What are two notable quotes from Chapter 5 and three from Chapter 6 in To Kill a Mockingbird?

Dill was becoming something of a trial anyway, following Jem about. He had asked me earlier in the summer to marry him, then he promptly forgot about it. He staked me out, marked as his property, said I was the only girl he would ever love, then he neglected me. I beat him up twice but it did no good, he only grew closer to Jem. (chapter 5)

Dill Harris could tell the biggest ones I ever heard. Among other things, he had been up in a mail plane seventeen times, he had been to Nova Scotia, he had seen an elephant, and his granddaddy was Brigadier General Joe Wheeler and left him his sword. (chapter 5)

In the above two quotes, Harper Lee paints a portrait of Dill as a fanciful, mischievous, and mercurial character. Dill is prone, of course, to melodramatic hyperbole. He tells Scout that she is the only girl for him but disappoints her in becoming Jem's lackey. Of course, Dill is just a child seeing the world through his own limited life experience. However, we can all agree that Dill is sensitive, creative, and unorthodox.

Later in the story, it is Dill who cries at how Mr. Gilmer browbeats Tom Robinson during cross-questioning. Dill's sensitivity is notable and highlights his ability to relate emotionally to Tom's humiliation.

“What is it, Dill?” asked Atticus.
“Ah—I won ‘em from him,” he said vaguely.
“Won them? How?”

Dill’s hand sought the back of his head. He brought it forward and across his forehead. “We were playin‘ strip poker up yonder by the fishpool,” he said.

Jem and I relaxed. The neighbors seemed satisfied: they all stiffened. But what was strip poker?

We had no chance to find out: Miss Rachel went off like the town fire siren: “Doo-o Jee-sus, Dill Harris! Gamblin‘ by my fishpool? I’ll strip-poker you, sir!” (chapter 6)

In the above quotes, Harper Lee highlights Dill's loyalty to Jem and Scout. Despite his fear of being in trouble with Miss Rachel, Dill speaks up for Jem. What Dill says, however, is characteristic of his penchant for creative hyperbole. Yet, although Dill has played fast and loose with the truth, he endears us to him with his display of loyalty to Jem. Again, Dill's sensitivity to others and his ability to relate to them can be seen in his defense of Jem here, and later, of Tom Robinson.

In the above quotes, Harper Lee makes a strong social statement through a child's compassion: if we could all try to see life from another point of view, the world would be a better place. We see this statement reiterated through Atticus's words:

“First of all,” he said, “if you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you’ll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view-”
“Sir?”
“-until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”

What are two notable quotes from Chapter 5 and three from Chapter 6 in To Kill a Mockingbird?

Chapter 5

"There are just some kind of men who---who're so busy worrying about the next world they've never learned to live in this one, and you can look down the street and see the results." (Lee 60)

In this quote, Miss Maudie is explaining to Scout why Mr. Radley, who is a "foot-washing Baptist," is such a strict man. She tells Scout that "foot-washing Baptists" believe that anything that causes pleasure is a sin. Maudie attempts to explain how some people take the Bible literally and become callous towards others in their pursuit of faithfulness.

"Atticus Finch is the same in his house as he is on the public streets." (Lee 61)

Miss Maudie is describing Atticus' personality. Atticus is the morally upright character throughout the novel who is the epitome of integrity and honesty. Unlike many of the citizens in Maycomb who harbor prejudice behind their friendly dispositions, Atticus is the same regardless of where he is, or who he's around. ___________________________________________________________

Chapter 6

"Mr. Radley shot at a negro in his collard patch." (Lee 72)

This quote reflects the racist attitudes of the community members. No one is sure who infiltrated Nathan's yard, yet they automatically blame an African American. 

"Atticus ain't ever whipped me since I can remember. I wanta keep it that way." (Lee 75)

Jem displays his reverence for his father by risking his life to retrieve his pants to avoid a beating from Atticus. Jem looks up to his father and is afraid of disappointing Atticus.

