July will mark the one-year anniversary of the release of Harper Lee’s “Go Set a Watchman.” Although it’s not comparable to Scout’s first adventure, “Go Set a Watchman” is certainly not the abomination the reviews make it seem to be.
Although it was actually written prior to “To Kill a Mockingbird,” Lee’s first publication, the novel is clearly a sequel from the get-go ― at least it seems that way. Scout’s an adult now, going by her real name: Jean Louise. She’s still battling the conflict between the Southern town culture she was brought up in and her divergent way of viewing the world. The let-down of the novel revolves around a couple major points. The first is less disappointing: Jem, Scout’s brother, is dead. The second: Atticus Finch, our beloved hero from the first novel, might be a racist.
Atticus fought for equality in the first novel and then preached segregation in the second. As its biggest critics have mentioned, Lee uses political rhetoric to explain the views of her southern characters, and there is seemingly no resolution in the end, bringing a lackluster quality to the novel, which may make the reader question exactly what it is he or she is reading. That being said, it’s important to note that Lee’s intent and message from “To Kill a Mockingbird” doesn’t change in “Go Set a Watchman.” Lee and Jean Louise still want to see a South in which everyone reigned equally. The difference lies in how the situations are handled. “To Kill a Mockingbird,” though it does have its heartache, is inspirational. A family takes a stand for what’s right. But what about when one doesn’t have the support from those who care about him or her?
“Go Set a Watchman” chronicles how difficult it is to go against your family, even when you’re right. Although it’s usually stated that “To Kill a Mockingbird” is a coming-of-age novel, the sequel serves as a second coming of age. Jean Louise is forced to disassociate her thoughts, actions and morals from that of her family’s, which is actually a pretty realistic problem. Everybody wants to believe their families know best, but the truth is that that’s not always the case.
“Go Set a Watchman” definitely has its flaws. But it also brings up a lot of interesting points about what it means to be a family and what it means to be one’s self. How old should one be before rebelling against his or her family? Give it a read, and find out.
