Atticus had used every tool available to free men to save Tom Robinson, but in the secret courts of men’s hearts Atticus had no case. Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed.
Harper Lee
Justice, Truth, Societal Injustice, Despair, Inequality, Human Rights
Harper Lee’s Quotes On Topics
Revelation | Marriage Expectations | Decline | Citizenship Privilege | Politeness | Fair Justice | Family Humor | Consistency | Insight | Racial Awareness | Observation | Simple Wisdom | Spirituality | Healing Process | Emotional Dependence | Colorblindness | South | Conscience | Tribute | Atticus Beside | More
More Harper Lee Quotes
“Don’t you study about other folks’s business till you take care of your own.” Harper Lee
Personal Focus, Social Boundaries, Practical Wisdom, Focus, Wisdom, Boundaries
Harper Lee Personal Focus, Social Boundaries, Practical Wisdom, Focus, Wisdom, Boundaries“Weeping for Anna Karenina and being terrified by Hannibal Lecter, entering the heart of darkness with Mistah Kurtz, having Holden Caulfield ring you up – some things should happen on soft pages, not cold metal.” Harper Lee
Literature, Fiction, Emotions, Darkness, Psychological Depth, Timeless Stories
Harper Lee Literature, Fiction, Emotions, Darkness, Psychological Depth, Timeless Stories“Cry about the simple hell people give other people- without even thinking. Cry about the hell white people give colored folks, without even stopping to think that they’re people too.” Harper Lee
Social Injustice, Racial Cruelty, Thoughtless Harm, Injustice, Cruelty, Harm
Harper Lee Social Injustice, Racial Cruelty, Thoughtless Harm, Injustice, Cruelty, Harm“Again, as I had often met it in my own church, I was confronted with the Impurity of Women doctrine that seemed to preoccupy all clergymen.” Harper Lee
Purity Doctrine, Religion, Gender Roles, Misogyny, Control, Traditionalism
Harper Lee Purity Doctrine, Religion, Gender Roles, Misogyny, Control, Traditionalism“Matches were dangerous, but cards were fatal.” Harper Lee
Dangerous Matches, Fatal Cards, Gambling Risk, Risky Games, Careless Actions, Destructive Outcomes
Harper Lee Dangerous Matches, Fatal Cards, Gambling Risk, Risky Games, Careless Actions, Destructive Outcomes“Had I ever harbored the mystical notions about mountains that seem to obsess lawyers and judges, Aunt Alexandra would have been analogous to Mount Everest: throughout my early life, she was cold and there.” Harper Lee
Family Analogies, Childhood Memories, Cold Realities, Analogies, Memories, Realities
Harper Lee Family Analogies, Childhood Memories, Cold Realities, Analogies, Memories, Realities“Miss Caroline seemed unaware that the ragged, denim-shirted and floursack-skirted first grade, most of whom had chopped cotton and fed hogs from the time they were able to walk, were immune to imaginative literature.” Harper Lee
Innocence, Childhood, Education, Social Disparity, Imagination, Tradition
Harper Lee Innocence, Childhood, Education, Social Disparity, Imagination, Tradition“They’re certainly entitled to think that, and they’re entitled to full respect for their opinions,’ said Atticus, ‘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.’ When.” Harper Lee
Personal Conscience, Moral Integrity, Respecting Opinions, Conscience, Integrity, Respect
Harper Lee Personal Conscience, Moral Integrity, Respecting Opinions, Conscience, Integrity, Respect“There was no hurry, for there was nowhere to go, nothing to buy and no money to buy it with, nothing to see outside the boundaries of Maycomb County. But it was a time of vague optimism for some of the people: Maycomb County had recently been told that it had nothing to fear but fear itself.” Harper Lee
Small Town Life, Economic Hardship, Vague Optimism, Small Towns, Hardship, Optimism
Harper Lee Small Town Life, Economic Hardship, Vague Optimism, Small Towns, Hardship, Optimism“You folks might be better than the Cunninghams, but it doesn’t count for nothing the way you’re disgracing them.” Harper Lee
Social Standing, Reputation, Cunninghams, Disgrace, Class Divide, Moral Judgment
Harper Lee Social Standing, Reputation, Cunninghams, Disgrace, Class Divide, Moral Judgment“I was not so sure, but Jem told me I was being a girl, that girls always imagined things, that’s why other people hated them so, and if I started behaving like one I could just go off and find some to play with.” Harper Lee
Gender Stereotypes, Childhood Dynamics, Social Expectations, Stereotypes, Childhood, Expectations
Harper Lee Gender Stereotypes, Childhood Dynamics, Social Expectations, Stereotypes, Childhood, Expectations“I think there’s just one kind of folks.” Harper Lee
Human Unity, Equality Perspective, Simplistic Thinking, Unity, Equality, Perspective
Harper Lee Human Unity, Equality Perspective, Simplistic Thinking, Unity, Equality, Perspective“Jem, naturally, was Boo: he went under the front steps and shrieked and howled from time to time.” Harper Lee
Boo Radley, Shriek And Howl, Childhood Antics, Imagination, Front Steps, Fearful Mimicry
Harper Lee Boo Radley, Shriek And Howl, Childhood Antics, Imagination, Front Steps, Fearful Mimicry“Atticus told me to delete the adjectives and I’d have the facts.” Harper Lee
Simplicity, Truth, Facts, Clarity, Communication, Purity
Harper Lee Simplicity, Truth, Facts, Clarity, Communication, Purity“It ain’t honest but it’s mighty helpful to folks. But you see they could never, never understand that I live like I do because that’s the way I want to live.” Harper Lee
Honesty, Simplicity, Perception, Lifestyle, Independence, Understanding
Harper Lee Honesty, Simplicity, Perception, Lifestyle, Independence, Understanding“Boo and I walked up the steps to the porch. His fingers found the doorknob. He gently released my hand, opened the door, enter inside, and shut the door behind him. I never saw him again.” Harper Lee
Bittersweet Farewell, Emotional Connection, Final Goodbye, Farewell, Connection, Goodbye
Harper Lee Bittersweet Farewell, Emotional Connection, Final Goodbye, Farewell, Connection, Goodbye“Writing is a process of self-discipline you must learn before you can call yourself a writer. There are people who write, but I think they’re quite different from people who must write.” Harper Lee
Writing, Self-discipline, Creativity, Passion, Expression, Identity
Harper Lee Writing, Self-discipline, Creativity, Passion, Expression, Identity“Where are your pants, son?” Harper Lee
Humorous Moments, Childhood Mishaps, Family Laughs, Humor, Childhood, Laughs
Harper Lee Humorous Moments, Childhood Mishaps, Family Laughs, Humor, Childhood, Laughs“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
Justice, Fairness, Integrity, Responsibility, Accountability, Truth
Harper Lee Justice, Fairness, Integrity, Responsibility, Accountability, Truth“You confused your father with God. You never saw him as a man with a man’s heart, and a man’s failings – I’ll grant you it may have been hard to see, he makes so few mistakes, but he makes ’em like all of us. You were an emotional cripple, leaning on him, getting answers from him, assuming that your answers would always be his answers.” Harper Lee
Father Figure, Emotional Dependency, Role Model, Expectation Vs Reality, Self-awareness, Personal Growth
Harper Lee Father Figure, Emotional Dependency, Role Model, Expectation Vs Reality, Self-awareness, Personal Growth