Dr Finch tells Jean Louise in one of their conversations, 'You've never been prodded to look at people as a race, and now that race is the burning issue of the day, you're still unable to think racially. Jack Finch/ Dr Finch, Atticus's brother and Jean Lousie's uncle, rightly explains this approach - Atticus may not significantly oppose Klu Klux Klan, a group popular for advocating white supremacy, and even think of it just as a 'political organisation', but he will 'be the first one to try and stop it' if they resort to violence.Īnd Atticus is not the only contentious character of Mockingbird.

If there is one thing Watchman taught us, it is that no single individual is either of the extremes.Įven the much revered Atticus, who supposedly championed the cause of an innocent African American in To Kill a Mockingbird, is now viewed in his entirety. To Kill a Mockingbird was a simplistic perception of Scout, (Jean Louise's pet name) looking at the world with the binaries of good and bad, right and wrong in an evidently Manichean vision. If you haven't already read it, here are 5 more reasons to do so:

Sure, as expected, one of the primary motifs of the novel is racism, but unlike its predecessor, Watchman explores other themes, even as racial prejudice is the underlying thread weaving the issues into a narrative. It is the journey of Jean Louise, who has grown from the 6-year-old, 'colour blind', tom-boyish girl idolising her father Atticus Finch to a 26-year-old grappling with his 'betrayal' of turning racist overnight. Watchman, published on July 14 this year, is essentially - an evolution.

Mockingbird was primarily admired for reflecting the racism still prevalent in the American south, but its recently released chronological sequel Go Set a Watchman has been a Pandora's Box of more complex and mature themes. Literary geeks and critics have often considered Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird one of the best novels ever written, and justly so.

Go set a watchman meaning