To Kill a MockingBird and Go Set A Watchman

Hello, welcome back to my blog. I know I've been a bit behind with my posts this month, but sometimes life just gets in the way! I have read only three books this month, so I will be playing catch up at some point to read my book that was meant for the last week of February. I will be back on track now hopefully ! I’ll have to double up a post again at some point.

I read two classic novels back to back so that I could combine them into one larger post. The past two weeks I have been reading To Kill A Mockingbird and the sequel Go Set A Watchman by Harper Lee. These novels cover very important themes that are still relevant in today's society. Some of the topics may be uncomfortable to discuss, but it is still important to continue discussing them. TKAM might be one of the best novels I've ever read.

Please enjoy my review, and know that these novels mean a lot to me and I have lots to say about them. Please advise there are some sensitive topics in this book.

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About the Author: Nelle Harper Lee

April 28th 1926 - February 19th 2016

Photo taken in 1960, by Truman Capote

Harper Lee, born and raised in the small town of Monroeville Alabama, based her novel To Kill a Mockingbird loosely around what she had observed in her own life around the time she was ten years old. Her novel takes place in the deep south in the 1930s, the story told from the eyes of two young children, Jem and Scout Finch. The novel covers an array of important themes that are still relevant today including: race, class, southern life, gender roles, loss of innocence, and rape.

Though this story is not exactly a autobiography, there were similar elements in Lee's life that were parallel to the main character Jean Louise "Scout" Finch. Some of those similarities included Lee's Father, Amasa Coleman Lee, being an attorney similar to Scout's father, Atticus Finch. Lee's father had defended two black men for murder back in 1919, who were both convicted and given the death penalty. Because of this, Lee's father never took on another criminal case.

The beloved character Dill, was based off of Lee's childhood friend Truman Persons, who is known now as Truman Capote. She based Dill's characteristics off her friend at the time, making sure to include his silly, imaginative abilities. Truman Capote lived next door to Lee in the summertime with his aunts, similar to Dill in the novel.

The infamous Radley House, home of the mysterious "Boo" Radley, was based off of a creepy, boarded up home down the street of the Lee household.

Harper Lee was so different for her time, she saw the world through a different lens.

An interesting fact I found while reading these novels was that Go Set a Watchman was actually the first ever draft of TKAM. Though GSAW was published in July of 2015, she began writing it in the mid-1950s, and cast the draft aside when she chose a different route to telling her story. There was initially talk about publishing TKAM, a short novel between TKAM and Go Set a Watchman, and then the sequel Go Set a Watchman. There is also a lot of controversy about the sequel being published. 55 years had passed since Harper Lee published TKAM and had not written or intended to publish another book.

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favorite quote

“Hey Boo.”

Scout Finch

Initial Response:

The first time I read TKAM, was my freshman year of high school. At the time, I didn’t really enjoy reading books that were “assigned”, it took the fun out of the reading. Looking back now, I’d say it was one of the biggest eye openers for me as a young kid.

Reading it now as a adult, feels the same. The book discusses so many important topics, some will make you laugh at the silliness and innocence of how Scout thinks, and how she chooses to see the world and describes life going on around her, but there are other times where you can’t help but feel emptiness and discomfort, when you break through part one of the story and understand what is really trying to be said and understood.

Plot/ Writing Style and Themes

To Kill a Mockingbird is both a coming of age story of a young girl, as well as a dark drama filled with important themes covering prejudice and social inequality in the deep south, racism, gender roles and rape. The book is broken down into three parts. The first part of the novel brings you through day to day life in Maycomb from the eyes of Jean Louise Finch, affectionally known as Scout. She lives in a small home with her older brother Jeremy "Jem" Finch, and her father Atticus Finch, who is a well known attorney in Maycomb county. Also working in their home is their colored help Calpurnia, who has worked for the Finch family for many years and is basically family to them.

Scout takes you through her childhood, as well as introducing us to all the main characters in the novel. She includes her stories on starting school, summertime adventures with their friend Charles Baker Harris (Dill), who comes to live with his aunt in the summertime. She talks about her neighbors, including Mrs. Henry Dubose, who is a terror to anyone who passes her home, as well as that mysterious Radley home… that rumors to have a monster of a man inside, Boo Radley. Jem, Scout and Dill test the waters in the summertime by daring each other to get close to the house, run to the front porch, or even peep in the window to try and catch a glimpse of the infamous Boo Radley.

