To Kill a Mockingbird Quotes

Shmoop will make you a better lover...of quotes

ALL QUOTES POPULAR BROWSE BY AUTHOR BROWSE BY SOURCE BROWSE BY TOPIC BROWSE BY SUBJECT

Source: To Kill a Mockingbird

Author: Harper Lee

"One must lie under certain circumstances and at all times when one can't do anything about them"

I said I would like it very much, which was a lie, but one must lie under certain circumstances and at all times when one can't do anything about them.

Context


To Kill a Mockingbird is all about Scout's coming of age, so throughout the book, she gives us a bunch of becoming-an-adult words of wisdom.

Adulthood lesson numero uno: sometimes doing what people want you to do is the best way. Is it moral? Well, when it comes to little white lies to spare someone's feelings—maybe it actually is.

Where you've heard it

Whenever anyone tells a lie and is trying to back out of it, you might hear this one: "but one must lie under certain circumstances." Mhmm. Sure.

Pretentious Factor

If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.

Totally depends on the lie you just told.