To Kill a Mockingbird

Quotes from To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee

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[Atticus Finch to Scout] You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view . . . until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.

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[Atticus Finch to Scout] Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird.

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[Miss Maudie Atkinson to Scout] 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.

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[Calpurnia to Scout] Don't matter who they are, anybody sets foot in this house, they are company and don't let me catch you remarking on their ways like you were so high and mighty. That boy is your company. And if he wants to eat up that tablecloth, you let him, you hear? And if you can't act fit to eat like folks, you can just set here and eat in the kitchen.

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[Sheriff Tate to Atticus Finch] There's a black man dead for no reason. Now the man responsible for it is dead. Let the dead bury the dead this time Mr. Finch. I never heard tell it was against the law for any citizen to do his utmost to prevent a crime from being committed, which is exactly what he did. But maybe you'll tell me it's my duty to tell the town all about it and not to hush it up. Well you know what'll happen then? All the ladies in Maycomb including my wife will be knocking on his door bringing angel food cakes. To my way of thinking, taking the one man who's done you and this town a big service and dragging him with his shy ways into the limelight - to me that's a sin... it's a sin. And I'm not about to have it on my head. I may not be much Mr. Finch, but I'm still sheriff of Maycomb County and Bob Ewell fell on his knife. Good night sir.

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