book: to kill a mocking-bird by harper lee

Title: To Kill A Mocking-bird
Author: Harper Lee

How I became to read this:
Recommended by Raihana, TESL student

Based in Alabama, this story is about a single father who works as a lawyer and lives with his two children. He's very wise and throughout the story, he cleverly weaves in lessons in his children's lives so that they readily accept what he wishes to teach them. In the middle, the plot thickens as it portrays on racial injustice and how willingly, Atticus defends a black from being framed of rape. Readers will learn the importance of being true to yourself and to always stand up for your right, in a polite way so that you will be heard ^^

What I liked:
The well-built characters: The Finch family especially Atticus and Scott. Like how Atticus (the father) has a marvellous way of raising his children in a matured way, so that they may understand the true meaning of life, etiquettes and how to reason politely. And how Scott innocently questions and knocks the sense into the elders about their ignorant, selfish antics.

What I disliked:
The ending. To some, they are content with all the climax and problems finally unravelled and solved. To me, the identity of the mysterious man: Boo Radley was just about to emerge. Probably that's how good books end, leaving the readers captivated and wanting more, huhu~

Quotes:

pg 30
"'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-until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.'"

pg 86
"'That one could be a ray of sunshine in pants just as well, but Aunty said that ... I was born good but had grown progressively worse every year ... but when I asked Atticus about it, he said there were already enough sunbeams in the family and to go on about my business, he didn't mind me much the way I was.'"

pg 90
"'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.'"

pg 109
"'The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience.'"

pg 112
"'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 (defeated) before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do.'"

(ok, i lost track of the page no.s :P )
"When a child asks you something, answer him, for goodness' sake. But don't make a production of it. Children are children, but they can spot an evasion quicker than adults, and evasion simply muddles 'em."

"People in their right mind never take pride in their talents."

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

"'Don't matter who they are, anybody sets foot in this house, they are company and don't let me catch you remarking on their ways like you were so high and mighty.'"

"'Simply because we were licked (defeated) a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win.'"