A Lesson Before Dying Quotes

A white man had been killed during a robbery, and though two of the robbers had been killed on the spot, one had been captured, and he, too, would have to die. (1.1)

"Gentlemen of the jury, [. . .]. Look at the shape of this skull, this face as flat as the palm of my hand—look deeply into those eyes. Do you see a modicum of intelligence?" (1.13)

But he was talking to a dead man. (1.4)

After listening to one or two of the verses, I tuned out the rest of them. I had heard them all many times. (5.2)

"Oh, sure, he has reached the age of twenty-one, when we, civilized men, consider the male species has reached manhood, but would you call this—this—this a man? No, not I. I would call it a bo...

"I want the teacher visit my boy. I want the teacher make him know he's not a hog, he's a man." (3.36)

When the old man and the other two robbers were all dead, this one—it proved the kind of animal he really was—stuffed the money into his pockets and celebrated the event by drinking over their...

He knew taking money was wrong. His nannan had told him never to steal. He didn't want to steal. But he didn't have a solitary dime in his pocket. (1.7)