Kill A Mockingbird Novel Quotes:

Real courage is when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what.

- Harper Lee

source: "To Kill a Mockingbird". Book by Harper Lee, community.sparknotes.com. July 11, 1960.

topic: Inspirational, Courage, Perseverance, Jem And Scout, Kill A Mockingbird Memorable

Bad language is a stage all children go through, and it dies with time when they learn they're not attracting attention with it.

- Harper Lee

source: Harper Lee (1960). “TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD”

topic: Children, Tkam, Attention, Kill A Mockingbird Novel, Bad Language

I'm gonna be a new kind of clown. I'm gonna stand in the middle of the ring and laugh at the folks.

- Harper Lee

source: Harper Lee (2014). “To Kill A Mockingbird”, p.176, Random House

topic: Tkam, Laughing, Kind, Kill A Mockingbird Memorable, Kill A Mockingbird Mockingbird

So it took an eight-year-old child to bring 'em to their senses.... That proves something - that a gang of wild animals can be stopped, simply because they're still human. Hmp, maybe we need a police force of children.

- Harper Lee

source: "To Kill a Mockingbird". Book by Harper Lee, 1962.

topic: Children, Character, Animal, Kill A Mockingbird Memorable, Kill A Mockingbird Mockingbird

You can choose your friends but you sho' can't choose your family, an' they're still kin to you no matter whether you acknowledge 'em or not, and it makes you look right silly when you don't.

- Harper Lee

source: Harper Lee (2014). “To Kill A Mockingbird”, p.182, Random House

topic: Silly, Tkam, Looks, Jem And Scout, Kill A Mockingbird Mockingbird

You just hold your head high and keep those fists down. No matter what anybody says to you, don't you let 'em get your goat. Try fightin' with your head for a change. -Atticus Finch

- Harper Lee

topic: Trying, Ems, Goats, Jem And Scout, Kill A Mockingbird Memorable

As you grow older, you'll see white men cheat black men every day of your life, but let me tell you something and don't you forget it - whenever a white man does that to a black man, no matter who he is, how rich he is, or how fine a family he comes from, he is trash.

- Harper Lee

source: To Kill a Mockingbird ch. 23 (1960)

topic: Black And White, Men, Racism, Jem And Scout, Kill A Mockingbird Memorable

Neighbors bring food with death and flowers with sickness and little things in between. Boo was our neighbor. He gave us two soap dolls, a broken watch and chain, a pair of good-luck pennies, and our lives. But neighbors give in return. We never put back into the tree what we took out of it: we had given him nothing, and it made me sad.

- Harper Lee

topic: Flower, Good Luck, Two, Kill A Mockingbird Memorable, Kill A Mockingbird Mockingbird

People generally see what they look for, and hear what they listen for.

- Harper Lee

source: Harper Lee (1970). “To Kill a Mockingbird”, p.46, Dramatic Publishing

topic: People, Looks, Kill A Mockingbird Memorable, Kill A Mockingbird Novel, Tkam

The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience.

- Harper Lee

source: To Kill a Mockingbird ch. 11 (1960)

topic: Honesty, Powerful, Integrity, Jem And Scout, Kill A Mockingbird Memorable

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.

- Harper Lee

topic: Dad, Father, War, Jem And Scout, Kill A Mockingbird Memorable

Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing.

- Harper Lee

topic: Gratitude, Appreciation, Reading, Jem And Scout, Kill A Mockingbird Memorable

Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win.

- Harper Lee

source: Harper Lee (1970). “To Kill a Mockingbird”, p.20, Dramatic Publishing

topic: Winning, Years, Tkam, Jem And Scout, Kill A Mockingbird Novel

I think there's just one kind of folks. Folks.

- Harper Lee

topic: Thinking, Prejudice, Kind, Jem And Scout, Kill A Mockingbird Memorable

Atticus told me to delete the adjectives and I'd have the facts.

- Harper Lee

source: Harper Lee (1960). “TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD”

topic: Adjectives, Facts, Jem And Scout, Kill A Mockingbird Memorable, Kill A Mockingbird Mockingbird

I'm no idealist to believe firmly in the integrity of our courts and in the jury system - that is no ideal to me, it is a living, working reality.

- Harper Lee

topic: Integrity, Believe, Reality, Jury, Kill A Mockingbird Memorable

This time we aren't fighting the Yankees, we're fighting our friends. But remember this, no matter how bitter things get, they're still our friends and this is still our home.

- Harper Lee

topic: Home, Fighting, Yankees, Kill A Mockingbird Mockingbird, Kill A Mockingbird Novel

Folks don't like to have somebody around knowing more than they do.

- Harper Lee

topic: Knowing, Folks, Kill A Mockingbird Mockingbird, Kill A Mockingbird Novel, Knowing More

When a child asks you something, answer him, for goodness sake. But don't make a production of it. Children are children, but they can spot an evasion faster than adults, and evasion simply muddles 'em.

- Harper Lee

topic: Children, Sake, Adults, Jem And Scout, Kill A Mockingbird Memorable

Best way to clear the air is to have it all out in the open.

- Harper Lee

topic: Air, Way, Clear, Kill A Mockingbird Mockingbird, Kill A Mockingbird Novel

They've done it before and they'll do it again and when they do it -- seems that only the children weep. Good night.

