tkam quotes

Atticus, Jem, Scout, Boo Radley, Tom Robinson, Calpurnia, Miss Maudie Atkinson, Miss Stephanie Crawford, Heck Tate, Mrs Grace Merriweather, Aunt Alexandra, The Cunninghams, Miss Caroline, Miss Gates, Mrs Dubose

Atticus teaches Scout of empathy

‘You never really understand a person until … you climb into his skin and walk around in it’ (Atticus, to Scout)

Atticus is kind and loving towards his children

‘Atticus Finch is the same in his house as he is on the public streets’ (Miss Maudie Atkinson echoes Scout)

Scout holds Atticus in high regard

‘I could take being called a for coward him’ (Scout)

Atticus has a strong moral compass, seeing his defence of Tom Robinson as a necessary action

‘If I didn’t I couldn’t hold my head in town’ (Atticus, to Scout)

Atticus confronts bad things, believing that children should still learn about them

‘When a child asks you something, answer him’ (Atticus, to Uncle Jack)

Atticus is cunning in his methods of teaching Scout, as he plans for her to overhear his conversation

‘I realised he wanted me to hear every word he said.’ (Scout)

The Ewell family is infamous for being a spiteful, prideful family, as they disregard the consequences of their actions

‘You’re a generation off. The present ones are the same, though’ (Atticus, to Uncle Jack)

A metaphor for the prejudice and discrimination within Maycomb

‘Maycomb’s usual disease’ (Atticus)

It is very wrong to discriminate against people who cause no harm, so discrimination against black people simply for their race is unjust

‘it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird’ (Atticus, to Jem) (Miss Maudie Atkinson, to Scout)

Atticus strongly believes the most immoral thing that one can do is to discriminate unjustly against people solely because of the colour of their skin

‘That was the only time I ever heard Atticus say it was a sin to do something’ (Scout)

Tim Johnson is a representation of prejudice in Maycomb, so the adjective ‘mad’ could be implying that the racism and discrimination in Maycomb is inhuman, irregular and unnatural

‘a mad dog’ (Calpurnia, to Atticus)

Atticus defends the town against its own evils, which easily infiltrate its residents, akin to how Tim Johnson suddenly turns mad

The shooting of Tim Johnson may foreshadow Atticus’ opposition to racism, as he chooses to defend Tom Robinson in court

‘Tim Johnson […] crumpled on the sidewalk’ (Scout narration)

Atticus believes that its not fair to use an advantage, such as a gun or a racial hierarchy in society, to hurt others

‘he realised that God had given him an unfair advantage over most living things’ (Miss Maudie Atkinson, to Scout)

Atticus teaches Jem to be more considerate of Mrs Dubose. This could be interpreted as Atticus teaching that people should make an effort not to be infected (literally become mad, like Tim Johnson) with Maycomb’s usual disease (prejudice)

‘it’s your job not to let her make you mad’ (Atticus, to Jem)

Atticus excludes nobody from his moral code, not even someone as infamously horrible and dreadful as Mrs Dubose, so he is upset by Jem’s actions

‘to do something like this to a sick lady is inexcusable’ (Atticus, to Jem)

Although the majority may agree, everybody knows the truth deep down

This is seen in the quote ‘Things haven’t caught up with that one’s instinct yet’, as Dill cries at the result he knows is wrong

‘The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience’ (Atticus, to Scout)

Atticus teaches that courage is knowing you are at a disadvantage, yet through self-determination, you continue for a noble cause

‘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’ (Atticus, to Jem)

Atticus is appealing to the religious beliefs and integrity of the jury, as he plants the suggestion that if they convict Tom Robinson, they are betraying God

‘In the name of God, do your duty’ (Atticus, to the jury)

Children are innocent and free from corruption by prejudice, seeing the world in terms of good and bad. Unlike the adults, the children are the only ones who cannot understand why people are treated differently because of the colour of their skin

‘when they do it - seems that only children weep’ (Atticus, to Jem)

Atticus has the moral high ground over Bob Ewell, refusing to stoop to his level and retaliate after he is hurled petty insults

‘Atticus didn’t bat an eye […] and stood there and let Mr Ewell call him names’ (Scout, heard from Miss Stephanie Crawford)

Atticus teaches Scout not to harbour negative emotions for anybody, even if they are as bad as Hitler, showing how Atticus is an anomaly in Maycomb that contradicts the actions of the entire rest of the town, who are relentlessly hateful, especially towards black people

