Summer Reading #17

Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee

If this seems choppy, it is because I am writing part of this as I go along. There are things that occur to me as I am reading that I would rather document as they happen than chance losing.

Before I get into the book itself, I want to say this: I have looked forward to reading this, for better or worse, since I heard back in February of this year that it was being released. Based on comments of many of my friends on social media, the fact that I am reading this at all may turn me into a pariah. It will be worse if I ultimately end up liking the novel. This is a chance I am willing to take.

A little background on some of the controversy surrounding this novel, if I may. First, some think that Harper Lee didn't write this, or that the publication is a result of elder abuse to Ms. Lee. This is actually the manuscript that was rejected by publishers, and ultimately turned into To Kill a Mockingbird. It was thought this manuscript was lost, but then, somehow, it turned up after the death of Ms. Lee's older sister. She has had the opportunity for more than fifty years to publish this, so people think Ms. Lee was coerced into its publication.

Another controversy stems from reviews that indicated Atticus is a racist in this book. Many people made the decision not to read this because of these allegations. As I am not finished with the book at this time, I will revisit this when I do finish.

SPOILER ALERT! If you plan to read this novel, and don't want to know specifics, I suggest you don't read any further.

On the Friday before the book was released, July 10, the first chapter was presented to the public in an effort to increase interest. I didn't read it, but many people I know did, and commented on it. They took exception with the fact that Jem has died, and Ms. Lee didn't elaborate. Many felt that it wasn't doing justice to Jem. Jem's death is actually revisted many times throughout the novel. This is what happens when you don't see the whole picture, but only a tiny piece: potentially unfair judgments are made.

I really love the flashbacks to events of Scout's childhood. Those are the parts where I could definitely see the connection between both of Ms. Lee's books, and it also solidified for me that this was, in fact, written by Harper Lee. Based on the online reviews I have seen on Amazon, many people think this is badly written. I am not seeing that at all. I guess it is because this novel is written in third person, where TKaM was written in first person. For me, this doesn't take away from the story that is being told, but it is obviously one of the changes that were made in the creation of TKaM.

I am finding this easier to read as a stand alone novel, rather than one that is being considered a sequel. Yes, most of the characters are the same, but there are enough differences in their actions and reactions, that it is almost like reading about different people. Scout isn't even called Scout, for crying out loud.

Some differences that I have encountered so far include the character of Henry "Hank" Clinton. Apparently, he was close in age with Jem, and he would hang out with Jem and Scout during the school year when he lived in town, but not in the summer. He is Jean Louise's love interest, but it's hard to reconcile him growing up with the Finch children when he isn't so much as mentioned in TKaM.

Another difference is the Tom Robinson trial. It is briefly mentioned, or what we are to assume is the trial is mentioned. In this novel, Atticus defended a black man accused of raping a white girl of fourteen, but the man is acquitted. I took this to be another change that was made going into TKaM. Because this is the manuscript that was changed and edited to become something else, it makes sense to assume that there would be some inaccuracies. This is one of those.

There are some nice additions too, though. For example, we get a glimpse into what became of Dill. We also learn the name of Jem and Scout's mother, as well as a few more details about her death. Those things that were left out of TKaM that I sometimes wondered about. Uncle Jack, referred to as Dr. Finch most of the time, has a much bigger part in this novel, and this was endearing to me. In many ways, Uncle Jack was her compass in this novel.

Because of the time that this book takes place, race relations are not in a good place in many areas of the South. Maycomb is no different. While Scout is home, Calpurnia's favorite grandson is jailed for running an older white gentleman over with his car. Scout goes to see her, but Cal treats her like she doesn't know her; like she hates her. Scout has a hard time reconciling this Cal to the Cal who raised her.

Atticus...... I can see how some people think he is a racist. He attends KKK members, which, apparently, makes a person an automatic racist. In Atticus' case, he was going to the meetings to try to find out whose faces were behind the masks. He wanted to know who the "problem children" were, if you will. Know your enemy, and all that jazz-I can understand that motivation. What brings all this up for Scout is she sneaks into a council meeting in the courthouse, and sees Atticus and Hank with an over the top racist, white supremacist guy. Atticus does try to explain this: the meetings aren't usually like that, that the racist guy asked to speak at their meeting. It all seems very innocuous.

What is problematic and makes Atticus seem racist are some of the comments he makes-like the negroes are childlike. He doesn't mean that they are like children, per se, but that as a whole, since the Civil War, they are growing into their rights. Atticus believes that if things had been left to develop naturally, without the NAACP stepping in, things would have been fine. I personally cannot speak to whether this is true or not, as I have no life experience from this time. Atticus believes in states' rights first, and doesn't think the federal government should have stepped in. I think, this Atticus is a product of the time period and location, and as such, this is not a problem for me. It is, however, a stark contrast from the seemingly color blind Atticus from TKAM, and that, I think, is where people have a problem.

Another thought I have on the Atticus/Scout dynamic where this is concerned is this: TKAM is told by adult Scout, looking back through a child's eyes. It's told by a child, basically. GSaW is told by Jean Louise as an adult learning some realities about life. Think about it this way: when you were a kid, you probably idolized someone, and put them on a pedestal. Then as you grew up, you learned things about the person you adored, and it tarnished your thinking about them. This is what happened with Scout. When she was a kid, she could see no wrong in her father, but as an adult, she finds out there were things about him that had always been there, that she didn't/couldn't see. It hurts when you finally see the truth.

What you have to remember is that this novel was the rejected manuscript. This is what ultimately became the greatest American novel. If it hadn't been for this, TKaM would never have existed. That is a point I think people are forgetting. If Ms. Lee hadn't reworked this, we wouldn't have Atticus and Scout as we know them. THAT is why I read this book, and you know what? I liked it.