Chapter 21 Summary

The narrator returns to the district but is unable to break the news about Clifton's death. The narrator feels guilty for having spit on the doll and not trying to educate the crowd at that moment instead. Still thinking about the day, the narrator questions why he had not intervened and wonders if Clifton thought that he was a sell out. The narrator dismisses the idea, thinking it is too big, and continues wondering what he will tell the committee. The narrator thinks about organizing a funeral for Clifton in order to focus on the meaning behind his death and not the acts at the end of his life.

A group of youth members comes to the door to ask if Clifton's death is true, and the narrator tells them, they must fight. The narrator begins organizing the funeral and contacting the community...