--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Miss Gates is a nice lady, ain't she?\"…" description: "\"“Miss Gates is a nice lady, ain't she?\" Why sure,\" said Jem. \"I liked her when I was in her room.\" She hates Hitler a lot . . .\" What's wrong with that..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/903/harper-lee-451_hitler_miss-gates-is-a-nice-lady-ain-t-she-why_2421230.jpg" --- # Miss Gates is a nice lady, ain't she?" Why sure," said… ![“Miss Gates is a nice lady, ain't she?" Why sure," said Jem. "I liked her when I was in her room." She hates Hitler a lot . . ." What's wrong with that?" Well, she went on today about how bad it was him treating the Jews like that. Jem, it's not right to persecute anybody, is it? I mean have mean…” quote by Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/903/harper-lee-451_hitler_miss-gates-is-a-nice-lady-ain-t-she-why_2421230.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/903/harper-lee-451_hitler_miss-gates-is-a-nice-lady-ain-t-she-why_2421230.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/903/harper-lee-451_hitler_miss-gates-is-a-nice-lady-ain-t-she-why_2421230.jpg) > ““Miss Gates is a nice lady, ain't she?" Why sure," said Jem. "I liked her when I was in her room." She hates Hitler a lot . . ." What's wrong with that?" Well, she went on today about how bad it was him treating the Jews like that. Jem, it's not right to persecute anybody, is it? I mean have mean thoughts about anybody, even, is it?" Gracious no, Scout. What's eatin' you?" Well, coming out of the courthouse that night Miss Gates was--- she was going' down the steps in front of us, you musta not seen her--- she was talking with Miss Stephanie Crawford. I heard her say it's time somebody time somebody taught 'em a lesson, they were gettin' way above themelves, an' the next thing they think they can do is marry us. Jem, how can you hate Hitler so bad an' then turn around and be ugly about folks right at home---”” [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. The passage shows a child's struggle to reconcile moral lessons about prejudice with the hypocrisy observed in adults. **In simple terms:** Kids notice contradictions between taught values and real actions. Key Takeaway Teach consistency between belief and behavior. Themes prejudice hypocrisy growth family social norms Mood conflicted thoughtful inquisitive Type narrative dialogue teaching moment When to use this quote - parental guidance - school discussions - community workshops - faith‑based curricula Key Concepts moral development cognitive dissonance empathy Questions to Reflect On - How do we model the values we teach? - What can children learn from adult contradictions? A Different Perspective Adults may rationalize bias, making moral lessons harder for children to accept. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hitler/) [Prejudice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prejudice/) ## Related quotes > [“Well, coming out of the courthouse that night Miss Gates was-she goin' down the steps in front of us, you musta not seen her-…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/well-coming-out-of-the-courthouse-that-night-miss-gates-was-she-goin/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [“Jem, how can you hate Hitler so bad an’ then turn around and be ugly about folks right at home”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/jem-how-can-you-hate-hitler-so-bad-an-then-turn-around-and-be-ugly/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [Meanwhile, Will had begun cutting his toast into strips and was making rude pictographs out of them. Oh, that looks rather like a ...-…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/meanwhile-will-had-begun-cutting-his-toast-into-strips-and-was-making/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“Camille brushed by Jem, hardly looking at him, and Will followed, pausing only long enough to mutter "She doesn't smell like anything" to Jem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/camille-brushed-by-jem-hardly-looking-at-him-and-will-followed/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“Dill said striking a match under a turtle was hateful. "Ain't hateful, just persuades him- 's not like you'd chunk him in the fire,"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/dill-said-striking-a-match-under-a-turtle-was-hateful-ain-t-hateful/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [“Atticus---" ...said Jem bleakly. "How could they do it, how could they?" "I don't know, but they did it. They've done it before &…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/atticus-said-jem-bleakly-how-could-they-do-it-how-could-they-i-don-t/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [“I simply want to tell you that there are some men in this world who were born to do our unpleasant jobs for us.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/i-simply-want-to-tell-you-that-there-are-some-men-in-this-world-who/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [Atticus said that Jem was trying hard to forget something, but what he was really doing was storing it away for a while, until…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/atticus-said-that-jem-was-trying-hard-to-forget-something-but-what-he/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [Dill said striking a match under a turtle was hateful. “How do you know a match don't hurt him?” “Turtles can't feel, stupid,” said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/dill-said-striking-a-match-under-a-turtle-was-hateful-how-do-you-know/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [“Well how do you know we ain’t Negroes?” “Uncle Jack Finch says we really don’t know. He says as far as he can trace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/well-how-do-you-know-we-ain-t-negroes-uncle-jack-finch-says-we-really/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [“I was too surprised to cry. I crept from Jem’s room and shut the door softly, lest undue noise set him off again. Suddenly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/i-was-too-surprised-to-cry-i-crept-from-jem-s-room-and-shut-the-door/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [“One time I asked her to have a chew and she said no thanks, that - chewing gum cleaved to her palate and rendered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/one-time-i-asked-her-to-have-a-chew-and-she-said-no-thanks-that/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [“One maniac and millions of German folks. Looked to me like they'd shut Hitler in a pen instead of letting him shut them up.