Go Set a Watchman: Revisiting a Classic

Harper Lee Releases New book

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Madison Harrington, Staff Writer

The sophomore english curriculum may be changing due to the discovery of a sequel to Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird.  Go Set a Watchman was written in the 1950s before Lee began to  focus on Mockingbird, the novel that made her famous.

Go Set a Watchman was written with Scout, the protagonist in To Kill a Mockingbird, as an adult.  The book focuses on childhood flashbacks, which Lee’s editor thought would make as good novel by itself.  Lee shelved Watchman and began Mockingbird which has won the Pulitzer Prize.

Since publishing her novel in 1950, Lee has lived in Monroeville, Alabama and has kept out of the public eye.  However, when Lee’s lawyer Tonja Carter discovered the original manuscript of Watchman, Lee was thrown back into the limelight.  Although there are many skeptics who express their concern for the novel not being as profound as the original, a greater number of people are excited.

This excitement takes place at BHS as well.  English teacher Maureen McLaughlin, a teacher of 20 years, explained she “was under the impression that it was a ‘found’ manuscript that she had no intention of publishing.”  The novel is being published this summer, McLaughlin said, “I do not think sophomore teachers will rush to teach Lee’s new novel, because the sophomore curriculum is already filled with required reading, including poetry, novels, and a play, vocabulary, grammar, writing, and, of course, MCAS prep.”  This being said, she does think there will be some sort of discussion or project revolving around Lee’s new novel.

McLaughlin said that she’s curious about what the new novel will include.  She said, “If there was an even older version of Scout telling a story about Maycomb County life, such as life in the 1960s, I wonder how much different that life would be.  Would there still be discrimination? Racism?  Profiling?  Innocence?  Lessons about Equality?”

Catherine Richards, sophomore English teacher, is also anticipating the release of Go Set a Watchman.  She said, “I am very excited to see this novel released, but I don’t know what to expect.”  She too doesn’t think there will be enough time for the book in the sophomore curriculum but said “I hope students pick up the book and read it; maybe this novel would be good idea for summer reading.”