Atticus Flashcards
How Atticus believes in treating children.
“When a child asks you something, answer them for goodness’ sake. But don’t make a production of it……”
Atticus + Jem + Scout relationship at the beginning.
“Jem and I found our father satisfactory, he played with us, read to us and treated us with courteous detachment.”
Atticus on insults
“…it’s never an insult to be called what somebody thinks is a bad name. It just shows you how poor that person is, it doesn’t hurt you.”
Atticus on justice in the courtroom.
“The one place where a man ought to get a square deal is in the courtroom, be he any colour of the rainbow, but people have a way of carrying their resentments right into the court box.”
Atticus on whites treating blacks badly.
‘…you’ll see white men cheat black men every day of your life, but let me tell you something… that white man is trash
Atticus responding to Jem’s disbelief and anger about the court’s verdict.
“They’ve done it before, they did it tonight and they’ll do it again and when they do it - seems that only children weep.”
Atticus on traditional feminine roles.
“…in favour of Southern womanhood as much as anybody, but not for preserving polite fiction at the expense of human life…”
Atticus on women not being allowed to be a member of the jury.
“I guess it’s to protect our frail old ladies from sordid cases like Tom’s…I doubt we’d ever get a complete case tried - the ladies’d be interrupting to ask questions.”
Atticus on Bob’s aggression towards him.
“So if spitting in my face and threatening me saved Mayella Ewell one extra beating, that’s something I’ll gladly take.”
Atticus to Jem on courage
“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.”
Atticus on why Scout has to go to school
“You, Miss Scout Finch, are of the common folk. You must obey the law.”
Atticus to Scout on empathy.
“You never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them.”
Atticus on why he is helping Tom (religion)
“Scout I couldn’t go to church and worship God if I didn’t try to help that man.”
Atticus on conscience vs society
“The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience.”
Atticus on Jem not being accused of the crime.
“If this thing’s hushed up it’ll be a simple denial to Jem of the way I’ve tried to raise him…”
