In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, what quotes depict Dill's weaknesses as a character?

Charles Baker "Dill" Harris is Scout and Jem's best friend throughout the novel To Kill a Mockingbird. Although Dill has many positive character traits, he also has several weaknesses that are depicted throughout the novel. Dill Harris has an active imagination and continually lies to Jem and Scout. In Chapter 5, Scout says,

"Dill Harris could tell the biggest ones I ever heard. Among other things, he had been up in a mail plane seventeen times, he had been to Nova Scotia, he had seen an elephant, and his granddaddy was Brigadier General Joe Wheeler and left him his sword" (Lee 63).

In addition to being a habitual liar, Dill is also inconsiderate of others' feelings. He encourages Jem to bother Boo Radley and dismisses Scout without noticing. Scout says,

"He had asked me earlier in the summer to marry him, then he promptly forgot about it. He staked me out, marked as his property, said I was the only girl he would ever love, then he neglected me. I beat him up twice but it did no good, he only grew closer to Jem" (Lee 55).

Dill is also an insecure individual. He runs away from his home to Maycomb. While Dill is talking with Scout, she asks him why he decided to leave. Dill says, "That wasn't it, he---they just wasn't interested in me" (Lee 190). Dill felt like his parents should have spent more time with him, and he was not satisfied with the material gifts they gave him.

In addition to Dill's insecurity, he also lacks adequate coping skills and is overly sensitive. During the trial, Scout needs to take Dill out of the courtroom because he is crying. Scout says,

"That was as much as I heard of Mr. Gilmer's cross-examination, because Jem made me take Dill out. For some reason Dill had started crying and couldn't stop; quietly at first, then the sobs were heard by several people in the balcony" (Lee 265).