‘Scout’, said Atticus, ‘when summer comes you’ll have to keep your head above far worse things… it’s not fair for you and Jem, I know that, but sometimes we have to make the best of things, and the way we conduct ourselves when the chips are down - well, all I can say is, when you and Jem are grown, maybe you’ll look back on this with some compassion and some feeling that I didn’t let you down. This case, Tom Robinson’s case, is something that goes to the essence of a man’s conscience – scout, I couldn’t go to church and worship God if I didn’t try to help that man.’

‘Atticus, you must be wrong…’

‘How’s that?’

‘Well most folks seem to think they’re right and you’re wrong…’

‘They’re certainly entitled to think that, and they’re entitled to full respect for their opinions,’ said Atticus, ‘but before I can live with other folks I’ve got to live with myself. The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience.’