"Sometimes I did not understand him, but my periods of bewilderment were short-lived. This was just beyond me." (Lee 75)

Scout struggles to understand why her brother is taking the risk of getting shot to retrieve his pants. This quote reflects Scout's naive childhood innocence by not fully understanding Jem's feelings towards his father.

What are two significant quotes from chapter 5 of To Kill a Mockingbird?

A young girl named Scout is the narrator of To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee; because she is young, Scout does not always fully understand things people say. One of the people who helps Scout understand the most important lessons in life, in addition to her father, is Miss Maudie Atkinson, the neighbor woman who lives across the street. 

By chapter five of the novel, the author has established Miss Maudie as a credible, sensible, and reliable character (unlike some of the other characters in Maycomb); so what she says carries great weight both with Scout and with the readers. In addition to teaching Scout (as well as Jem and Dill) manners and respect, Miss Maudie teaches Scout several important truths about her father (Atticus) in this chapter. 

The first concerns being judgmental. The "foot-washin' Baptists" routinely criticize Miss Maudie for loving her flower garden; they condemn her for admiring beauty, but Miss Maudie is not deterred. When Scout asks her about it, the older woman tries to explain.

“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 [Scout] was shocked. “Atticus doesn’t drink whiskey,” I said. “He never drunk a drop in his life—nome, yes he did. He said he drank some one time and didn’t like it.”

Obviously Scout does not understand what Miss Maudie is trying to say, so she goes on to explain it in a way that Scout will understand:

Miss Maudie laughed. “Wasn’t talking about your father,” she said. “What I meant was, if Atticus Finch drank until he was drunk he wouldn’t be as hard as some men are at their best. There are just some kind of men who—who’re so busy worrying about the next world they’ve never learned to live in this one, and you can look down the street and see the results.”

This is a significant quote because, in addition to condemning "religiosity," it highlights the non-judgmental character of Atticus Finch, something which will be significant to know about him as the novel progresses.

Another important quote from Miss Maudie also reflects Atticus's excellent and steady character. She tells Scout that "Atticus Finch is the same in his house as he is on the public streets." This truth does not seem particularly significant to Scout; but again, readers and others who have lived long enough all know this is not always the case. This quote is a tribute to Atticus and prepares us for the trials (one of them literal) which are imminent. Whatever we see and hear Atticus say to his children is the same thing we will hear from him in the courtroom. 

What is a meaningful quote in Chapter 6 of To Kill a Mockingbird?

One passage found in Chapter 6 of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird helps develop two minor themes in the story, one concerning gender roles and the other concerning bravery. Lee combines the two themes to nullify cliche, prejudiced understandings of gender roles.

At the start of the story, both children hold very cliche views about gender roles. Both associate being male with bravery and being a girl with cowardice. But as the story progresses, Scout and Jem come to realize that being either a lady or a gentleman equally requires a great deal of courage. Since events in Chapter 6 occur early in the story, both children still associate being a girl with being a coward. Both display their early gender association during their conversation about the boys' plans to trespass on the Radleys' property that night. When Scout begs them not to go, fearing for their safety, Jem retorts, "Scout, I'm tellin' you for the last time, shut your trap or go home--I declare to the Lord you're gettin' more like a girl every day!," showing us that Jem associates cowardice with being a girl.

Furthermore, Scout explains in her narrative that, because Jem had called her a girl, she felt she "had no option but to join them," which shows Scout also associates being a girl with being cowardly.

Hence, both of these important quotes relate to Lee's theme concerning cliche, prejudiced views of gender roles, a theme she continues to develop as the book progresses.

What is a meaningful quote in Chapter 6 of To Kill a Mockingbird?

The children's seemingly innocent excursion to the Radley's back porch ends in near disaster. A shadow--most certainly that of Boo--scares them from the porch; Mr. Radley fires a shotgun blast into the air; Jem loses his pants and is later discovered by Miss Stephanie in his underwear; Dill is forced to concoct a lie about playing "strip poker"; and after everything has settled down, Jem decides to return to the Radleys' to recover his pants. Scout tries to talk him out of going back to the Radleys, worried that he might "get your head shot off." But Jem has a reason for returning: He doesn't want to lose Atticus's trust in him.