‘It’s not okay to hate anybody.’ (Atticus, to Scout)

Jem becomes an extension of Atticus’ beliefs and morals by the end of the novel

‘almost as good as Atticus’ (Scout’s narration)

Jem is heavily influenced by Atticus’ good nature, as he inherently feels obligated to give back. Scout is similar, as she agrees ‘That’d be nice’

‘You reckon we oughta write a letter to whoever’s leaving us these things?’ (Jem, to Scout)

Jem values his relationships greatly, even someone distant leaving gifts in a tree

Jem keeps his sorrows to himself, possibly striving to fulfil the stereotype of a man, or maybe to mirror Atticus’ reserved nature

‘his face was dirty in all the right places, but I thought it was odd that I had not heard him’ (Scout, about Jem)

Jem feels increasingly superior to Scout for growing older and more mature, comparing himself with adults despite being only 13, an arrogance which irritates Scout

“It’s different with grown folks, we—” (Jem, to Scout)

‘His maddening superiority was unbearable these days’ (Scout’s narration)

As Jem matures, he feels a responsibility to do what is best for Dill, even if Scout and Jem don’t agree with his actions

‘Then he rose and broke the remaining code of our childhood’

‘Jem was standing in the corner of the room, looking like the traitor he was’

Jem has begun to realise that discrimination in Maycomb is present towards anybody who is not white

‘once you have a drop of Negro blood, that makes you all black’ (Jem, to Scout)

Jem was confident that the overwhelming evidence in support of Tom Robinson would win over the prejudices of the jury, however, he is utterly devastated when he hears the unanimous verdict, which contradicts his moral compass

‘his shoulders jerked as if each “guilty” was a separate stab between them’ (Scout, about Jem)

Jem’s innocent view on Maycomb is shattered, as he now believes there are no kind people in Maycomb, learning of the prejudice that overrules justice in the town

‘I always thought Maycomb folks were the best folks in the world’ (Jem, to Miss Maudie Atkinson)

Jem comes to understand that Boo stays inside to avoid the discriminatory nature of Maycomb County, possibly empathising with him, as Jem is frustrated by all the racism in his town

‘he wants to stay inside’ (Jem, to Scout)

Jem fully inherits the moral compass of his father, as he finally understands that an innocent roly-poly does not deserve to be punished, for it was never a ‘bother’ to Scout. This echoes the situation of Tom Robinson, who was innocent and undeserving of conviction, however Atticus can not protect his client from the jury

‘Because they don’t bother you’ (Jem, to Scout)

Scout is a precocious girl, viewed highly by her older brother

‘Scout yonder’s been readin’ ever since she was born’ (Jem, to Dill)

Scout is knowledgeable and well-informed about her community, familiar with the financial situation of the Cunninghams

‘Miss Caroline, he’s a Cunningham.’ (Scout, to Miss Caroline)

Scout knows to combat what she sees as wrongdoing from a young age

‘Catching Walter Cunningham in the school yard gave me some pleasure’ (Scout’s narration)

Scout is influenced by the general perception of the community, showing her narrow views early in the novel

‘He ain’t company, Cal, he’s just a Cunningham’ (Scout, to Calpurnia)

The children cannot stand up to Atticus early in the novel, but later they grow to defy him and act independently, speaking their own minds

‘You do an’ I’ll wake up Atticus’ (Scout, to Jem)

Scout too is infected by the deep-rooted prejudice within her school, seeing no problem in using the n word

“‘s what everybody at school says” (Scout, to Atticus)

Aunt Alexandra enforces Southern Belle stereotype on Scout, showing sexism in the south. Aunt Alexandra is so invested in sticking to societal norms that she neglects Scout’s opinion and views Scout’s tomboyish nature as a problem that needs correcting

‘I could not possibly hope to be a lady if I wore breeches’ (Scout, from Aunt Alexandra)

Scout has no issue expressing her opinions, and completely disregards those of Aunt Alexandra

‘I didn’t ask you!’ (Scout, to Aunt Alexandra)

Scout understands that people are all the same deep down, regardless of their actions or appearance. In this way, Scout completely subverts the established beliefs of Maycomb

‘I think there’s just one kind of folks. Folks’ (Scout, to Jem)

Scout comes to understand the power dynamics between the black and white communities of Maycomb. She realises that there is such a stark difference that even the outcome of an advantageous court defence is pre-decided

‘Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed’ (Scout’s narration)

