In the discussions of Harper Lee’s new book, Go Set a Watchman, one major issue has been how this will affect schools that teach To Kill a Mockingbird. On the one hand, Harper Lee’s first book presents a rather simple and static Atticus Finch and her new book transforms him into a more dynamic and realistic character. On the other hand, Go Set a Watchman eventually became To Kill a Mockingbird for a reason- it presents a powerful message of hope that when taught properly, students benefit greatly from it. However, despite the fact that many people believe that To Kill a Mockingbird is a strong enough book to be taught on its own as it has lasted the tests of time, teaching both To Kill a Mockingbird and Go Set a Watchman is valuable because
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Professor Osamudia Jones puts it impeccably: “Racism is not a binary where you 're either bad and racist, or good and non-racist, and our national dialogue about race must move beyond these two simple categories to an understanding of how 'good ' white people often make decisions that subordinate blacks as a group.” Society views race and racism in a black and white way- there is no gray area- but that is not how it works. If someone is an upstanding person, they can still be racist and vice versa. The only way to fix this narrow mindset is to facilitate discussion about it, which is exactly what Go Set a Watchman adds to the table. Schools can now have meaningful conversations about what it means to be a moral person and racism in general, while using literary figures that are easy to relate …show more content…
For instance, young adult author Eliot Schrefer states that To Kill a Mockingbird has lasted the test of time due to its status as a literary masterpiece that inspires hope “and will continue to be taught in classrooms long after more of us have stopped talking about 'Watchman.’” To Kill a Mockingbird was published just over a half a century ago and it is still taught in classrooms across America today due to its ability to eradicate the darkness in the world without dimming the light. It teaches students how to stay positive and hopeful in the darkest of times- a lesson that will supposedly last much longer than the messages Go Set a Watchman
Professor Osamudia Jones puts it impeccably: “Racism is not a binary where you 're either bad and racist, or good and non-racist, and our national dialogue about race must move beyond these two simple categories to an understanding of how 'good ' white people often make decisions that subordinate blacks as a group.” Society views race and racism in a black and white way- there is no gray area- but that is not how it works. If someone is an upstanding person, they can still be racist and vice versa. The only way to fix this narrow mindset is to facilitate discussion about it, which is exactly what Go Set a Watchman adds to the table. Schools can now have meaningful conversations about what it means to be a moral person and racism in general, while using literary figures that are easy to relate …show more content…
For instance, young adult author Eliot Schrefer states that To Kill a Mockingbird has lasted the test of time due to its status as a literary masterpiece that inspires hope “and will continue to be taught in classrooms long after more of us have stopped talking about 'Watchman.’” To Kill a Mockingbird was published just over a half a century ago and it is still taught in classrooms across America today due to its ability to eradicate the darkness in the world without dimming the light. It teaches students how to stay positive and hopeful in the darkest of times- a lesson that will supposedly last much longer than the messages Go Set a Watchman