     "I--it's like this, Scout," he muttered. "Atticus ain't ever whipped me since I can remember. I wanta keep it that way."  (Chapter 6)

Jem knows that Atticus will want to see his lost pants in the morning, and Jem doesn't want his father to find out about the children lying or having been on the Radley property without permission. He already feels guilty about the deception and has figured out that "We shouldn'a done that tonight, Scout." So, he undertakes an early morning return mission after Atticus is asleep, successfully returning with the pants--and a surprise that he doesn't reveal to Scout until a week later.

What is a meaningful quote from chapter 7 of To Kill a Mockingbird?

In the seventh chapter of To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout and Jem are dealing with the after effects of their nighttime expeditions to the Radley place. Jem had lost his pants on a fence and later gone back for them in spite of his fear

As the chapter opens, Scout is reflecting on Jem's moodiness. She decides to leave him be and notes,

As Atticus had once advised me to do, I tried to climb into Jem's skin and walk around in it.

She realizes that if she had gone to retrieve her pants from the Radley place in the middle of the night, she would be moody, too, at least. She actually dryly remarks that her funeral would probably have been the next afternoon. Scout is learning empathy, and this quotation also reveals how much she respects the guidance of her father.

One October day, the children are walking past the tree in the Radley yard. They have found small items in the tree's knot-hole before, and now they notice something again. Scout explains,

Jem let me do the honors: I pulled out two small images carved in soap. One was the figure of a boy, the other wore a crude dress.

Readers suspect that Boo Radley is leaving these little gifts for the children, reaching out to them in the only way he knows how to and can handle. These small items show his interest in Jem and Scout and demonstrate his care for them.

One day, the children actually find a broken pocket watch in the knot-hole. Jem wants to try to fix it. He has been carrying his grandfather's watch once a week, but as Scout notes,

On the days he carried the watch, Jem walked on eggs.

Jem has realized that having a prized possession involves responsibility as well as enjoyment. Carrying the expensive watch without breaking it or losing it has become a chore for Jem, a “burdensome task.”

By the end of the chapter, Boo Radley's brother has cemented up the knot-hole. He claims that the tree is dying, but when Jem asks Atticus about it, Atticus doesn't think that's the case. Jem is strangely quiet after he learns this. In fact, he stays out on the porch. “When we went in the house,” Scout says,

I saw he had been crying; his face was dirty in the right places, but I thought it odd that I had not heard him.

Jem is mourning a connection that he doesn't completely understand, and he is upset that an adult has been untruthful. Further, he is growing up. He no longer bawls like young child. His tears are now quiet, and perhaps he isn't completely certain why he's crying in the first place.

What is a meaningful quote from chapter 7 of To Kill a Mockingbird?

In Chapter 7 of To Kill a Mockingbird, there are several meaningful quotes. At the beginning of the chapter, Jem shares with Scout what happened the night he went back to retrieve his pants. Jem expected to find his pants exactly where he had left them—stuck to the barb wire fence. Instead, Jem found them crudely mended and neatly folded across the fence. Jem tells Scout how it made him feel:

"When I went back for my breeches—they were all in a tangle when I was gettin' out of 'em, I couldn't get 'em loose. When I went back—" Jem took a deep breath. "When I went back, they were folded across the fence. . . like they were expectin' me."

Jem tells his sister that he feels as if the person who did this knew him well. It puzzles him.

One day, Jem and Scout spot a ball of twine inside the knot-hole of an old tree on the Radley property. Jem tells Scout to leave it, as he believes someone is using the knot-hole as their hiding place. After several days, the twine is still there:

We went home. Next morning the twine was where we had left it. When it was still there on the third day, Jem pocketed it. From then on, we considered everything we found in the knot-hole our property.