Boo Radley drops in significance in Scout’s mind later in the novel, showing how she grows out of her obsession, which she realises is juvenile in comparison to events of the adult world she grows into

‘So many things had happened to us, Boo Radley was the least of our fears’ (Scout’s narration)

Boo Radley is ostracised by Maycomb, and little is known about him. He is initially presented as the ‘grotesque' of the Southern Gothic novel

‘Malevolent phantom’ (Scout’s narration)

Boo Radley is alienated and othered from all of Maycomb, as rumours depict him as inhuman

‘He dined on raw squirrels and any cats he could catch’ (Scout, from Jem)

Boo Radley’s only dialogue in the novel, which encapsulates his entire character. As he always has been, he wishes to remain in the safety of his house

‘Will you take me home?’ (Boo Radley, to Scout)

Scout uses the lesson that Atticus teaches her earlier in the novel to explain a situation that even Atticus himself cannot bring himself to understand. Shows the growth of Scout, as she inherits and exceeds Atticus’ mindset

Telling the town about what Boo did would be akin to killing a mockingbird, as Boo Radley did nothing wrong, but would be endlessly harassed and hated by the rest of the county anyways

‘it’d be sort of like shootin‘ a mockingbird, wouldn’t it?’ (Scout, to Atticus)

Tom Robinson had to explain his perspective, as the white community struggles to understand or relate to the socially inferior black community

‘Mr Finch, if you were a n***** like me, you’d be scared too’ (Tom Robinson, to Atticus)

Tom Robinson was shot an unnecessary number of times, as the sheer number embodies the strong hatred held towards black people in the South.

Atticus pities Tom Robinson, as he knew Tom was innocent, so he didn’t deserve to be shot at all, let alone seventeen times.

Atticus saying ‘that much’ implies that he knew this would happen and that the guards would feel compelled to shoot him, but not to this extent

‘Seventeen bullet holes in him. They didn’t have to shoot him that much’ (Atticus, to Aunt Alexandra)

Conveys the insignificance of Tom Robinson to the town, and shows how racism is a normality in the Maycomb as the perceived actions of Tom Robinson fit their prejudiced stereotype of the black community

‘To Maycomb, Tom’s death was typical’ (Scout’s narration)

Tom is directly likened to a mockingbird, as Mr Underwood believes that Tom did nothing wrong, so he was undeserving of his fate

‘Mr Underwood likened Tom's death to the senseless slaughter of songbirds’ (Scout’s narration)

The children view Calpurnia as a maternal figure with a strong authority over them

‘I’ll tell Calpurnia on you’ (Jem, to Scout)

Calpurnia is such a significant figure in the children’s childhood that Atticus views her as a member of the family

‘She’s a faithful member of this family’ (Atticus, to Aunt Alexandra)

Calpurnia deviates from the expectations of a member of the black community that normally receives no standard education, potentially showing the racism ingrained into the country’s laws and education system

‘Calpurnia had more education than most colored folks‘ (Scout, from Atticus)

Calpurnia has maternal instincts, directly referring to the children as her own, as she wants her extensive effort and care for them to be acknowledged

‘I don’t want anybody sayin’ I don’t look after my children’ (Calpurnia, to Jem)

Aunt Alexandra feels a right to order and control black people, as prejudice also dictates her actions

‘“Put my bag in the front bedroom, Calpurnia,” was the first thing Aunt Alexandra said’

Miss Maudie lacks any form of prejudice, as she does not discriminate against black people or Boo Radley

‘She loved everything that grew in God’s earth, even the weeds’ (Scout’s narration)

Miss Maudie acknowledges that people are slowly opening their eyes to the injustice around them, but still choose to ignore it, as the jury is kept out for so long, yet Tom is still convicted in the end

‘we’re making a step — it's just a baby step, but it's a step’ (Miss Maudie, to Jem)

The prejudiced Maycomb county degrades black people so much that they cannot perceive them as people - they are not the same humans and are not worth remembering to them

‘He wasn’t Tom to them, he was an escaping prisoner’ (Atticus, to Aunt Alexandra)

Miss Stephanie Crawford has a well-known status in the small town of Maycomb as the gossiper

‘Miss Stephanie Crawford, a neighbourhood scold’ (Scout’s narration)

Miss Stephanie Crawford is known for stretching the truth in order to spread gossip

‘No one with a grain of sense trusted Miss Stephanie’ (Scout’s narration)

