Atticus Vs Watchman

To Kill a Mockingbird is a classic novel that most people have read at least once. It is one of the most beloved novels of all time, and most can agree that has withstood the test of time. However, with the release of Go Set a Watchman many readers were forced to reevaluate what they had originally thought of the beloved classic. Go Set a Watchmen was under no circumstances released as a prequel to To Kill a Mockingbird and the differences between the two novels perfectly demonstrate this. Unfortunately, this does not change the fact that readers still view the characters of Go Set a Watchman as the grown version of the exact same characters present in To Kill a Mockingbird. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch is represented as a wise man and a father, with high moral standards, who will always fight for those who cannot defend themselves. These are traits that most readers find admirable. The Atticus Finch in Go Set a Watchman on the other hand, attends meeting to discuss, what they believe to be, the terrible outcome of integrating black people and white people. “To Kill a Mockingbird” Atticus defends Tom Robinson simply out
But, the problem is that in Mockingbird she is a little girl, and in Watchman she is a grown woman. This is essentially the opposite of the problem with the Atticus Finch character. Atticus is extremely different is each of the novels, but Jean-Louise is the same naïve, child-like, troublemaker in each. “Go Set a Watchman” Jean-Louise is an adult woman who went approximately 20 years not knowing of her father’s racial prejudices. This becomes even more confusing after knowing the Harper Lee wrote Go Set a Watchman before To Kill a Mockingbird. Lee’s original conception of Jean-Louise was extremely childish, and then for the her second novel she decided to not only write it in her point of view, but make her an actual