Summer, and he watches his children's heart break. Autumn again and Boo's children needed him. 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.
Harper LeeWhen I pointed to him his palms slipped slightly, leaving greasy sweat streaks on the wall, and he hooked his thumbs in his belt. A strange spasm shook him, as if he heard fingernails scrape slate, but as I gazed at him in wonder the tension slowly drained from his face. His lips parted into a timid smile, and our neighborโs image blurred with my sudden tears. โHey, Boo,โ I said. โMr. Arthur, honey,โ said Atticus, gently correcting me. โJean Louise, this is Mr. Arthur Radley. I believe he already knows you.
Harper LeeI could think of nothing else to say to her. In fact I could never think of anything to say to her, and I sat thinking of past painful conversations between us: How are you, Jean Louise? Fine, thank you ma'am, how are you? Very well, thank you; what have you been doing with yourself? Nothin'. Don't you do anything? Nome. Certainly you have friends? Yessum. Well what do you all do? Nothin'.
Harper LeeWhen a child asks you something, answer him, for goodnessโ sake. But donโt make a production of it. Children are children, but they can spot an evasion quicker than adults, and evasion simply muddles โem. No... you had the right answer this afternoon, but the wrong reasons. Bad language is a stage all children go through, and it dies with time when they learn theyโre not attracting attention with it. Hotheadedness isnโt.
Harper Lee