However, it is a stunning novel that is worth reading. Go Set A Watchman tells a vastly different story, although it uses the same characters and setting, and this does not sit well with with lovers of To Kill a Mockingbird. Lee’s second publication, however, did not received quite the same acclaim from critics or Lee’s fan base. Negative – adj.The beloved novel, To Kill a Mockingbird presents a tale of reconciliation between whites and African-Americans that is a refreshing contrast to the racial tensions in the U.S. a person who writes the story of a real person's life a person who learns a job or skill (for a fixed time period) by working for someone who is very good at that job or skillīiographer – n. something that happened in the pastĪpprentice – n. to tell or advise (someone) to do something a long written story usually about imaginary characters and eventsĮncourage – v. The number one and two spots on Amazon’s best-seller list are filled by “Go Set a Watchman” and “To Kill a Mockingbird.”Īshley Thompson wrote this article for Learning English with materials from VOA News, Reuters and The New York Times. So far, any negative press has not slowed sales of Harper Lee’s work. He said, “It turns out that Atticus is no saint, as none of us are, but a man with prejudices.”

He said this Atticus could help support a national discussion about racism. Harper Lee biographer Charles Shields spoke to the New York Times about the book. Others consider this latest version of Atticus good for today’s America. In a letter to The New York Times, one man wrote, “As a native of Alabama, I had held up Atticus in my own mind as a redemptive figure, a symbol of hope, a hero who was brave enough to fight for what is right despite the poisonous and dangerous pools of racism long associated with whites in the Deep South.” Some readers are protesting the character of Atticus as he is written in “Go Set a Watchman.” They say he is a racist. An adult Scout returns from New York to visit her father in Alabama. The story of “Go Set a Watchman,” is set about 20 years after the ending of the first book. He bravely faces, and fights, deep prejudice and hate among the people in his town. Lee wrote the character of Atticus as a strong believer in justice. Her father, lawyer Atticus Finch, defends a black man falsely accused of raping a white woman. Six-year-old Scout Finch narrates the story. “To Kill a Mockingbird” takes place in the 1930s in a small town in the southern state of Alabama. A scene from the 1962 film version of 'To Kill a Mockingbird.' Actor Gregory Peck won an Oscar for his role as Atticus Finch.

To kill a watchman