- Harper Lee

source: Harper Lee (2014). “To Kill A Mockingbird”, p.173, Random House

topic: Good Night, Children, Tkam, Kill A Mockingbird Mockingbird, Kill A Mockingbird Novel

If there's just one kind of folks, why can't they get along with each other? If they're all alike, why do they go out of their way to despise each other? Scout, I think I'm beginning to understand something. I think I'm beginning to understand why Boo Radley's stayed shut up in the house all this time. It's because he wants to stay inside.

- Harper Lee

topic: Thinking, House, Way, Jem And Scout, Kill A Mockingbird Memorable

It's not necessary to tell all you know.

- Harper Lee

source: Harold Bloom, Harper Lee (2010). “Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird”, p.45, Infobase Publishing

topic: Calpurnia, Kill A Mockingbird Mockingbird, Kill A Mockingbird Novel, Ladylike, Mockingbird

Sometimes the Bible in the hand of one man is worse than a whisky bottle in the hand of (another)... There are just some kind of men who - who're so busy worrying about the next world they've never learned to live in this one, and you can look down the street and see the results.

- Harper Lee

source: "To Kill a Mockingbird". Book by Harper Lee, July 11, 1960.

topic: God, Men, Hands, Jem And Scout, Whisky

She seemed glad to see me when I appeared in the kitchen, and by watching her I began to think there was some skill involved in being a girl.

- Harper Lee

topic: Girl, Thinking, Skills, Kill A Mockingbird Memorable, Kill A Mockingbird Mockingbird

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

- Harper Lee

topic: Blue, Want, Ems, Jem And Scout, Kill A Mockingbird Memorable

You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view.

- Harper Lee

source: Harold Bloom, Harper Lee (2010). “Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird”, p.81, Infobase Publishing

topic: Positivity, Sunshine, Views, Jem And Scout, Kill A Mockingbird Memorable

...but before I can live with other folks I've got to live with myself.

- Harper Lee

topic: Mockingbird, Kill A Mockingbird, Folks, Jem And Scout, Kill A Mockingbird Memorable

Why reasonable people go stark raving mad when anything involving a Negro comes up, is something I don't pretend to understand.

- Harper Lee

topic: People, Mad, Come Up, Jem And Scout, Kill A Mockingbird Mockingbird

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.

- Harper Lee

topic: Real, Gun, Men, Jem And Scout, Kill A Mockingbird Memorable

You can choose your friends, but you sho' can't choose your family.

- Harper Lee

topic: Our Family, Jem And Scout, Kill A Mockingbird Mockingbird, Kill A Mockingbird Novel, Tkam

Ladies bathed before noon, after their three o'clock naps, and by nightfall were like soft teacakes with frostings of sweat and sweet talcum.

- Harper Lee

topic: Sweet, Naps, Sweat, Hotter, Nightfall

The one place where a man ought to get a square deal is in a courtroom, be he any color of the rainbow, but people have a way of carrying their resentments right into a jury box.

- Harper Lee

topic: Men, Squares, Color, Jem And Scout, Kill A Mockingbird Memorable

I think I'll be a clown when I get grown.... 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.

- Harper Lee

topic: Thinking, Laughing, World, Kill A Mockingbird Memorable, Kill A Mockingbird Mockingbird

You rarely win, but sometimes you do.

- Harper Lee

topic: Winning, Sometimes, Mockingbird, Kill A Mockingbird Memorable, Kill A Mockingbird Mockingbird

Boo was our neighbor. He gave us two soap dolls, a broken watch and chain, a pair of good-luck pennies, and our lives.

- Harper Lee

topic: Good Luck, Two, Broken, Kill A Mockingbird Memorable, Kill A Mockingbird Mockingbird

People in their right minds never take pride in their talents.

- Harper Lee

source: Harper Lee (1960). “TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD”

topic: Pride, People, Mind, Jem And Scout, Kill A Mockingbird Novel

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.

- Harper Lee

source: FaceBook post by Harper Lee from Apr 21, 2015

topic: Wisdom, Heart, Garden, Jem And Scout, Kill A Mockingbird Memorable

I was born good but had grown progressively worse every year. Scout

- Harper Lee

topic: Years, Born, Jem And Scout, Kill A Mockingbird Memorable, Kill A Mockingbird Mockingbird

We're paying the highest tribute you can pay a man. We trust him to do right. It's that simple.

- Harper Lee

topic: Simple, Men, Pay, Kill A Mockingbird Novel, Tkam

That proves something- that a gang of wild animals can be stopped, simply because they're still human.

- Harper Lee

source: Harper Lee (1960). “TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD”

topic: Animal, Tkam, Gang, Kill A Mockingbird Memorable, Kill A Mockingbird Mockingbird

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.

- Harper Lee

source: Harper Lee (1960). “TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD”

topic: Hurt, Thinking, Names, Kill A Mockingbird Memorable, Kill A Mockingbird Novel

Let the dead bury the dead.

- Harper Lee

topic: Kill A Mockingbird Mockingbird, Kill A Mockingbird Novel, Tkam, Kill A Mockingbird

Things are never as bad as they seem.

- Harper Lee

topic: Kill A Mockingbird Mockingbird, Kill A Mockingbird Novel