Atticus said it was the polite thing to talk to people about what they were interested in, not about what you were interested in. Mr. Cunningham displayed no interest in his son, so I tackled his entailment once more in a last-ditch effort to make him feel at home.
Harper Lee
Communication, Manners, Interest, Respect, Engagement, Effort
Harper Lee’s Quotes On Topics
Purposeful Writing | Achievement | Human Fallibility | Bowing Challenge | Discrimination | Fool Avoidance | Writing Career | Acceptance | Historical Challenges | Desire | Anger | Authenticity | Social Injustice | Shared Defiance | Wealth Distribution | Historical Reflection | Childhood Understanding | Prophetic Warning | Trapped Feelings | Social Withdrawal | More
More Harper Lee Quotes
“I despise you and everything you stand for.” Harper Lee
Hatred, Rejection, Conflict, Identity, Values, Opposition
Harper Lee Hatred, Rejection, Conflict, Identity, Values, Opposition“I’d be churched to death, bridge-partied to death, called upon to give book reviews at the Amanuensis Club, expected to become a part of the community. It takes a lot of what I don’t have to be a member of this wedding.” Harper Lee
Isolation, Independence, Rejection, Social Pressure, Conformity, Self-identity
Harper Lee Isolation, Independence, Rejection, Social Pressure, Conformity, Self-identity“My Lord, Aunt Stephanie, you almost gave me a heart attack!” Harper Lee
Playful Hyperbole, Family Moments, Sudden Surprise, Family, Surprise, Humor
Harper Lee Playful Hyperbole, Family Moments, Sudden Surprise, Family, Surprise, Humor“So maybe I’ll spend some years in prison, but you’ll have a big head start on me in hell!” Harper Lee
Punishment, Consequence, Defiance, Justice, Morality, Irony
Harper Lee Punishment, Consequence, Defiance, Justice, Morality, Irony“What Mr. Radley did was his own business. If he wanted to come out, he would. If he wanted to stay inside his own house he had the right to stay inside free from the attentions of inquisitive children, which was a mild term for the likes of us.” Harper Lee
Privacy, Rights, Respect, Boundaries, Isolation, Freedom
Harper Lee Privacy, Rights, Respect, Boundaries, Isolation, Freedom“People’s attitudes toward the duties of a government have changed. The have-nots have risen and have demanded and received their due – sometimes more than their due. The haves are restricted from getting more. You are protected from the winter winds of old age, not by yourself voluntarily, but by a government that says we do not trust you to provide for yourself, therefore we will make you save.” Harper Lee
Government Control, Social Change, Duty Of Government, Wealth Distribution, Protection, Collective Responsibility
Harper Lee Government Control, Social Change, Duty Of Government, Wealth Distribution, Protection, Collective Responsibility“Atticus, he was real nice. His hands were under my chin, pulling up the cover, tucking it around me. Most people are, Scout, when you finally see them.” Harper Lee
Human Kindness, Parental Love, True Nature, Kindness, Love, Nature
Harper Lee Human Kindness, Parental Love, True Nature, Kindness, Love, Nature“When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another they are Communists.” Harper Lee
Political Satire, Social Division, Ideological Conflict, Politics, Division, Conflict
Harper Lee Political Satire, Social Division, Ideological Conflict, Politics, Division, Conflict“Remember this also: it’s always easy to look back and see what we were, yesterday, ten years ago. It is hard to see what we are. If you can master that trick, you’ll get along.” Harper Lee
Reflection, Growth, Self-awareness, Insight, Progress, Perspective
Harper Lee Reflection, Growth, Self-awareness, Insight, Progress, Perspective“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
Children Weep, Done It Again, Nightfall, Past Painful, Unanimous, Reached Senses
Harper Lee Children Weep, Done It Again, Nightfall, Past Painful, Unanimous, Reached Senses“Consequently, the town remained the same size for over 150 years. Its primary reason for existence was government. What saved it from becoming another grubby little Alabama community was that Maycomb’s proportion of professional people ran high: one went to Maycomb to have his teeth pulled, his wagon fixed, his heart listened to, his money deposited, his mules vetted, his soul saved, his mortgage extended.” Harper Lee
Small Town Life, Professional Community, Maycomb Portrait, Town, Community, Life
Harper Lee Small Town Life, Professional Community, Maycomb Portrait, Town, Community, Life“The easy way out of this would be to marry Hank and let him labor for her. After a few years, when the children were waist-high, the man would come along whom she should have married in the first place. There would be searchings of hearts, fevers and frets, long looks at each other on the post office steps, and misery for everybody.” Harper Lee
Marriage, Expectations, Independence, Choice, Life, Regret
Harper Lee Marriage, Expectations, Independence, Choice, Life, Regret“It had never fully occurred to Jean Louise that she was a girl: her life had been one of reckless, pummeling activity; fighting, football, climbing, keeping up with Jem, and besting anyone her own age in any contest requiring physical prowess. When she was calm enough to listen, she considered that a cruel practical joke had been played upon her: she must now go into a world of femininity, a world she despised, could not comprehend nor defend herself against, a world that did not want her.” Harper Lee
Gender Expectations, Childhood Freedom, Femininity Challenges, Gender, Freedom, Femininity
Harper Lee Gender Expectations, Childhood Freedom, Femininity Challenges, Gender, Freedom, Femininity“I had a feeling that I shouldn’t be here listening to this sinful man who had mixed children and didn’t care who knew it, but he was fascinating. I had never encountered a being who deliberately perpetrated fraud against himself. But why had he entrusted us with his deepest secret? I asked him why. ‘Because you’re children and you can understand it,’ he said.” Harper Lee
Moral Complexity, Childlike Understanding, Fascinating Characters, Complexity, Understanding, Characters
Harper Lee Moral Complexity, Childlike Understanding, Fascinating Characters, Complexity, Understanding, Characters“No war was ever fought for so many different reasons.” Harper Lee
War Motivations, Conflict Analysis, Varied Justifications, War, Conflict, Justifications
Harper Lee War Motivations, Conflict Analysis, Varied Justifications, War, Conflict, Justifications“There was a time, long ago, when the only peaceful moments of her existence were those from the time she opened her eyes in the morning until she attained full consciousness, a matter of seconds until when finally roused she entered the day’s wakeful nightmare. She.” Harper Lee
Isolation, Restlessness, Memory, Fear, Escape, Self-Reflection
Harper Lee Isolation, Restlessness, Memory, Fear, Escape, Self-Reflection“I have said what I wanted to say and I will not say it again.” Harper Lee
Assertiveness, Clarity, Finality, Self-expression, Decision, Personal Boundaries
Harper Lee Assertiveness, Clarity, Finality, Self-expression, Decision, Personal Boundaries“Don’t see how any jury could convict on what we heard.” Harper Lee
Justice, Doubt, Fairness, Evidence, Trial, Moral Conflict
Harper Lee Justice, Doubt, Fairness, Evidence, Trial, Moral Conflict