Ten Quotes and response on the book To Kill a Mockingbird

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Ten Quotes and response on the book To Kill a Mockingbird

The first quote comes from chapter thirty by Sheriff Tate, “…I’m goin’ on forty-three years old. Know everything that’s happened here since before I was born. There’s a black boy dead for no reason, and the man responsible for its dead. Let the dead bury the dead this time, Mr. Finch. Let the dead bury the dead.” My response to this quote by Sheriff Tate is that Harper Lee brings about a society still engulfed with racism and segregation. In this case, a boy of African decent was murdered but no significant action has been taken place to apprehend the culprit let alone an investigation. Was it the other way round, I presume the scenario would have been different (Bloom, 25). In this case, massive investigation and arrests on the African community would have been conducted if a white boy had fallen victim to these circumstances.

“It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what”. This other quote is by Atticus in chapter 11, page 112. Atticus in this context is trying to explain the meaning of real courage to Scout and Jem. This conversation was raised because of the demise of Mrs. Dubose. My personal opinion is that this quote is very inspirational. Harper in this case explains the value of courage especially in two children, and that it can be applied at any other setting or time (Jigman, 42). Courage among men in this society warranted heavy value. It was not a good sign for any man, African or white man to show qualities of a coward. If any man in this society showed any signs of weakness or cowardice, they were normally considered outcasts.

“The witnesses for the state have presented themselves to you gentlemen, to this court, in the cynical confidence that their testimony would not be doubted, confident that you gentlemen would go along with them on the assumption – the evil assumption – that all Negroes lie, that all Negroes are basically immoral beings, that all Negro men are not to be trusted around our women, an assumption one associates with minds of their caliber.” The third quote comes from the trial scene in chapter twenty when Atticus was addressing the jury. From this statement, we can see further how racism is engrained into this society and how far the European would go just harass people from African descent. On the other, Atticus has a different point of view. Racism may be engrained in the minds of many men in this society but Atticus suggests that there should be a limit to this vice. When it comes to matters of justice and innocence, Atticus suggests that a line on racism should be drawn. In this case, every man should have an equal right to justice and hearing. No one should be oppressed when violations such as murder have been committed.

“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.” The fourth quote comes from chapter ten in the 94^th page in a conversation between a scout and Miss Atkinson. In this case, Miss Atkinson and probably the rest of this society feel that a mockingbird should be a cherished animal and not taken for granted (Shields, 52). According to her, mocking birds are beneficial and she cannot find a single fault in them at the very least. Mockingbirds are a gift to society with their sweet melodies and their benefits of getting rid of pests in plantations.

“I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do.”

As for the fifth chapter, I chose to quote from chapter eleven. I feel that this quote is used by Harper Lee to express everything the book stands for. Lee uses this quote as an image of courage. He lets us see how men used to condone themselves in this society in the early days. Apparently, cowardice among men was not taken too lightly among men in those days (Palmer, 35). Courage among men in this society warranted heavy value. It was not a good sign for any man, African or white man to show qualities of a coward. If any man in this society showed any signs of weakness or cowardice, they were normally considered outcasts.

“Well, if I ain’t, I can’t do nothing about it now, her ma’s dead.” One quote I thought was profound was the conversation between Atticus and Mr. Ewell in the courtroom. This quote resonates to me because Mr. Ewell is being questioned on a girl he has been living with who is his daughter apparently. However, Mr. Ewell denies allegations that he sired this little girl. At this point, Mr. Ewell is in the spotlight facing rape allegations against a girl that the court believes to be his daughter, something very ironical and symbolic by Harper Lee. It allows the audience to have an understanding of the Ewell’s background and the controversies that used to surround this family.

. “I looked around. They were standing. All around us and in the balcony on the opposite wall, the Negroes were getting to their feet. Reverend Sykes’s voice was as distant as Judge Taylor’s…” The seventh chapter I chose is in page 283 of Harpers book in chapter 27. I find this quote as the most inspirational in the entire novel. How the Africans stand when Atticus is leaving the courtroom goes to show how respectful they are (Noble, 26). It also shows their optimism on the verdict unlike the white folk who do not like Atticus defending men from African descent. Atticus among the rest of the White men is the only one who understands the value of justice regardless of a man’s skin. When it comes to matters of justice and innocence, Atticus suggests that racism should be done away with. In this case, every man should have an equal right to justice and hearing. No one should be oppressed when violations such as murder have been committed.

“In the name of God, do your duty.” in chapter 20 is the other quote I decided to use is still from the court setting by Atticus. I find this quote very inspirational as it brings out the most important issue in the book, racism and African neglect. Atticus believes that the court would be incompetent by absconding duty on providing justice to Tom Robinson. According to Atticus, Tom Robinson is a human being just like the rest of them. It would be an act of incompetence and irreligiousness if Robinson would be denied a fair and equal right to justice. Atticus thinks it okay for racism and segregation to be predominant in other places, but it would be very absurd if it were practiced in a court of law.

“Which, gentlemen, we know in itself is a lie as black as Tom Robinson’s skin, a lie I do not have to point out to you”. In the same chapter, I was able to infer another quote by Atticus when he is addressing the jury in page 204. I am in agreement with this quote because the truth of the matter can be seen from listening to the sincerity and honesty behind Tom Robinson’s statement to the jury. Additionally, this quote is the main point by Atticus in his statement when addressing the jury (Palmer, 18). Atticus is fully aware that a white will obviously win over a black individual regardless of whether he is guilty or not. The meaning behind this quote is that Atticus made the decision to of showing the innocence of Tom Robinson and the jury knows it as well, but Mr. Ewell won regardless.

“…in our courts all men are created equal” by Atticus on chapter 198 page 205. In my opinion, this inspirational quote brings out irony. It is the expectation that the courtroom apart from society is the only place where every man would be treated with dignity and equality. In this particular society, men were segregated with regard to skin color, and according to Atticus, this had to be looked over in the courtroom. He attempts to convince the rest of the room this has to be taken into account, and grant Tom Robinson his share on rights and justice regardless of his skin color. Throughout the entire court scene, Atticus advocates for a fair hearing as well as justice to every man regardless of their skin color, and rightly so.

Works Cited

Bloom, Harold. Harper Lee’s to Kill a Mockingbird. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 2006. Internet resource

Haggerty, Andrew. Harper Lee: To Kill a Mockingbird. Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish Benchmark, 2010. Print.

Jigman, Mark D. To Kill a Mockingbird: Threatening Boundaries. New York: Twayne Publishers, 2004. Print.

Johnson, Claudia D. Understanding to Kill a Mockingbird: A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historic Documents. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press, 2003. Print.

Noble, Donald R. Critical Insights: To Kill a Mockingbird: by Harper Lee. Pasadena, Calif: Salem Press, 2010. Internet resource.

O’Neill, Terry. Readings on to Kill a Mockingbird. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 2000. Print.

Palmer, R B. Harper Lee’s to Kill a Mockingbird: The Relationship between Text and Film. London: Methuen Drama, 2008. Print.

Shields, Charles J. Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee. New York: Henry Holt, 2006. Print.

Sova, Dawn. To Kill a Mockingbird: Notes. Lincoln, Neb: Cliffs Notes, 2004. Print.

Stone, Dan, Dana Gioia, David Baker, Robert Duvall, Horton Foote, Sandra D. O’Connor, Charles J. Shields, Curtis Sittenfeld, Elizabeth Spencer, and Anne Twomey. An Introduction to Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Washington, DC: National Endowment for the Arts, 2006. Sound recording.