Heck Tate is wise, as he thinks it’s better to have the stories and blame of murder fall with the dead, rather than it follow a living child

‘Let the dead bury the dead’ (Heck Tate, to Atticus)

Mrs Merriweather is depicted as very Christian, which is contradicted by her strong prejudice towards the black community

‘The most devout lady in Maycomb’ (Scout’s narration)

Mrs Merriweather is blind to her own prejudice, as she is disturbed by oppression in Africa, yet ironically treats the black community in Maycomb with nothing but disrespect

‘Mrs Merriweather’s large brown eyes always filled with tears as she considered the oppressed’ (Scout’s narration)

Mrs Merriweather has no sympathy for the black community, and she amalgamates all her opinions about black people into her one perceived stereotype, which prefaces how she treats all black people

‘Just ruins your day to have one of them in your kitchen’ (Mrs Merriweather, to Mrs Farrow)

Aunt Alexandra believes that Scout needs a feminine presence in the house, as they did not grow up as a mother. This shows how she does not view Calpurnia, a woman in the house, as a woman, but as someone lower and of less value because of her skin colour

‘feminine influence’ (Aunt Alexandra, to Scout)

Aunt Alexandra holds some very outdated beliefs, placing more value on heritage, lineage and social standing than moral views and standards

‘the longer a family had been squatting on one patch of land the finer it was’ (Scout, from Aunt Alexandra)

The Cunninghams are known to be very poor, likely due to the Wall Street Crash in 1929, leading to the Great Depression

‘He had probably never seen three quarters in his life’ (Scout’s narration)

The Cunninghams are looked down upon for their poverty, showing Maycomb’s prejudice towards the poor

‘He ain’t company Cal, he’s just a Cunningham’ (Scout, to Calpurnia)

Miss Caroline is so fixated on her appearance that she loses some humanity in Scout’s eyes

‘She was a pretty little thing’ (Scout’s narration)

Miss Caroline does not care about the children she is teaching, and has a self-centred personality

‘Oh, my, wasn’t that nice?’ (Miss Caroline, to the class)

Miss Caroline is unwilling of handling or teaching someone who deviates from her expectations and the standards, as she does not wish to change her perspective

‘She discovered that I was literate and looked at me with more than faint distaste’ (Scout’s narration)

Miss Gates is a hypocritical woman, as her prejudiced beliefs contribute to the persecution of Tom Robinson. She views her prejudice as such a normality that she cannot relate it to the persecution of Jews by Hitler

‘Over here we don’t believe in persecuting anybody’ (Miss Gates, to the class)

Miss Gates is apathetic towards the persecution of Jews, as she downplays the severity of this by placing it next to simple arithmetic

‘It’s one of the most terrible stories in history. Time for arithmetic, children’ (Miss Gates, to the class)

Miss Gates is no exception to prejudice within Maycomb, as it is revealed that her disgust at Hitler makes no sense if she agrees with the persecution of black people

‘I heard her say it’s time somebody taught ’em a lesson’ (Scout, to Jem)

Mrs Dubose is a very judgemental person, who is unpopular with the children as she often pesters and questions them

‘Mrs Dubose’s attack was only routine’ (Scout’s narration)

Mrs Dubose is an example of the old-fashioned views held by Maycomb and how the town is reluctant to explore new concepts. Everybody is happily comfortable with their current views

‘You should be in a dress and camisole, young lady’ (Mrs Dubose, to Scout)

Mayella’s cleanliness contrasts the filth of the rest of her family. She portrays the coexistence of good and evil and how everyone is neither all good nor all bad

‘Mayella looked as if she had tried to keep clean’ (Scout’s narration)

Bob Ewell was an incurably evil man, worth less than a single bullet, so his death is no loss to Maycomb county

“they ain’t worth the bullet it takes to shoot ’em” (Heck Tate, to Atticus)

Dill is made to be a symbol of childhood innocence, as he views the world plainly between right and wrong, so he doesn’t understand why Tom Robinson was wrongly convicted for something he didn’t do

‘Things haven’t caught up with that one’s instinct yet’ (Mr Dolphus Raymond, to the children)

Mr Dolphus Raymond puts on the façade of an alcoholic when he is simply drinking cola in secret. He does this in order to avoid discrimination for his choice to marry a black woman - the prejudice of Maycomb is so bad that he’d rather be perceived as an alcoholic

‘Secretly, Miss Finch, I’m not much of a drinker’ (Mr Dolphus Raymond, to Scout)