Saturday, May 18, 2019

Are the characters Scout, Jem, and Atticus from To Kill a Mockingbird similar to any other characters in another book?

It might be interesting to explore connections between To Kill a Mockingbird and Harper Lee's posthumously published Go Set a Watchman. Many fans of Mockingbird, a beloved classic, were shocked at the portrayal of Atticus Finch as a racist in Watchman. The grown up Scout (now going by her given name, Jean Louise) is shocked to see that her father is resistant to the civil rights movement, expresses oppressive and bigoted views, and that he even once participated in a clan meeting.
You will probably see many parallels between the child and grown up versions of Scout, but like many readers, it might be more difficult at first to reconcile the Atticus of Mockingbird with the the Atticus of Watchman. However, consider the different facets that make humans such complex individuals and think about what social or political message Lee might have been trying to get across by revealing this other side to Atticus Finch. What understandings and perspectives about race could realistically be expected from a white man born of Atticus Finch's generation, social class, and geography? Can the two depictions of him be reconciled?
You might also approach this question by thinking about what "coming of age" stories you have read. A "coming of age" story is a broad category of narrative in which a young protagonist goes through an experience that leaves them wiser, more enlightened, and more emotionally mature than they were before. It usually involves gaining some difficult or painful knowledge of the world or of human nature but is a necessary step in the growing up process. Think about any novel you have read where a young protagonist (Scout) goes through this process. Maybe they are guided by someone older and wiser (Atticus) and maybe they are accompanied on this journey by a companion (Jem) who grows and changes with them, but perhaps doesn't gain quite the same level of nuanced insight by the end.
Consider these options. Hopefully, you've encountered at least one of them or are interested in reading one of them: for example, "The Lesson" (Toni Cade Bambara); The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Mark Twain); Great Expectations (Charles Dickens); and The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini).

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