Finch describes his increasing inability to maintain focus; he stares out the window at school and asks himself, “How long was I doing that?” (266). He forgets words immediately upon hearing them and attempts to counter this situation by performing relaxation exercises, breathing deeply and counting. He climbs the bell tower to clear his head, but he is still unable to comprehend anything that he reads. Similarly, he cannot comprehend conversation between Charlie and his other friends during lunch; during geography class, he is unable to write notes. He describes the feeling as comparable to being caught in a vortex or quicksand. 

Violet watches him carefully, and Finch tries to act naturally and smile to allay her fears. During his subsequent counseling appointment with Mr. Embry, who notices the boy’s distress, Finch attributes his state to his disappointment with his father. Finch fights the urge to cry, but reminds himself, “Don’t call attention” (270). The young man ruminates about the suicide of the Russian poet Vladimir Mayakovski and is horrified to realize that he has spoken these thoughts aloud. Mr. Embry, clearly concerned, questions him about his visit to the tower that morning. He also brings up bipolar disorder, explaining that it “causes extreme shifts in

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