TKAM Quotes

"It’s a sin to kill a mockingbird."

Who says it: Atticus. Where: Chapter 10, when Atticus explains to Scout and Jem. Themes: Theme of Mockingbird, Innocence/Childhood, Responsibility.

"Mr. Underwood likened Tom’s death to the senseless slaughter of songbirds."

Who says it: Narrator (Scout). Where: Chapter 25, when reading Mr. Underwood’s editorial. Themes: Theme of Mockingbird, Tom Robinson, Racism.

"Atticus was right. One time he said you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them."

Who says it: Scout. Where: Chapter 31, after standing on Boo Radley’s porch. Themes: Theme of Mockingbird, Understanding others, Responsibility.

"Well, it'd be sort of like shootin' a mockingbird, wouldn't it?"

Who says it: Scout. Where: Chapter 30, after Boo Radley saves the children. Themes: Theme of Mockingbird, Boo Radley, Respect.

"Mockingbirds don’t do anything but sing their hearts out for us."

Who says it: Atticus. Where: Chapter 10, reinforcing the idea to Scout and Jem. Themes: Theme of Mockingbird, Innocence/Childhood, Respect.

"Boo Radley. You’d never know he was there, and you’d never know he wasn’t."

Who says it: Scout. Where: Chapter 1, when Scout first describes Boo Radley. Themes: Radley Family, Prejudice, Understanding others.

"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 see it through no matter what."

Who says it: Atticus. Where: Chapter 11, explaining courage to Jem. Themes: Courage, Responsibility, Unhappiness.

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

Who says it: Judge Taylor. Where: Chapter 20, during the trial. Themes: Prejudice, Racism, Understanding others.

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

Who says it: Atticus. Where: Chapter 11, speaking to Scout. Themes: Courage, Prejudice, Responsibility.

"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it."

Who says it: Atticus. Where: Chapter 3, advising Scout. Themes: Understanding others, Prejudice, Growing up.

"Tom Robinson was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed."

Who says it: Scout. Where: Chapter 25, reflecting on the trial. Themes: Tom Robinson, Racism, Prejudice.

"I wanted to see you, sir, to ask you to come across and help us if you can, I mean, because I know you’ll do what’s right."

Who says it: Jem. Where: Chapter 12, talking to Atticus. Themes: Respect, Tom Robinson, Growing up.

"Don’t matter who they are, anybody sets foot in this house’s yo’ company, and you don’t treat ‘em no better."

Who says it: Calpurnia. Where: Chapter 12, explaining manners to Scout. Themes: Calpurnia and the Finch family, Respect, Social Inequality.

"Atticus Finch is the same in his house as he is on the public streets."

Who says it: Miss Maudie. Where: Chapter 5, talking about Atticus to Scout. Themes: Atticus, Respect, Responsibility.

"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."

Who says it: Atticus. Where: Chapter 11, responding to Jem’s reaction to Mrs. Dubose. Themes: Growing up, Respect, Unhappiness.

"She was the bravest person I ever knew."

Who says it: Jem. Where: Chapter 11, referring to Mrs. Dubose. Themes: Courage, Unhappiness, Growing up.

"I wish Bob Ewell wouldn’t chew tobacco."

Who says it: Atticus. Where: Chapter 23, after Bob spits on Atticus. Themes: Ewell Family, Prejudice, Respect.

"You’re mighty cheerful this morning, Miss Jean Louise. You look like you’re attending the finest schools in the South."

Who says it: Miss Maudie. Where: Chapter 24, teasing Scout about her new clothes. Themes: Miss Maudie, Education, Friendship.

"Mayella Ewell was the loneliest person in the world. She lived in that dump of a house, with not a friend in the world."

Who says it: Narrator (Scout). Where: Chapter 19, reflecting on Mayella. Themes: Mayella Ewell, Unhappiness, Prejudice.

"He liked Mayella Ewell and he gave her what he had, which was his heart."

Who says it: Atticus. Where: Chapter 20, in his closing argument. Themes: Tom Robinson, Mayella Ewell, Racism.

"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."

Who says it: Atticus. Where: Chapter 11, explaining courage to Jem. Themes: Courage, Unhappiness, Responsibility.

"I didn’t know that any word could ever make a person feel that way."

Who says it: Scout. Where: Chapter 23, after hearing racial slurs. Themes: Growing up, Prejudice, Social Inequality.

"Dill, you are not old enough to understand some things, so don’t try to make me tell you."

Who says it: Scout. Where: Chapter 23, discussing Dill's questions. Themes: Dill, Growing up, Unhappiness.

"Too proud to fight you, n****r-loving bastard."

Who says it: Bob Ewell.
Where: Chapter 23, after a confrontation with Atticus.
Themes: Ewell Family, Prejudice, Racism.

"The law is the law, and there’s no getting around it."

Who says it: Atticus.
Where: Chapter 20, during the trial of Tom Robinson.
Themes: The Law, Prejudice, Respect.

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

Who says it: Scout
Where: Chapter 23
Themes: Prejudice, Understanding others, Social Inequality

"ne**** worshipped in it on Sundays and white men gambled in it on weekdays" -

Who says it: Miss Maudie
Where: Chapter 24
Themes: Racism, Social Inequality, Prejudice

"she's supposed to go around in back”

Who says it: Jem
Where: Chapter 12
Themes: Social Inequality, Prejudice, Racism

"this case is as simple as black and white"

Who says it: Atticus
Where: Chapter 20
Themes: Tom Robinson, Racism, Prejudice

"I seen that black ****** yonder ruttin' on my Mayella"

Who says it: Bob Ewell
Where: Chapter 17
Themes: Ewell Family, Racism, Prejudice

"a lie as black as Tom Robinson's skin"

Who says it: Atticus
Where: Chapter 20
Themes: Racism, Prejudice, Tom Robinson

"but around here once you've got a drop of Negro blood, you're all black"

Who says it: ??
Where: Chapter 23
Themes: Racism, Social Inequality, Prejudice

"the longer a family had been squatting on one patch of land the finer it was"

Who says it: Aunt Alexandra
Where: Chapter 23
Themes: Social Inequality, Maycomb, Growing up, Aunt Alexandra

"He's a Cunningham”

Who says it: Scout
Where: Chapter 2
Themes: Ewell Family, Social Inequality, Maycomb

"you simply are not being a christian today”

Who says it: Miss Merriweather
Where: Chapter 24
Themes: Irony, Hypocrisy, Social Inequality, Maycomb

‘holding brilliant red geraniums, cared for as tenderly as if they belonged to Miss Maudie’

even though mayella lives in a complete tip, she still maintains a lovely garden, longs for freedom?

“Beautiful things floated around in his dreamy head” and “He would follow Jem anywhere”

about dill, shows his innocence and wonder, also loyalty.

“There ain’t one thing in the world I can do about folks except make them laugh” and “pocket merlin”

wants to be a clown, innocent, doesn’t resort to violence, but starts to realize cruelties of the world

"How could they do it, how could they?"

"There were no more lynchings in Maycomb"