If you went to high school in the United States and took required English classes, then you read Harper Lee’s classic “To Kill a Mockingbird.” After being published in 1960, the novel became a definitive piece of American education.
Atticus Finch is one of the most admired, well-known literary characters of the last century. His struggles with the battle against prejudice are used as examples of conflict in today’s society.
Recently, Harper Lee’s sequel to the beloved novel, titled “Go Set a Watchman” was published. It was written before she even wrote “Mockingbird”. The main question here is: “Why is it being published nearly 60 years after it was written?”
Lee, 89-years-old, made the decision to publish even though people are saying she was pressured and tricked into publishing the book. I think what people forget here is that she is the novelist and, despite her age, she has complete control over her work.
I respect her as a writer so I respect her choice to publish her sequel, even though it has pretty much ruined my view of the literary hero, Atticus Finch. At first, I was unsure of this new view of Maycomb County, but the new perspective is a bit refreshing to the idea of right and wrong.
Everyone sees Finch and his choices in their own life. He has become a representative of American literature as has his daughter, Scout.
I’m not going to reveal any major details from ‘Watchman’ in hopes people will read it and form their own opinions. However, I will say that something is revealed about Atticus’ true character, and this reveal left me a bit empty.
His moral character is what holds up Lee’s first novel, so for it to take a blow in the sequel tends to throw some readers off. Lee takes him down from his moral pedestal, and while off-putting, it is also interesting to see this change.
I was extremely reluctant to read “Watchman” because of “To Kill a Mockingbird” being a major part of my literary introduction.
Atticus was the perfect character, yet Lee humanizes him. She takes away his perfection. “Watchman” is not “Mockingbird” in terms of literary triumph, but it starts a conversation.
