What does the political cartoon of Atticus chained to a desk and wearing short pants mean to Jem?

One day, while Atticus is in the capital for an emergency session of the state legislature of which he is a representative, Scout and Jem notice a cartoon in the Montgomery newspaper. It is captioned "Maycomb's Finch."


Scout is at a loss to understand why her father is depicted with a bunch of "frivolous-looking girls" yelling at him at his desk, to which he is shown chained. In addition, he is barefoot and wearing shorts.


Jem interprets the cartoon in a positive way. As it shows his father writing diligently on a slate, he thinks it is complimentary, as it means that Atticus is particularly effective at his job. If Atticus did not do his assigned tasks ("things"), they would not otherwise get done.


"Huh?" asks his sister.


Jem, who likes to seem wise, does not relieve her confusion. He gives her a fanciful interpretation of his father's "things" as having to do with taxes, the kind of subjects that most men find "dry." When Scout presses him, he dismisses her. Jem seems oblivious to the negative connotations of depicting him as both childish and fettered.

Chapter 12 of To Kill a Mockingbird begins with Scout detailing the changes she notices in Jem. For example, he doesn't seem to want to spend as much time with Scout and implies that she should start, "bein' a girl and acting right!” Calpurnia refers to Jem as "Mister Jem," and Scout acknowledges his increasing wisdom. Jem seems to be maturing, which plays a role in how he interprets the cartoon involving Atticus.
In the Montgomery Advertiser, the children see a cartoon titled, "Maycomb's Finch." It depicts Atticus as being chained to a desk diligently working. He is dressed in short pants and is barefooted. The cartoon also shows some girls yelling, "Yoo-hoo!" at him, which he seems to be ignoring. Jem feels that the cartoon is complimentary to Atticus. He explains to Scout that Atticus "spends his time doin' things that wouldn’t get done if nobody did ’em." Jem is aware of his father's work ethic and feels that the cartoon is implying that Atticus is doing his job.