“Do you defend niggers, Atticus?" I asked him that evening."Of course I do. Don't say nigger, Scout. That's common.""'s what everybody at school says.""From now on it'll be everybody less one--""Well if you don't want me to grow up talkin' that way, why do you send me to school?”

“The books on plastic surgery, the pamphlets and brochures all promised to help me live a more normal, happy life; but less and less, this looked like what I'd want. What I wanted looked more and more like what I'd always been trained to want. What everybody wants.Give me attention.Flash.Give me beauty.Flash.Give me peace and happiness, a loving relationship, and a perfect home.Flash.Brandy says, "The best way is not to fight it, just go. Don't be trying all the time to fix things. What you run from only stays with you longer. When you fight something, you only make it stronger."She says, "Don't do what you want." She says, "Do what you don't want. Do what you're trained not to want."It's the opposite of following your bliss.Brandy tells me, "Do the things that scare you the most.”

“Sheriff Root: "Ask Me, I reckon it was niggers"Deputy: "How you reckon that, Sheriff Root?"Sheriff Root: "Kinda thing they do"Deputy: "What, burn two hundred people to death, right down to the bone? They do that?"Sheriff Root: "MARTIAN niggers”

“I hope you make it through law school still feeling like you do.' 'Why wouldn't I?' I asked him. And he answered, 'Sometimes you start off going one way and you eng up going another way and you don't know how it happened.”

“One of the reasons that metaphor and symbolism are important in books is because they are also important to life. Like, for example say you're in high school and you're a boy and you say to a girl: "Do you like anyone right now?", that's not the question you're asking. The question you're like is do you like ME right now.”

“Listen Chica-" Carlos says when we're driving to my mom's store"don't call me that anymore" I tell him"what do you want me to call you, then?" I shrug "whatever. Just not Chica"Carlos holds his hand up "what do you want me from me? You want me to tell you lies? Okay. Kara, without you i'm nothin'. Kara, you own my heart and soul. Kara,, i love you. Is that what you to hear?"yes""No guy who actually says those things really mean them""I bet your brother says them to Brittney and means them""that's because he's lost all common sense. I though you the one girl who didn't fall for my bull""I don't. Consider my wanting you as my real boyfriend a lapse of judgement," I tell him "But i'm over it”