MAYCOMB, Ala.–(Fictional dateline) To Kill a Mockingbird may be set in Alabama, but it’s part of Mississippi’s consciousness and conscience. You probably read it if you went to public school. With the new sequel, there’s a big change for Atticus. He joins the Klan, supports segregation.
If you think it’s impossible for such an iconic character to have made such a change, and if it feels like a punch in the stomach, it’s because Go Set a Watchman was written before the first book.
The title comes from Isaiah 21:6, “For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth.” (KJV).
The plot has Scout Finch returning to her hometown of Maycomb, Ala. to see Atticus after she has grown up.
“I think the reason people are concerned about it, is because it’s a different Atticus than people expected,” said Charles Shields, author of Harper Lee’s biography.
“Atticus is a cultural and moral icon to many of us.”
The book comes out Tuesday, and has already set a record for sales at Amazon.com for preorders.
