Well, after covering the tease of the first chapter, I finished up Go Set a Watchman. For those of who have yet to read it, I’m sure you’re still probably wondering what the truth behind the recent hubbub really is. In Harper Lee’s first—and until now, only—book, To Kill a Mockingbird, the epic father figure, Atticus Finch is basically a superman (given the time period) lawyer for civil rights. He set the bar for basic human decency during a period of awakening in American society. He was a bright beacon for the reformation of white guilt into something more constructive, as a nation began the attempt to make right the sins of our fathers.
There are probably several other ways to describe the character’s impact on society but—judging by the headlines these days—whatever it is, we’re still working on it all these decades later. . . which is rather mind blowing. So it is that, while Mockingbird was a wonderful dream to shoot for, Watchman is probably a more realistic presentation, kissed with optimism for finding a path that was still out of reach then and there—a path we’re, shockingly, still trying to navigate.
The new Atticus is not a superman—probably unrelatable to many but the most progressive at that time—he’s just a sorta decent (for the time) old dying white guy who recognizes that times are rightfully changing. He knows the new America needs to happen and recognizes that he won’t be welcomed by it because of his ingrained prejudices and his contemporaries’ actions in the old. His only hope of contribution to the new order is that he might have succeeded in raising his daughter to be a strong intelligent leader—that she will help overtake his generation and, hopefully, wipe their sins from the nation.
The most important thing to remember here is that this is a progressive book for the fifties, when it was written, offering little more today than perspective and understanding for a bygone era. The fact that that time is not quite as bygone as we’d like, makes Watchman all the more relevant.
Now, I must say, hopefully not giving too much away, people’s reactions are actually the whole point of the story! What I’ve read in articles and on Twitter—some from people refusing to read it!—are the themes directly addressed in the book. I find that telling. It may be the issue we have yet to face as a society—that we’d rather imagine everything’s fine instead of facing the truth and doing something to correct it.
In that regard, Watchman could prove to be even more powerful than Mockingbird, especially for today, because it pops that bubble of optimistic illusion and forces us to look at the ugly truth still facing us—daring us to make it right once and for all.
For the literary geeks; I have to say I quite enjoyed the experience of the author’s work with little touch from an editor. It felt raw and immediate to find her thoughts spit out across the pages just as they had formed in her brain. Switching between perspectives, time periods and storylines as they occurred to her. Did I occasionally have to reread some sentences to realize a subtle transition had taken place?—yes. But it was exciting and thrilling to feel like I was cresting the wave of inspiration with her as the muse pulled her in a new direction. The way she used words and sentences to paint her creations was beautiful to experience. I fell in love with Jean Louise (Scout) Finch and her world from the first chapter and felt the horrible sting as that world changed before her eyes.
Honestly, as a reader, my favorite moments were those where we find Jean Louise flirting—with Henry, life and adventure or possibility. Her character is sharp and witty—a pleasure to experience. Her vulnerabilities are charming; her strengths, admirable. She’s tough and unwilling to take guff from anyone but, for all her experience living in New York, it’s her naiveté that I found most disarming. Scout as a young woman may actually be the perfect avatar for America today—believing the world to be sunnier than the hard truths lurking under the surface—truths that must be addressed to cure the persistent cancer. In her defense, she may not know all the facts but she knows what’s right and she’s ready to take a stand. My favorite exchanges were between her and Henry as he does his best to court her. My favorite line out of context was actually delivered by her uncle (probably my second favorite character), “I’ve played hell with her fruitcakes.” I’m considering adopting it as a non sequitur hashtag, #IvePlayedHellWithHerFruitcakes. You know that has a lot of uses—let’s make it a thing.
That said, however, I’m left with the impression that this is a short story that was stretched out like taffy, reaching out beyond what was necessary to tell the tale. That is to say, as author’s drafts tend to be, it was not efficient. It’s easy to see why some wise editor, over half a century ago, advised Lee to take some aspects of this story and build a new one from them. It’s the recommendation that gave Lee immortality with Mockingbird. However, her raw skill and talent here for carving characters and worlds from words breaks my heart that she wasn’t inspired to write more through the decades.
All told, I think Go Set a Watchman, is a read you won’t regret. It may not leave you feeling like you’re connecting with a rosy dream world but the lingering effect may be the impression of a better connection with an ever evolving real-world America and inspire you to make it the best you can.