To Kill a Mockingbird

by Harper Lee

Try fighting with your head for a change … It’s a good one, even if it does resist learning.’

Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit ’em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.’

‘Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.’

It was times like these when I thought my father, who hated guns and had never been to any wars, was the bravest man who ever lived.

‘but before I can live with other folks I’ve got to live with myself. The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience.’

It’s hard to explain – ignorant, trashy people use it

it’s never an insult to be called what somebody thinks is a bad name. It just shows you how poor that person is, it doesn’t hurt you.

I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do.

by watching her I began to think there was some skill involved in being a girl.

they got their church, we got our’n. It is our church, ain’t it, Miss Cal?’ Calpurnia said, ‘It’s the same God, ain’t it?’

Amen

‘But Cal, you know better,’ I said. ‘It’s not necessary to tell all you know. It’s not lady-like

There was nowhere to go, but I turned to go and met Atticus’s vest front. I buried my head in it and listened to the small internal noises that went on behind the light blue cloth: his watch ticking, the faint crackle of his starched shirt, the soft sound of his breathing.

His circulation restored, he said, ‘Hey.’ Jem petitioned God again. I was speechless.

HAhaahah Dill coming out of nowhere. I hope hes okay

He was worn out, dirty beyond belief, and home.

And for goodness’ sake put some of the county back where it belongs, the soil erosion’s bad enough as it is.’ Dill stared at my father’s retreating figure. ‘He’s tryin’ to be funny,’

We know all men are not created equal in the sense some people would have us believe – some people are smarter than others, some people have more opportunity because they’re born with it, some men make more money than others, some ladies make better cakes than others – some people are born gifted beyond the normal scope of most men.

Aunt Alexandra met us and nearly fainted when Calpurnia told her where we were.

‘Aw, she doesn’t know what we’re talkin’ about,’ said Jem. ‘Scout, this is too old for you, ain’t it?’ ‘It most certainly is not, I know every word you’re saying.’

‘How could they do it, how could they?’ ‘I don’t know, but they did it. They’ve done it before and they did it tonight and they’ll do it again and when they do it – seems that only children weep. Good night.’

Jem Finch, I called to find out if you and your colleagues can eat some cake. Got up at five to make it, so you better say yes.

‘I think I’ll be a clown when I get grown,’ said Dill. Jem and I stopped in our tracks. ‘Yes sir, a clown,’ he said. ‘There ain’t one thing in this world I can do about folks except laugh, so I’m gonna join the circus and laugh my head off.’

Naw, Jem, I think there’s just one kind of folks. Folks.’

‘You wanta take it off, Scout?’ he asked. ‘Naw, I’ll just keep it on,’ I said. I could hide my mortification under it.

willed myself to stay awake, but the rain was so soft and the room was so warm and his voice was so deep and his knee was so snug that I slept.