Jem preached the longest, most tedious sermon she ever heard in her life. He said that sin was about the most sinful thing he could think of, and no one who sinned could be a success, and blessed was he who sat in the seat of the scornful; in short, he repeated his own version of everything they had heard for the past three nights.

— Harper Lee

Harper Lee Quotes

You did all this chopping and work from sheer goodness, boy?

— Harper Lee

His sermon was a forthright denunciation of sin, an austere declaration of the motto on the wall behind him: he warned his flock against the evils of heady brews, gambling, and strange women. Bootleggers caused enough trouble in the Quarters, but women were worse. 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

Mr. Raymond said, ’... – you haven’t seen enough of this world yet. You haven’t even seen this town, but all you gotta do is step back inside the courthouse.

— Harper Lee

Because I could never ask you to mind me again. Scout, simply by the nature of the work, every lawyer gets at least one casein his lifetime that affects him personally. This one’s mine, I guess. You might hear some ugly talk about it at school, but do one thing for me if you will: you just hold your head high and keep those fists down. No matter what anybody says to you, don’t let ’em get your goat. Try fighting with your head for once... it’s a good one, even if it does resist learning.

— Harper Lee

I scurried to my room and went to bed. Uncle Jack was a prince of a fellow not to let me down. But I never figured out how Atticus knew I was listening, and it was not until many years later that I realized he wanted me to hear every word he said.

— Harper Lee

You think about that,′ Miss Maudie was saying. ‘It was no accident. I was sittin’ there on the porch last night, waiting. I waited and waited to see you all come down the sidewalk and as I waited I thought. Atticus Finch won’t win, he can’t win, but he’d the only man in these parts who can keep a jury out so long in a case like that. And I thought to myself, well, we’re making a step – it’s just a baby-step, but it’s a step.

— Harper Lee

I think maybe he put his gun down when he realized that God had given him an unfair advantage over most living things. I guess he decided he wouldn’t shoot till he had to, and he had to today.” “Looks like he’d be proud of it,” I said. “People in their right minds never take pride in their talents,” said Miss Maudie.

— Harper Lee

A few graves in the cemetery were marked with crumbling tombstones; newer ones were outlined with brightly colored glass and broken Coca-Cola bottles.

— Harper Lee

She said she was going to leave this world beholden to nothing and nobody.

— Harper Lee

I know what you mean, boy... You aren’t thin-hided, it just makes you sick, doesn’t it?

— Harper Lee

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

She died beholden to nothing and nobody. She was the bravest person I ever knew.” – Atticus Finch.

— Harper Lee

Uncle Jimmy present or Uncle Jimmy absent made not much difference, he never said anything.

— Harper Lee

We could do nothing to please her. If I said as sunnily as I could, ‘Hey, Mrs Dubose,’ I would receive for an answer, ‘Don’t you say hey to me, you ugly girl! You say good afternoon, Mrs Dubose!

— Harper Lee

You all know of Brother Tom Robinson’s trouble. He has been a faithful member of First Purchase since he was a boy. The collection taken up today and for the.

— Harper Lee

There was no point to say you were sorry if you weren’t.

— Harper Lee

She was never bored, and given the slightest chance she would exercise her royal prerogative: she would arrange, advise, caution, and warn.

— Harper Lee

No ma’am, I want you to say something that did happen.

— Harper Lee

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

Because you’re children and you can understand it.

— Harper Lee
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