Harper Lee quotes: 10 of the best

The Guardian | 19 February 2016

The author of To Kill a Mockingbird has passed away, aged 89. Here are 10 of the most memorable quotes from her classic novel – about tolerance, love friendship, and justice

Harper Lee Photograph: Donald Uhrbrock/Time & Life Pictures/Getty Image

You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view ... Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.

You can choose your friends but you sho’ can’t choose your family, an’ they’re still kin to you no matter whether you acknowledge ‘em or not, and it makes you look right silly when you don’t.

Atticus told me to delete the adjectives and I’d have the facts.

Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing.

Things are never as bad as they seem.

Harper Lee with Mary Badham, who played Scout in the film version of To Kill a Mockingbird, on set in 1962. Photograph: Everett/REX Shutterstock

Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.

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 see it through no matter what.

People generally see what they look for, and hear what they listen for.

The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience.

I think there’s just one kind of folks. Folks.