Apparently, Atticus Finch, traditionally seen as the model of restraint and patient moderation in the Old South, rising above the prejudices of the Jim Crow South, was himself a blatant racist. He sympathizes with the Ku Klux Klan, and is himself a segregationist.
In Harper Lee's 'Go Set a Watchman' Finch is portrayed as an almost seething racist in his own right, in a book that is newly published, but which actually predates 'To Kill a Mockingbird.'
These revelations about obvious character flaws for a previously beloved character have generated some considerable controversy within the literary community, as well as in the wider society in general.
Here is a link to one fascinating article. It is a New York Times book review that examines some of these surprising things about Harper Lee's latest novel to be released:
Harper Lee’s ‘Go Set a Watchman’ By RANDALL KENNEDYJULY 14, 2015
"Harper Lee Announces Third Novel, ‘My Excellent Caretaker Deserves My Entire Fortune'"
ReplyDeleteNEW YORK—Shocking the literary world once again, acclaimed author Harper Lee announced through her publisher Tuesday the surprise release of her third novel, My Excellent Caretaker Deserves My Entire Fortune. “On behalf of Ms. Lee, we’re delighted to bring the public this moving new story, which follows the heartwarming relationship between a deaf and nearly blind author in the small-town South and the extremely kind and attentive caretaker to whom she wills every penny of her $45 million estate,” said HarperCollins president Michael Morrison, adding that the 185-page tale vividly brings to life the setting of a present-day assisted living facility in Monroeville, AL, where an 89-year-old protagonist named Harper comes to the life-changing decision to hand over all the money in her bank account, her property, and all future proceeds from the books she has published to her extremely upstanding and unselfish friend and lawyer, Tonja. “This is a triumphant and uplifting tale of dedicated, exemplary caregiving and the substantial monetary bequest it inspires, told by one of America’s greatest living writers. Readers will be deeply touched by the heroine’s stirring reflections on human warmth and her repeated assertions that she is mentally competent and fit to make her own legal decisions.” Morrison added that, without spoiling too much, he could reveal that the book’s final pages feature a fully notarized last will and testament signed by the author herself.
SOURCE: The Onion (big surprise there!)