Through her stories, we are learning about her first experiences of social class, empathy for others, and punishments for her actions that are out of line. Scout is reaching a point in her life where her childhood innocence is ending, and the ways of the world are becoming relevant to her.

In chapter nine is where Scout learns from her other classmates that her father is defending a black man in a criminal trial. Atticus Finch is defending a man named Tom Robinson, a young black man who worked in Link Deas’ fields, for a rape charge against young Mayella Ewell. The town has quite the opinion on Atticus defending this man, rumors and gossip are spread about the Finch family, leading Jem and Scout to take some of the impact. This leaves the Finch children to worry about not only their own safety, but their fathers safety as well. There is a point when the KKK members of Maycomb county want to lynch Tom, so Atticus brings a book and a hanging lamp with him to sit outside Tom’s jail cell to protect him during the night ( personally one of my favorite parts of the story). Scout, Dill and Jem end up following Atticus and inadvertently saving Atticus and Tom from any violence by talkinf to the KKK members and bringing up the members children, and their significance to the Finch family. When Scout speaks up about this, she does not fully understand the ramifications of what could of happened, or what her speaking up really did for everyone. This once again contributes to the theme of childhood innocence.

The climax of the book occurs at the end of Tom Robinson’s trial. The jury reveals the verdict: Guilty. Scout and Jem who had been at the trial, were shocked by this verdict. With Atticus’s strong defense, and the hope that the jury would see the obvious reasons Tom did not commit this crime, the verdict took a toll on the kids, and Atticus. The understanding of how the law worked, and what the people of Maycomb county chose to oversee because the defendant was a black man, opened the eyes of Jem Finch and he had a hard time coming to terms with how this could be. Scout on the other hand, was just a shocked, but still was not able to absorb the same amount of impact as Jem. They were both seeing the world for how it was for the first time ever. Scout was watching her older brother fall into a time of sadness and anger. Atticus reassured her that he was just growing up and needed some time. Shortly after the trial, a huge tragedy occurs when Atticus learns Tom had been shot to death trying to “escape” the prison yard. This event shows how the justice system and the community of Maycomb county had failed the black community, showing that they were stuck in their ways.

Earlier in the book the phrase “it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird”, is symbolic, and relates specifically to Tom Robinson and his case. Because a Mockingbird does no harm, only making music for everyone to enjoy.

Months after the trial was over, it is Halloween night. Scout and Jem are attending a pageant at the school house, and while returning home that night they are attacked by Bob Ewell. Bob, Mayella‘s father, was feeling humiliated by the events that occurred in the trial, and swore to get back at Atticus, Tom’s wife and the judge of the trial for making A fool of him. In the attack, he had attempted to stab Scout and managed to break Jem’s arm. When all seemed hopeless, someone stopped the attack and brought the kids home. Who was it to bring the kids home safe? None other than Boo Radley himself, who Atticus informs the children that his fist name is Arthur. This was a breaking point for Scout, seeing that there is some hope left still for humanity, and that there is good in the places you least expect there to be.

Characters

Wow, does this novel have a lot of characters, primary and secondary. I want to dive into as many as possible, with little snippets of each. But before that, I’d like to say, Atticus finch may be one of my most favorite characters of all time.

Jean Louise "Scout" Finch: Narrator and main protagonist, Jean Louise Finch is a young girl that does not fit into the “becoming a lady” area, a young tomboy who would rather hang with the boys and wear overalls instead of learning her manners and wearing dresses.

Jeremy "Jem" Finch: Eldest Finch Sibling and brother to Scout.

Charles Baker "Dill" Harris: Best friend to Jem and Scout. Comes to Maycomb in the summertime to live with his Aunt Rachel.

Atticus Finch: Father to Jem and Scout, local Maycomb attorney.

Calpurnia: The Finch family’s black help, who has a strong, disciplinary personality. She bridges the white community and the black community for Jem and Scout.

Arthur "Boo" Radley": a reclusive man who never sets foot outside his house. Maycomb has spread many rumors about why he stays locked up in there.

Nathan Radley: Brother to Boo Radley, leaves the house very little as well. Has a scary way to him.

Heck Tate: Town Sheriff

Mr. Underwood: Publisher of the town newspaper, and friend to Atticus.

Tom Robinson: A young black man false accused of raping a while woman. The symbol of the mockingbird, ”innocence destroyed by evil”.

Bob Ewell: a member of the poorest family in Maycomb. a drunken, uneducated, unemployed mad man. He knowingly wrongfully accused Tom Robinson of raping his daughter Mayella.

