Quotes from Harper Lee

Hold your head down and keep those fists down.

You just hold your head high and keep those fists down. No matter what anybody says to you, don't you let 'em get your goat. Try fightin' with your head for a change

It just shows you how poor that person is, it doesn't hurt you.

We were both born here, we went to the same schools, we were taught the same things. I wonder what you saw and heard.

Come to me. When you can't stand it any longer, come to me.

He's going to make me some invisible ink, and I'm going to write Dill in it. Francis asked what was the use of that. Well can't you just see his face when he gets a letter from me with nothing in it? It'll drive him nuts.

I—it's like this, Scout," he muttered. "Atticus ain't ever whipped me since I can remember. I wanta keep it that way.

Since Atlanta, she had looked out the dining-car window with a delight almost physical.

It doesn't make sense to me. Looks like if Mr. Arthur was hankerin' after heaven he'd come out on the porch at least. Atticus says God's loving folks like you love yourself—" Miss Maudie stopped rocking, and her voice hardened. "You are too young to understand it," she said, "but sometimes the Bible in the hand of one man is worse than a whiskey bottle in the hand of—oh, of your father.

I wonder if your eyes and ears ever make anything save spasmodic contact with your brain.

I'm only trying to make you see beyond men's acts to their motives. A man can appear to be a part of something not-so-good on its face, but don't take it upon yourself to judge him unless you know his motives as well. A man can be boiling inside, but he knows a mild answer works better than showing his rage. A man can condemn his enemies, but it's wiser to know them.

El nacimiento de una persona es de lo más desagradable. Es sucio, es extremadamente doloroso y a veces es peligroso. Siempre es sangriento. Pues lo mismo sucede con la civilización.

Things are never as bad as they seem

I didn't go overseas, but I saw a lot of this country. I didn't have the itch to get back, so after the war I stayed away for ten years, but the longer I stayed away the more I missed Maycomb. I got to the point where I felt like I had to come back or die. You never get it out of your bones.

he won an acquittal for a colored boy on a rape charge.

he knew his people, they knew him, and because of Simon Finch's industry, Atticus was related by blood or marriage to nearly every family in the town.

They fought to preserve their identity. Their political identity, their personal identity." Dr.

You little folks won't tell on me now, will you? It'd ruin my reputation if you did." "You mean all you drink in that sack's Coca-Cola? Just plain Coca-Cola?" "Yes

They don't belong anywhere. Colored folks won't have 'em because they're half white; white folks won't have 'em 'cause they're colored, so they're just in-betweens, don't belong anywhere.

Colored folks don't show their ages so fast," she said.

piangerai per la vita d'inferno che la gente costringe altri a fare… senza nemmeno riflettere. Non piangerai per l'inferno in cui i bianchi fanno vivere la gente di colore, senza fermarsi un momento a pensare che sono persone come noi.

You never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them

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.

He was nearly blind in his left eye, and said left eyes were the tribal curse of the Finches. Whenever he wanted to see something well, he turned his head and looked from his right eye.