This is the beginning of the children eagerly checking the knot-hole for gifts. They find many items in the knot-hole, including carved soap figures, an old spelling medal, and chewing gum.

Jem and Scout decide to write a letter to their mysterious gift-giver. They intend to place the letter inside the knot-hole. When they go to the tree to deliver it, they make a sad discovery: the knot-hole has been filled up with cement. They discover that Mr. Radley is the one who did it. They ask him about it, and he tells them he did it because the tree is dying. They ask Atticus about the tree, and they discover that Mr. Radley had been lying:

"Why no, son, I don't think so. Look at the leaves, they're all green and full, no brown patches anywhere—"

"It ain't even sick?"

"That tree's as healthy as you are, Jem. Why?"

"Mr. Nathan Radley said it was dyin'."

They know Mr. Radley does not want them to find anything else inside the knot-hole. This is why he lied to them.

These quotes show the meaningful parts of Chapter 7. Most of the chapter centers around the gifts found in the knot-hole, though Jem's story at the beginning is also important. All of these quotes are evidence that Boo Radley wants to befriend Scout and Jem. His mending of Jem's pants and his giving of gifts are signs of kindness and friendship.

What is a memorable quote from chapters 7 and 8 of To Kill a Mockingbird?

In Chapter 7 and 8, Jem comes to understand Boo Radley but Scout is still wary of him.

One of the most memorable events from this chapter is the finding of the soap dolls.  Scout and Jem have been getting friendly with Boo Radley, but from a distance.  Boo leaves the soap dolls in the tree’s knothole for them to find.

I pulled out two small images carved in soap. One was the figure of a boy, the other wore a crude dress. Before I remembered that there was no such thing as hoo-dooing, I shrieked and threw them down. (Ch. 7)

Scout is still uncertain about Boo Radley.  As this chapter demonstrates, Jem is growing up and Scout is still in childhood.  Scout is afraid that the soap dolls are voodoo dolls at first.  However, the presence of the dolls is very touching.  It shows that Boo has been watching them and cares about them.

The children want to leave a thank you note in the hole, but when they go back to it someone has filled it with cement.  Nathan Radley is trying to prevent Boo from having further communication with the children.

When Scout finds a blanket on her shoulders during Miss Maudie’s fire, and doesn’t remember who put it there, Jem realizes that Boo Radley put the blanket there.  He gets upset, because he is afraid Atticus will report it to Nathan Radley and Boo will get in trouble.

“…Mr. Nathan put cement in that tree, Atticus, an‘ he did it to stop us findin’ things—he’s crazy, I reckon, like they say, but Atticus, I swear to God he ain’t ever harmed us, he ain’t ever hurt us…” (Ch. 8)

This quote demonstrates that Boo Radley is indeed a benevolent force.  It also shows that Jem is more mature than Scout.  Scout is afraid when she realizes that Boo put the blanket there.  There is plenty of evidence that Boo is a friend, but it takes Scout longer to connect the dots than Jem.

What is a significant quote from chapter 8 of To Kill a Mockingbird?

Much of Harper Lee's classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird, of course, involves the racism endemic to the fictional southern town in which the story takes place. So much a part of the culture of Lee's fictional town of Maycomb is the racism that permeates the atmosphere that one can't help but pause and reflect on Scout's description of her and Jem's efforts at constructing a snowman out of the relative paucity of snow that has unexpectedly fallen on this venue in the heart of the Deep South. Having failed to elicit much encouragement or advise from their father, Atticus, with regard to the process by which a snowman is traditionally built, the two siblings attempt to perform the task on their own. Because the level of snow is so minimal, however, Jem's efforts involve the presence of dirt in the otherwise pristine white snow. The presence of the dirt causes the snowman to appear to Scout as of African heritage, prompting the following observation: "Jem, I ain't ever heard of a nigger snowman."

Scout's seemingly innocent use of the highly pejorative "n" word speaks volumes of the depth of racism endemic to the society Lee depicts in her novel. With the trial of Tom Robinson, the physically disabled African American falsely accused of raping a white woman at the center of the novel's narrative, this use of the offensive word illuminates the sickness eating away at the core of the society Lee depicts. This otherwise innocuous passage, therefore, is illustrative of the racism endemic in the culture Lee describes.

