham.  She is in a ham costume that is bulky and hard to remove, so she decides to walk home with it on.  As they are walking, Jem suddenly...

This climactic scene is one of the most exciting portions of the novel.  Jem and Scout are returning home on Halloween night after the school held a pageant for Maycomb’s children.  Scout’s part in the play about the agricultural history of Maycomb is that of a ham.  She is in a ham costume that is bulky and hard to remove, so she decides to walk home with it on.  As they are walking, Jem suddenly starts struggling with someone, but Scout can’t see who it is because of the costume.  She hears Jem fall and then realizes that there is another fight going on.  Boo Radley has stopped Bob Ewell from harming the children, and in the struggle with Boo Radley, Bob Ewell is stabbed by his own knife between his ribs.  Scout hears Boo (at this time she doesn’t know it’s Boo) pick up Jem and run toward her house.  Scout follows and discovers that Boo saved Jem and her from Bob Ewell’s attack.  Jem is knocked out and has a broken arm, and Scout mentions how disappointed Jem will be because he didn’t get to meet Boo Radley.

As the book wraps up, Heck Tate tells Atticus that there will not be any charges pressed against Boo because he feels it will be an injustice to prosecute Boo.  Heck Tate convinces Atticus to say that Bob Ewell fell on his own knife.  Boo truly becomes a hero in the story and puts the superstitions surrounding him to rest by this selfless act.