Quotes From 'To Kill A Mockingbird'

<br>In the early chapters of the book, Scout picks fights at the slightest provocation. One example of this is when Scout beats up Walter Cunningham, one of her classmates, for "not having his lunch", which isn't a very good reason at all. "Catching Walter Cunningham in the schoolyard gave me some

One of the first lessons Scout learns is to be tolerant of other people. Walter Cunningham is described as having “looked as if he had been raised on fish food… had no colour in his face… and fingered the straps

As Scout begins to consider people?s opinions about prejudicial behavior she soon feels obligated to understand these racial judgments. Scout, being the curious and forthright girl she is, feels that only way to do so is by interrogating these estimations. ?As Atticus had once advised me to do, I tried to climb into Jem?s skin and walk around in it? (57). At this specific point in the novel, it is clear that Scout has learned a valuable lesson. The social lesson accomplished is never to judge anyone before determining their past experiences or hardships. Not only Scout?s social well-being, but her mental and emotional well-being progress extensively throughout the events of the novel. This is clearly defined by the following quote. ?Atticus had promised me he would wear me out if he ever heard of me fighting anymore, I was far too old and too big for such childish things, and the sooner I learned to hold it in, the better off everybody would be?(74). The quote stated by Scout proves that she is willing to mature at such a crucial time as the trial. She discovers that it is more important for Atticus to focus on the defending of Tom Robinson, a Negro accused of raping Mayella Ewell, instead of focusing on her minor problems. This particular sacrifice portrays the fact that Scout is beginning to realize the amount of prejudice in the town and wants her father to help people accept racial differences. As Scout?s journey through racial

The whole community is so dissatisfied by Atticus’ involvement in the Tom Robinson case that they have even passed on their feelings to their children. “Cecil Jacobs made me forget. He had announced in the schoolyard the day before that Scout Finch’s daddy defended niggers.” (99). Young Cecil most likely did not formulate this opinion on his own, but his parents probably put their disapproval of Atticus’ involvement into his head. He later tells Scout that his parents say that Atticus is a disgrace. Atticus has made Scout promise that she will not get into any fights on his behalf. She has been doing well in keeping her promise, but when Cecil says that Atticus “defended niggers” she instantly forgets. Emotions get the best of her and she is prepared to brawl with the boy, but she remembers what her father made her promise. For the first time ever, she walks away from a fight. This shows how much she has grown from dealing with adversity. With the help of Atticus, she begins to understand that a black person is no less significant than a white person. No matter what the people in town say. Scout does come across a few bumps in the roads while figuring this out, like at Christmas when she fights with Francis. “I guess it ain’t your fault if Uncle Atticus is a nigger-lover besides, but I’m here to tell you it certainly does mortify the

The tears roll down. It's all them white peoples that breaks me, standing around the colored neighborhood. White peoples with guns, pointed at colored peoples. Cause who gone protect our peoples? Ain't no colored policeman. (Stockett 230)

To demonstrate, when Scout stated “Somehow, if I fought Cecil I would let Atticus down. Atticus so rarely asked jem and me to do something for him, I could take being called a coward for him (Lee 88)”. This shows that Scout is taking Atticus’ request to heart and not wanting to embarrass him by fighting again. It also shows that Atticus messages and talks with scout about justice and judgment had gotten to her if she didn’t want to let him down by fighting another girl. To show sequence, For example, why Atticus is defending a man of colour, “You mean if you didn’t defend that man, Jem and me wouldn’t have to mind you anymore?” (Lee 86). The lessons that Atticus gives Scouts are essential to living in the “real world”, like respecting all races, and the fact that he’s defending a man of colour shows his children to treat people

One of them said, “the court appointed [Atticus] to defend [Tom],” while the other replied, “But Atticus aims to defend him. That’s what I don’t like” (218). Scout contemplated what the men said, realizing that Atticus had to defend Tom whether he wanted to or not. She then attempted to reach a conclusion on if it explained the town’s “behavior,” but was found it “confusing.” When Atticus gets appointed to defend someone in court, he was bound to his duty as a lawyer to defend that person no matter what. The townspeople disliked that Atticus was trying to defend Tom, and it confused Scout because Atticus was only doing the job the townspeople had chosen him to do. Again, this portrays how Scout’s youthfulness and innocence causes her to have less understanding of her town. While Atticus and the reader have a full understanding of the townspeople’s behavior, and Jem with a small awareness of the issue, Scout is the only one who isn’t vaguely aware that racial tensions run amuck. As a result, she doesn’t understand that the townspeople act on that racial bias, an age-old habit ingrained into almost the entire town’s population, further highlighting her

Which in turn results in people on the playground at school to mock, bully, and tease her. She wanted to defend her father so she started fighting other students to protect her father’s view but, when Atticus hears of this Scout does not get the “thank you” she was looking for. Atticus told her, “You might hear some ugly talk about it at school, but do one thing for me if you will: you just hold you head high and keep those fists down. No matter what anybody says to you, don’t you let’em get you goat.” Scout didn’t understand this at first, but as the book advances she realized she didn’t have to stoop to their level, and if she held her head high she would appear to be the better person. She has some trouble with keeping herself incheck once in awhile but, nevertheless, there becomes a point where she doesn’t fight at all, for the rest of the book in fact. Showing she has grown out of it, and has matured, and in turn, gained a tiny bit of

Atticus caught the children trying to give Boo Radley the note and he told the children to leave him alone. Chapter 6 1. What were Jem and Dill going to try to do once they were near Boo Radley’s home? If Scout didn’t want to be part of it what did Jem say?

Scout’s personality begins as coarse; she wants to control with her fists and is easily provoked. However, through her interactions with those in her community, her personality becomes more refined. One example of her lack of self-control is shown when she gets into a fight with her cousin Francis. In her rage, she decided to take out her anger on him, “‘He is not!’ I roared. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking’ about, but you better cut it out this red hot minute!’I leaped off the steps and

At that moment Scouts “ Fists were clenched” (pg.99), and she “ Was ready to let fly”(pg 99) . Her anger got the best of since she was ready to punch cecil right then and there. Scouts lack of maturity shows during this scene because she feels a need to fight even though she can not comprehend his insult. Like a normal six year old her emotions easily get the best of her, all she knows is that when someone insults her or her family the only solution is to fight it out. Later when she confronts Atticus about the situation, Atticus tries to explain his reasoning behind defending Tom, only

Scout usually never defends someone unless it’s family or Dill. After this conversation it shows that Scout learned to treat people better. She doesn’t care about class or how other people live. She justs wants a friend to play with. Later on in the book Scout becomes friends with the people she fights

Jem and Scout fight with over kids over their dad and the case.” Your Father is no better than the niggers and trash he works for.” (Lee 135). The kids always fight for their father and Scout especially. Atticus always tells them to use their words no matter what they say about him.

She had to fight through all these things to be happy.¨ I guess it ain’t your fault if Uncle Atticus is a nigger-lover besides, but I’m here to tell you it certainly does mortify the rest of the family—” (Lee,85). Francis sure was in trouble after he told this to Scout. Scout has had to fight the fact that her dad was helping a Negro and that there would be people who didn't agree with his actions.

Dill tells Jem to go touch the Radley house and when Jem declines, he says that Jem is too scared to do it. This continues for three days and they argue about it for a while until Dil finally says that he “won’t say [Jem] ran out on a dare an’ [Dill will] swap [Jem]