As a timeless novel that examines the complicated social workings of life in the South in the early twentieth century and explores the meaning of morality and respect for humankind, Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird has captivated the hearts and minds of readers for over five decades. As one of those captivated fans, I was elated when I learned that Harper Lee would be publishing a second novel, continuing the story that I fell in love with several years ago. Entitled Go Set a Watchman, this text, though technically written prior To Kill a Mockingbird, exists as a sequel to this beloved novel.
However, my excitement about this book transitioned into uncertainty when I learned how the release of Go Set a Watchman came to fruition. Much debate exists over whether or not Harper Lee ever wanted this novel to be shared, and many fear that she was coerced into agreeing to publish it.
Unfortunately, this is a very real possibility; in her old age, as a result of some health complications, Harper Lee has lost much of her ability to see and hear and her wishes may not have been fully respected. Considering that she chose to live in privacy for most of her life and did not release another novel after the astounding success of To Kill a Mockingbird, her fans cannot help but wonder whether she would have chosen to share another of her works with the world had she been in better health.
For these reasons, I had mixed feelings about this novel when I first began reading it. Adding to my dismay were the overwhelmingly negative reviews that the book was receiving in the initial days after its release; even the most reputable sources shared their disappointment with Harper Lee’s continuation of the lives of her characters, particularly the shocking new side of Atticus Finch that is revealed in the novel. Yet for what it’s worth, despite the relative lack of raving reviews, I believe that this novel merits considerable praise and commendation.
The story commences with Scout’s homecoming, as Atticus Finch is entering old age and is no longer in his best health. Other than the times that Atticus calls her by her nickname, in her adulthood, Scout is now strictly called Jean Louise Finch. Much has changed in her life since the conclusion of To Kill a Mockingbird; she has left Maycomb County to start a new life in New York, she has suffered through the heart wrenching loss of her brother Jem (I was incredibly upset about this news), and she is in a relationship with a man whom she has known since childhood (unfortunately not Dill). Yet despite these changes, it is clear that in the life of Scout Finch, some things will never change, including her utter distaste for Southern social custom, her tendency to live life with reckless abandon, and her unwavering love and respect for her father.
However, readers soon discover that Harper Lee dedicates much of the novel to calling this last fact into question. While perusing through her father’s belongings one evening, Jean Louise stumbles upon the darker side of her father’s life in Maycomb; she finds a disturbing and strikingly racist pamphlet amongst her father’s belongings, leading her to the discovery that both her father and her boyfriend, Hank, are members of a racist organization which strives to keep segregationist policies in place and halt any sort of social progression.
From this point on, Jean Louise is faced with an incredibly painful and introspective battle as she struggles to come to terms with this knowledge. She cannot wrap her mind around the idea that her father, who once put his heart and soul into defending Tom Robinson and who taught her all her life that all people deserve the utmost respect regardless of their skin color, could possibly be affiliated with a group of racist people. As a result, she begins to reflect on many of the influential moments in her life, and finds herself questioning Atticus’ character, something she had never dreamed of doing.
Readers have responded to this side of Atticus Finch quite negatively for many reasons, many of which are understandable. It was incredibly disheartening to learn of this new side of Atticus, and it seemed impossible that the honorable Atticus Finch could contradict everything he stood for in the first novel. As Jean Louise herself acknowledges, it seems as if Atticus has turned out to be something quite awful: a hypocrite.
Yet despite this fact, the story as a whole is extremely well-written, and I believe it is important to take into consideration Harper Lee’s driving point behind the novel to truly grasp its value. From the very first chapter, through Scout’s return to Maycomb, Harper Lee reveals the harsh realities of life in the South during this era – many people feared and resisted change, and stuck to their prejudices rather than broaden their views.
In Jean Louise’s final confrontation with her father, he tries to express to her that joining that organization was something he had to do in order to keep peace in the community, suggesting that Atticus’ participation in the group is a much more complicated issue than meets the eye.
All in all, I feel it is important not to dismiss this novel without giving it a fair chance, and to not narrow your interpretation of the story or lessen your appreciation of its merits simply because of Atticus’ change in character. Harper Lee made this change for a reason, and the fact that the story is no longer told through the perspective of a young and naïve Scout Finch causes a significant but intentional change in the story’s tone.
Although Go Set a Watchman may not have provided the optimistic glimpse of the future that readers were hoping for, it is imperative to keep Harper Lee’s history, skill, and renowned reputation in mind when picking up this novel. After all, as Atticus Finch once said, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view…Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.”
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