What is a significant quote from chapter 8 of To Kill a Mockingbird?

I looked down and found myself clutching a brown woolen blanket I was wearing around my shoulders, squaw-fashion.

Scout narrates this line after Atticus asked why she was wearing a blanket that the Finch family certainly did not own. This line of questioning from Atticus aligned with much of the trouble the children recently experienced because they were repeated missing things or taking things from strange places and Atticus had been taking note. Since the children stood in front of the Radley's place, everyone jumps to the conclusion that Boo put it around her, but she was too distracted to notice. 

This is significant because although the children fear Boo, this situation demonstrates the paradoxical thought that Boo actually protects them. Furthermore, their perception of Boo is that he never emerges, even when they try to get him out. Here he comes out because of necessity and of his own choice. Ironically, that whom the children wanted to see was within a hand's reach, had they only known he was there. 

What are some important quotes in Chapters 21-25 of To Kill a Mockingbird?

Chapter 21:

In this chapter, the court proceedings of Tom Robinson, who has been put on trial for the rape and beating of Mayella Ewell, come to a conclusion. Despite Atticus's stunning revelation that the person who beat Mayella was left-handed and that Tom's left hand was mangled in an accident that has left it unusable, Tom is found guilty by the jury. This speaks to the legacy of racism that still runs Maycomb. Scout describes the experience of watching the guilty verdict come in as follows:

 Chapter 22:

In this chapter, Jem reacts with shock to the guilty verdict. He ends up discussing the trial with Miss Maudie, who reassures Jem that things are never as bad as they seem and that Atticus, despite the loss, is doing important work—work that many choose to neglect:

Chapter 23:

Jem continues to discuss the court proceedings with Atticus, who explains that if the jury had been made up of eleven other boys just like Jem, Tom would have been found innocent. Atticus elaborates that something had come between the men on the jury and reason:

Chapter 24:

In this chapter, Atticus learns that Tom is dead after having been shot during an escape attempt from prison. Atticus recognizes that the guards still aren't capable of humanizing him:

Chapter 25:

In this chapter, Scout reflects on Tom's fate and the racism which dictated it:

What are some important quotes in To Kill a Mockingbird, Chapters 23-31?

These chapters focus on the events following the trial.  One of the impacts of the trial is that Bob Ewell blames Atticus for ruining his reputation.  Even though Mayella accused Tom Robinson of rape and he was convicted, Ewell hates Atticus for his role in parading the family’s dirty laundry in front of the whole city. 

Bob Ewell confronts Atticus in town and spits in his face.  This shows the depth of Ewell’s bitterness, but it also demonstrates Atticus’s personality.  Atticus remained calm and made a joke about the whole thing, and never took Ewell seriously. 

Mr. Ewell was a veteran of an obscure war; that plus Atticus’s peaceful reaction probably prompted him to inquire, “Too proud to fight, you nigger-lovin‘ bastard?” Miss Stephanie said Atticus said, “No, too old,” put his hands in his pockets and strolled on. (Ch. 23, p. 291) 

This quote is important because it demonstrates that Atticus is not willing to stoop to Bob Ewell’s level.  He is also not afraid. All he said was that he wished Ewell didn’t chew tobacco.  However, this quote is also significant because it foreshadows Ewell’s attack on the children. Look at these quotes of when his children want him to protect himself by carrying a gun. 

“You know he wouldn’t carry a gun, Scout. He ain’t even got one—” said Jem.

“You know he didn’t even have one down at the jail that night. He told me havin‘ a gun around’s an invitation to somebody to shoot you.” (Ch. 23, p. 292) 

This quote shows that even though Atticus is the best shot in town, he doesn’t use that skill often.  He shot the dog when he had to, to protect everyone, but he does not like guns and doesn’t even own one.  He doesn’t want to have to shoot someone, not even Bob Ewell. 