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/one-maniac-and-millions-of-german-folks-looked-to-me-like-they-d-shut/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [“You are not really dying,” he said, the oddest tone to his voice, “are you?”Jem nodded. “So they tell me.”“I am sorry,” Will said.“No,”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/you-are-not-really-dying-he-said-the-oddest-tone-to-his-voice-are-you/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Charlotte, Will’s being vexing.' 'And the sun has come up in the east,' said Jem, to no one in particular.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/charlotte-will-s-being-vexing-and-the-sun-has-come-up-in-the-east/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) ## 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/) > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/i-would-like-to-be-the-chronicler-of-something-that-i-think-is-going/) [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/) [Explore all 494 Harper Lee quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) ## More Hitler quotes > [ \[Hitler thought\] that Mussolini was no figure of world history, like der Fuehrer or Stalin. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-goebbels/hitler-thought-that-mussolini-was-no-figure-of-world-history-like-der/) [Joseph Goebbels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-goebbels/) > [“I look at my mother, connected by a breath of glimmering hope, her red and shadowed eyes reveal that some element of our whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-nestor/i-look-at-my-mother-connected-by-a-breath-of-glimmering-hope-her-red/) [Alfred Nestor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-nestor/) > [Anyone who makes the life of Jewish people difficult or grievous, as did the Pharaoh, as did Hitler, will be cursed by God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/anyone-who-makes-the-life-of-jewish-people-difficult-or-grievous-as/) [John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/) > [ Eva \[Braun\] loved \[Adolf\] Hitler and he was the only man in her life. 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Personally neither… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretl-braun/wilhelm-bruckner-was-one-of-adolf-hitler-s-adjutants-very-close-to/) [Gretl Braun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretl-braun/) > [“Hitler made only one big mistake when he built his Atlantic Wall,” the paratroopers liked to say. “He forgot to put a roof on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-e-ambrose/hitler-made-only-one-big-mistake-when-he-built-his-atlantic-wall-the/) [Stephen E. Ambrose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-e-ambrose/) > [ My father would never have come to visit, he detested Eva's \[Braun\] choice in a man and the fact \[Adolf\] Hitler had set her… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretl-braun/my-father-would-never-have-come-to-visit-he-detested-eva-s-braun/) [Gretl Braun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretl-braun/) > [Superman punched out Hitler. So did Captain America. That's one of the things they're there for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-miller/superman-punched-out-hitler-so-did-captain-america-that-s-one-of-the/) [Frank Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-miller/) > [“I remember seeing one elderly man look at us, and he held his hand out, and most frightening were his eyes, dark as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-nestor/i-remember-seeing-one-elderly-man-look-at-us-and-he-held-his-hand-out/) [Alfred Nestor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-nestor/) > [To understand Hitler's power as a speaker, we must consider that he was not just the bellowing tavern demagogue we always picture, but in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/volker-ullrich/to-understand-hitler-s-power-as-a-speaker-we-must-consider-that-he/) [Volker Ullrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/volker-ullrich/) > [ For instance, \[Adolf Hitler\] would never have spent the night at the Widenmayerstraße apartment. 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Nor was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-kershaw/hitler-was-no-inexorable-product-of-a-german-special-path-no-logical/) [Ian Kershaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-kershaw/) [Browse all 688 Hitler quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hitler/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Miss Gates is a nice lady, ain't she?\" Why sure,\" said Jem. \"I liked her when I was in her room.\" She hates Hitler a lot . . .\" What's wrong with that?\" Well, she went on today about how bad it was him treating the Jews like that. Jem, it's not right to persecute anybody, is it? I mean have mean thoughts about anybody, even, is it?\" Gracious no, Scout. What's eatin' you?\" Well, coming out of the courthouse that night Miss Gates was--- she was going' down the steps in front of us, you musta not seen her--- she was talking with Miss Stephanie Crawford. I heard her say it's time somebody time somebody taught 'em a lesson, they were gettin' way above themelves, an' the next thing they think they can do is marry us. 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