--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I would like to be the chronicler of…" description: "\"I would like to be the chronicler of something that I think is going down the drain very swiftly, and that is small-town, middle-class southern life.\" ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f3/harper-lee-451_chronicler_i-would-like-to-be-the-chronicler-of-som_81113.png" --- # I would like to be the chronicler of something that I… ![“I would like to be the chronicler of something that I think is going down the drain very swiftly, and that is small-town, middle-class southern life.” quote by Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f3/harper-lee-451_chronicler_i-would-like-to-be-the-chronicler-of-som_81113.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f3/harper-lee-451_chronicler_i-would-like-to-be-the-chronicler-of-som_81113.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f3/harper-lee-451_chronicler_i-would-like-to-be-the-chronicler-of-som_81113.png) > “I would like to be the chronicler of something that I think is going down the drain very swiftly, and that is small-town, middle-class southern life.” [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Observes the rapid erosion of modest, community‑centric Southern middle‑class values and lifestyles. **In simple terms:** Loss of small‑town Southern life Key Takeaway Cultural decay is swift and unnoticed Themes Nostalgia Social change Class Regional identity Modernization Mood Melancholic Reflective Type Observational Social commentary When to use this quote - Documenting disappearing neighborhoods - Analyzing demographic trends - Studying media representation of rural America - Policy planning for community preservation Key Concepts Cultural erosion Middle‑class stability Urbanization Economic shifts Practical Applications - Historical essays on regional change - Sociological research on class decline Questions to Reflect On - What forces accelerate cultural loss? - How can communities resist homogenization? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Chronicler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chronicler/) [Chronicler Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chronicler-think-1033048/) [Drain Swiftly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drain-swiftly-1033050/) [Going Drain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going-drain-1033051/) [I think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-think/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like/) [Like Chronicler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-chronicler-1033049/) [Something](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/something/) [Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think/) ## Related quotes > [Just when you feel your day's going down the drain: get a little](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larayz/just-when-you-feel-your-day-s-going-down-the-drain-get-a-little/) [LaRayz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larayz/) > [Civilization is going down the drain, and the sooner it does, the better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/varg-vikernes/civilization-is-going-down-the-drain-and-the-sooner-it-does-the-better/) [Varg Vikernes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/varg-vikernes/) > [We will build a great wall. We are going to drain the swamp.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-will-build-a-great-wall-we-are-going-to-drain-the-swamp/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [Allen's Law of Civilization: It is better for civilization to be going down the drain than to be coming up it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-dickson/allen-s-law-of-civilization-it-is-better-for-civilization-to-be-going/) [Paul Dickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-dickson/) > [“There was once a point to this story, but it has temporarily escaped the chronicler’s mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/there-was-once-a-point-to-this-story-but-it-has-temporarily-escaped/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [I see things going on before my eyes and I photograph them as they are, without trying to change them. I don't warn people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-parr/i-see-things-going-on-before-my-eyes-and-i-photograph-them-as-they/) [Martin Parr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-parr/) > [There was a point to this story, but it has temporarily escaped the chronicler's mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/there-was-a-point-to-this-story-but-it-has-temporarily-escaped-the/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [It’s not over if you’re still here,” Chronicler said. “It’s not a tragedy if you’re still alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-not-over-if-you-re-still-here-chronicler-said-it-s-not-a-tragedy-2/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“The magic reel, which, rolling on before has led the chronicler thus far, now slackens its pace, and stops. It lies before the goal;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/the-magic-reel-which-rolling-on-before-has-led-the-chronicler-thus/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [happiness, unlike grief, does not clamor for a chronicler.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maude-meagher/happiness-unlike-grief-does-not-clamor-for-a-chronicler/) [Maude Meagher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maude-meagher/) > [ “I am lost without my Boswell. \[Sherlock Holmes on Dr. Watson.\] ” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/i-am-lost-without-my-boswell-sherlock-holmes-on-dr-watson/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [“What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Chronicler snapped. "You're just spouting nonsense now." "I'm spouting too much sense for you to understand,"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/what-the-hell-is-that-supposed-to-mean-chronicler-snapped-you-re-just/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [What does it take to be a great social chronicler? Perhaps one of the key attributes is an understanding of what it feels like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-brown/what-does-it-take-to-be-a-great-social-chronicler-perhaps-one-of-the/) [Tina Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-brown/) > [“how thin the line is between the truth and a compelling lie. Between history and an entertaining story.” Chronicler gave his words a minute…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/how-thin-the-line-is-between-the-truth-and-a-compelling-lie-between/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [Before a clock was in the tower, Or e'er a watch was worn; I knew of night the passing hour, And prophesied the morn;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/before-a-clock-was-in-the-tower-or-e-er-a-watch-was-worn-i-knew-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Harper Lee > [“No jury in this part of the world's going to say, "We think you're guilty, but not very," on a charge like that. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/no-jury-in-this-part-of-the-world-s-going-to-say-we-think-you-re/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [That proves something- that a gang of wild animals can be stopped, simply because they're still human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/that-proves-something-that-a-gang-of-wild-animals-can-be-stopped/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [“I wanted you to see something about her—I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/i-wanted-you-to-see-something-about-her-i-wanted-you-to-see-what-real/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [Any writer worth his salt writes to please himself...It's a self-exploratory operation that is endless. An exorcism of not necessarily his demon, but of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/any-writer-worth-his-salt-writes-to-please-himself-it-s-a-self/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [“folks don’t like to have somebody around knowin’ more than they do. It aggravates ’em. You’re not gonna change any of them by talkin’…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/folks-don-t-like-to-have-somebody-around-knowin-more-than-they-do-it/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [ “...\[Summer\] was a thousand colors in a parched landscape...” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/summer-was-a-thousand-colors-in-a-parched-landscape/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [It’s never an insult to be called what somebody thinks is a bad name. It just shows you how poor that person is, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/it-s-never-an-insult-to-be-called-what-somebody-thinks-is-a-bad-name/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [I wonder how much of the day I spend just callin' after you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/i-wonder-how-much-of-the-day-i-spend-just-callin-after-you/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [Writing is something you'll never learn in any university or at any school. It's something that is within you, and if it isn't there,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/writing-is-something-you-ll-never-learn-in-any-university-or-at-any/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [“To begin with, this case should never have come to trial. The state has not produced one iota of medical evidence that the crime…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/to-begin-with-this-case-should-never-have-come-to-trial-the-state-has/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [“Naw, Jem. I think that there is just one kind of folks. Folks." Jen turned and punched his pillow. WHen he settle back his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/naw-jem-i-think-that-there-is-just-one-kind-of-folks-folks-jen-turned/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [“The course of English Literature would have been decidedly different had Mr. Wordsworth owned a power mower.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/the-course-of-english-literature-would-have-been-decidedly-different/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [“The gum looked fresh. I sniffed it and it smelled all right. I licked it and waited for a while. When I did not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/the-gum-looked-fresh-i-sniffed-it-and-it-smelled-all-right-i-licked/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [I just thought you'd like to know I can read. You got anything needs readin' I can do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/i-just-thought-you-d-like-to-know-i-can-read-you-got-anything-needs/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [Folks don't like to have somebody around knowing more than they do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/folks-don-t-like-to-have-somebody-around-knowing-more-than-they-do/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) [Explore all 494 Harper Lee quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) ## More Chronicler quotes > [Before a clock was in the tower, Or e'er a watch was worn; I knew of night the passing hour, And prophesied the morn;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/before-a-clock-was-in-the-tower-or-e-er-a-watch-was-worn-i-knew-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“how thin the line is between the truth and a compelling lie. Between history and an entertaining story.” Chronicler gave his words a minute…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/how-thin-the-line-is-between-the-truth-and-a-compelling-lie-between/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [What does it take to be a great social chronicler? Perhaps one of the key attributes is an understanding of what it feels like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-brown/what-does-it-take-to-be-a-great-social-chronicler-perhaps-one-of-the/) [Tina Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-brown/) > [“What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Chronicler snapped. "You're just spouting nonsense now." "I'm spouting too much sense for you to understand,"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/what-the-hell-is-that-supposed-to-mean-chronicler-snapped-you-re-just/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [ “I am lost without my Boswell. \[Sherlock Holmes on Dr. Watson.\] ” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/i-am-lost-without-my-boswell-sherlock-holmes-on-dr-watson/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [happiness, unlike grief, does not clamor for a chronicler.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maude-meagher/happiness-unlike-grief-does-not-clamor-for-a-chronicler/) [Maude Meagher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maude-meagher/) > [“The magic reel, which, rolling on before has led the chronicler thus far, now slackens its pace, and stops. It lies before the goal;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/the-magic-reel-which-rolling-on-before-has-led-the-chronicler-thus/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [It’s not over if you’re still here,” Chronicler said. “It’s not a tragedy if you’re still alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-not-over-if-you-re-still-here-chronicler-said-it-s-not-a-tragedy-2/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [There was a point to this story, but it has temporarily escaped the chronicler's mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/there-was-a-point-to-this-story-but-it-has-temporarily-escaped-the/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [I see things going on before my eyes and I photograph them as they are, without trying to change them. I don't warn people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-parr/i-see-things-going-on-before-my-eyes-and-i-photograph-them-as-they/) [Martin Parr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-parr/) > [“There was once a point to this story, but it has temporarily escaped the chronicler’s mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/there-was-once-a-point-to-this-story-but-it-has-temporarily-escaped/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [A journalist is basically a chronicler, not an interpreter of events. Where else in society do you have the license to eavesdrop on so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-moyers/a-journalist-is-basically-a-chronicler-not-an-interpreter-of-events/) [Bill Moyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-moyers/) > [I believe it, Chronicler found himself thinking. Before it was just a story, but now I can believe it. This is the face of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/i-believe-it-chronicler-found-himself-thinking-before-it-was-just-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [So I do not consider myself a chronicler of my fatherland or even a chronicler of Havana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-cabrera-infante/so-i-do-not-consider-myself-a-chronicler-of-my-fatherland-or-even-a/) [Guillermo Cabrera Infante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-cabrera-infante/) > [“When history repeats itself, historians repeat themselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamerlan-kuzgov/when-history-repeats-itself-historians-repeat-themselves/) [Tamerlan Kuzgov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamerlan-kuzgov/) [Browse all 22 Chronicler quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chronicler/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I would like to be the chronicler of something that I think is going down the drain very swiftly, and that is small-town, middle-class southern life.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Harper Lee" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/i-would-like-to-be-the-chronicler-of-something-that-i-think-is-going/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Chronicler" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/i-would-like-to-be-the-chronicler-of-something-that-i-think-is-going/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f3/harper-lee-451_chronicler_i-would-like-to-be-the-chronicler-of-som_81113.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f3/harper-lee-451_chronicler_i-would-like-to-be-the-chronicler-of-som_81113.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f3/harper-lee-451_chronicler_i-would-like-to-be-the-chronicler-of-som_81113.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I would like to be the chronicler of something that I think is going down the drain very swiftly, and that…” — Harper Lee", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Harper Lee", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I would like to be the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/i-would-like-to-be-the-chronicler-of-something-that-i-think-is-going/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/i-would-like-to-be-the-chronicler-of-something-that-i-think-is-going/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```