After Bob Ewell attacks Scout and Jem, Atticus and Heck Tate agree not to tell anyone that Boo Radley killed him.  Sherriff Tate makes the final decision. 

There’s a black boy dead for no reason, and the man responsible for it’s dead. Let the dead bury the dead this time, Mr. Finch. Let the dead bury the dead.” (Ch. 30, p. 369) 

They are trying to protect Boo Radley from the attention he would get, even though what he did was justified.  Radley is incredibly shy.  Atticus asks Scout if she understands, and she says that it would be “sort of like shootin‘ a mockingbird” (p. 370).  This demonstrates that Scout has developed an adult’s level of empathy.  She wants to protect Boo too. 

When Scout walks Boo Radley home, it is kind of like living out a fantasy.  She has spent all of her childhood wondering about him.  Radley is gentle, shy, and delicate.  Coming out of his house to save the children was a big deal for him.  After walking him home, Scout stands on his porch and relives her childhood from his point of view. 

Atticus was right. One time he said you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them. Just standing on the Radley porch was enough. (Ch. 31, p. 374) 

By standing literally in his place, Scout comes full circle.  She understands Boo Radley’s motivations even more.  She realizes that he cared quite a lot about her and her brother.  He watched them grow up, and was protective of them. 

(Note: Page numbers are from the fiftieth anniversary edition, and will vary by edition.)

What is an important quote from chapters 29-31 of To Kill a Mockingbird?

Chapters twenty-nine to thirty-one are the final chapters in Harper Lee's novel To Kill a Mockingbird, and they are quite significant for many reasons. 

First of all, we learn what happened to Jem's elbow, something she mentions in the first chapter of the novel but is only explained here. Obviously he injured his arm when he was fighting first to save Scout and then himself from Bob Ewell's knife attack.

Second, we learn that Atticus lives what he preaches and is prepared for his son to go to trial for killing Ewell, though we learn later that it was not Jem who killed Ewell. Despite what happened to Tom Robinson, he still has faith in the criminal justice system.

The third thing is a big one, something we have been hoping for since almost the beginning of the novel: we finally meet Boo Radley in person. We have heard about him, we have seen his handiwork, and we have heard all manner of stories about him, some true but most untrue. When Atticus draws attention to the man hiding in the corner, Scout gradually realizes who it is. Her first words to him are a memorable understatement: "Hey, Boo."

Finally, we experience kind of a grand reversal, when Heck Tate insists that he and the Finches lie about Boo Radley's role in Bob Ewell's death. Though Boo would certainly be found innocent in a court of law, the people of Maycomb would all want to lavish Boo with praise and gifts for getting rid of a nuisance and saving Jem and Scout. This, according to the sheriff, would be a punishment for the heroic Boo, and he thinks they should spare him that by lying and saying that Ewell fell on his own knife. 

Atticus sat looking at the floor for a long time. Finally he raised his head. “Scout,” he said, “Mr. Ewell fell on his knife. Can you possibly understand?”
Atticus looked like he needed cheering up. I ran to him and hugged him and kissed him with all my might. “Yes sir, I understand,” I reassured him. “Mr. Tate was right.”
Atticus disengaged himself and looked at me. “What do you mean?”
“Well, it’d be sort of like shootin‘ a mockingbird, wouldn’t it?”

This is a striking couple of lines for two reasons. First, Scout does seem to understand, in a way that seems quite beyond her years, what her father and Miss Maudie meant when they said it was a sin to kill a mockingbird. Second, Atticus is doing something almost completely out of character for him--he is agreeing to participate in a lie. This goes against all of his personal principles as well as his unwavering commitment to the criminal justice and legal system; however, it also supports his belief about "mockingbirds" like Boo Radley and Tom Robinson. He believes they need to be protected, and this is the only way he sees to do that. He thinks about it for a time, and surely he is remembering what happened to Tom as he does so; he finally agrees to participate in this lie. It is a striking moment in the novel.