Mayella Ewell: 19 year old Mayella, abused, sad and lonely eldest child in the Ewell family. goes to trial accusing Tom Robinson of raping her in her home.

Aunt Alexandra Finch: Atticus’s sister. Strongly devoted to her family name and making sure the Funch children grow up to fit into societal norms (mostly Scout).

Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose: a stern, bitter elderly neighbor of the Finch family, loves to sit on her porch and yell at people passing by. Has a morphine addiction from years of using it as treatment.

Miss Maudie Atkinson: A widow with a blunt personality, and long term friend of the Finch family.

Miss Stephanie Crawford: The town Gossip

Link Deas: Tom Robinson‘a employer.

Dolphus Raymond: The town “drunk” always found carrying a brown paper bag of alcohol.

Likelihood to recommend:

I strongly believe everyone should read TKAM once in their life. I’ve read some articles and opinions about potentially removing TKAM from curriculum in schools… due to discomfort and outdating. I disagree completely. The themes in this book are so Important to touch on even almost 100 years later.

There a so many powerful scenes in TKAM that always leave me in tears. I do not think it will matter how many times I read this book, it will always have that effect on me. TKAM also has some of my favorite characters to ever be written.

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Go Set a Watchman

This review will be much shorter because I do not need to repeat the characters, or too much of the storyline, I also do not want to give anything away because I know this book has not been as popular as TKAM. Initial response

This is for sure a time where I believe my own philosophy about reading a book: don’t give up on the story too soon. This one took me a good 60 pages to really start enjoying. I wanted to give up on it really badly, I was so disappointed in many aspects at first, I wish I would’ve enjoyed this novel as much as I enjoy and love to talk about To Kill a Mockingbird.

This book came out a couple years ago and had been on my to be read list. Let’s just say I definitely did not expect a lot of what happened in this book. The characters you know and love from the first book are not all in it, and Harper Lee makes sure to let you know right away.

It’s almost like a hit in the gut, and to me it was completely unexpected. I wanted so badly to read about certain character‘s futures.

I didn’t do too much research on the sequel before diving into it, but my assumption was that the storyline was going to be about the characters grown-up, what their lives came to be while also reminiscing on their childhood and hometown.

Harper Lee that made sure to comment on the political and societal tensions in the south during me now early 1950s. Surely the important aspects of the book were there and I will not say that she didn’t touch on super important topics similar to in To Kill a Mockingbird, but I just felt that there was such a change in the writing style and the character development that I did not simply enjoy it as much. I also believe that though Harper Lee compared aspects of her own life to this story, she dragged some of the beloved characters in the mud, somewhat ruining their amazing reputation that they had in TKAM. That may be a personal issue I have with the story, and not everyone will agree. It made it difficult to continue to have any favorite characters because of their new developments in character and views on politics and social justice.

Writing Style/Plot

This book is yet again an semi-autobiographical narrative, with a stream of conciusness writing style. Unlike TKAM, where the story is completely narrated by Jean Louise, this novel seems to have more of an anonymous feel.

This story now takes place almost ten years into the future. There are smooth transitions from present to past and past to present, which gives the stories a nice flow and makes it easy to interpret. I could almost picture the transitions in my head like how a movie transitions from past to present memories; with the scene fading into a new one, or an older one.

Harper Lee once again tackles the racial tensions in the Deep South during the 1950s. She also dives deep into the relationship between Jean Louise and her Father. The story starts with Jean Louise returning for her annual two week vacation/visit to Maycomb county to visit Atticus and her Uncle Jack. She currently resides in New York because she is going to school there. In Maycomb, she visits an old friend and new charter Hank Clinton, who has spent years trying to get Jean Louise to take his hand in marriage. Aunt Alexandra lives with Atticus Finch now, after Calpurnia no longer works for them, and Atticus was recently diagnosed with Arthritis.

Likelihood to recommend

If you were passionate about TKAM, I’d say this book is for you. Otherwise, I don’t see a strong draw to the story.

I will say something that stays constant from TKAM to Go Set a Watchman, is that Jean Louise Finch continues to be someone who is ahead of her time. She feels the unfair ways of the south, and how the north differs in their opinions on segregation and the black community. She remains, as she states, “color blind”. She fights for her personal beliefs, and believes that others should feel the same as her a lot equality. She is so frustrated with the current state of politics it makes her sick.

RATINGS

To Kill A Mockingbird 5/5

Go set a Watchman 2.5/5