Swift does not mean what he says when he calls his proposal “modest” or moderate; his proposal is actually extreme.
Just got it right.
1. "Atticus had used every tool available to free men to save Tom Robinson, but in the secret courts of men's hearts Atticus had no case. Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed." - Chapter 25
Scout figures out that sometimes bigotry and emotion overpower a supposedly objective justice system.
2. "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." - Chapter 31
Because of her age and limited knowledge, Scout takes her father's comment literally, musing that she can see the post office on the corner from the Radley porch. But the figural meaning is clear to readers.
3. "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." - Chapter 13
Scout realizes it does no good to point out hurtful truths that cannot be changed.
Sample thesis statements: In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee characterizes Atticus as a man who stands for justice above all else. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch represents courage in almost every aspect of his life.
