Should I read Go Set a Watchman before To Kill a Mockingbird?

Category: books and literature fiction
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1 Answer. Definitely read To Kill a Mockingbird first. Although Go Set a Watchman reads more as a first draft of To Kill a Mockingbird, without reading Mockingbird, much of the bigotry Atticus displays in Watchman will not be unusual.



Considering this, should I read Go Set a Watchman?

If you believe a book can have literary merit despite being splintered in places, that something incomplete can still be as vital and thoughtful as something whole, that repulsive and unsettling things are worth confronting, then yes, Go Set a Watchman is entirely worth reading.

Likewise, why should you read To Kill a Mockingbird? Why everyone should read To Kill a Mockingbird
  1. It teaches you how to respect others and your elders.
  2. It's okay to not be a girly-girl.
  3. It's relatable.
  4. It teaches you about the past, first-hand.
  5. It teaches you the proper way to handle confrontation and that there are consequences for those that don't handle it properly.
  6. Don't judge a book by it's cover.

Keeping this in consideration, was Go Set a Watchman written before To Kill a Mockingbird?

Go Set a Watchman is a novel by Harper Lee written before her first and only other published novel, the Pulitzer Prize–winning To Kill a Mockingbird. Although initially promoted as a sequel by its publisher, it is now accepted as being a first draft of To Kill a Mockingbird with many passages being used again.

What Supreme Court decision is in Go Set a Watchman?

In Harper Lee's 'Go Set a Watchman,' a less noble Atticus Finch. After the Supreme Court issued its landmark 1954 decision in Brown v. Board of Education, declaring segregation in public schools unconstitutional, Robert Penn Warren set off on a journey south.

23 Related Question Answers Found

Is there a movie for Go Set a Watchman?

Netflix, which has rights to show “To Kill a Mockingbird” on its service, has not yet considered “Go Set a Watchman” as the basis for a new film or show, a person briefed on the matter said. HBO similarly has no plans for a film project.

How many copies of Go Set a Watchman have been sold?

Harper Lee's “Go Set a Watchman” sold more than 1.1 million copies in North America in its first week on sale, and now has more than 3.3 million copies in print, the publisher, HarperCollins, said Monday.

How do you kill a mocking?

Atticus warns them that, although they can "shoot all the bluejays they want", they must remember that "it's a sin to kill a mockingbird". Confused, Scout approaches her neighbor Miss Maudie, who explains that mockingbirds never harm other living creatures.

When was Harper Lee considered a success?

Perhaps most remarkable is that Lee made such an impact despite having published only two novels, one of which wasn't even out until 2015. It was her 1960 novel To Kill a Mockingbird that made her career, becoming an instant bestseller, a blockbuster film and wracking up numerous awards in the process.

How many parts in Go Set a Watchman?


Mockingbird is structured in 30 chapters divided between two sections; Watchman consists of seven parts including 19 chapters.

Why did Harper Lee write To Kill a Mockingbird?

Harper Lee began writing To Kill a Mockingbird in the mid-1950s. It was published in 1960, just before the peak of the American civil rights movement. Initial critical responses to the novel were mixed. Many critics praised Lee for her sensitive treatment of a child's awakening to racism and prejudice.

Did Harper Lee write To Kill a Mockingbird?

Harper Lee. Monroeville, Alabama, U.S. It was inspired by racist attitudes in her hometown of Monroeville, Alabama. She also wrote the novel Go Set a Watchman in the mid-1950s and published it in July 2015 as a sequel to Mockingbird, but it was later confirmed to be merely her first draft of Mockingbird.

Is Harper Lee still alive?

Deceased (1926–2016)

Who really wrote Go Set a Watchman?

Harper Lee

What does To Kill a Mockingbird teach us?

To Kill a Mockingbird taught us about bravery, injustice, inequality, poverty, racism, corruption, hatred, oppression, how we should judge people by their character and nothing else, how the people we are scared of are often not very frightening at all and how those we view as superior or in charge are sometimes the

Why is To Kill a Mockingbird so famous?

Why the book resonated
Mockingbird explores themes of racial prejudice and injustice as well as love and the coming-of-age of Scout and Jem, Finch's children. It was published just as the United States civil rights movement was gaining momentum and has resonated with readers across cultural lines.

Why is To Kill a Mockingbird a literary classic?


Atticus agrees to defend Tom Robinson, one of the town's black residents, who is falsely accused of raping a white woman. The book is considered an American literary classic for its exploration of moral human nature and the importance of doing good.

Is To Kill a Mockingbird The best book ever?

To Kill a Mockingbird has been voted the 'Greatest novel of all time' according to a new poll. The story by Harper Lee follows Atticus Finch, a respected lawyer, who defends a black man accused of assaulting a white woman in the deep-south of America during the depression.

Why is To Kill a Mockingbird considered the great American novel?

To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee's renowned coming-of-age story about racism and injustice in the American south, was voted the US's best-loved novel by millions of readers as part of a national poll. Provided the novel was written in English, authors could be from anywhere in the world.