Unpopular opinion, I loved Go Set a Watchman. I loved the recontextualization of Atticus as what a "Sothern Gentleman" really was, how he was more in love with the law than any type of social justice. It showed TKAMB was told by a child from her perspective where her father could do no wrong, that he was idealized by both Scout and all of us to the point he wasn't a real person. And then she has to see him as an adult, as he truly is and what that means for her. I cried, to me it was so powerful. It just gave both books so much more meaning.
@crookedbird65893 жыл бұрын
I agree. It showed Atticus in a true light. What a southern gental man, Humm would have really been like,
@hive_indicator3183 жыл бұрын
100% yes!
@KatzePiano3 жыл бұрын
+
@ltlbuddha3 жыл бұрын
That is how I've heard it presented
@cml27573 жыл бұрын
I completely agree. And I read aloud some to my white, believing in justice family to show how those beliefs can be baked into our perceptions of society and our place in it.
@ob1quixote3 жыл бұрын
For the record, the implication is that Tom was "trying to escape," _i.e._ , the jailers murdered him.
@FredKaffenberger3 жыл бұрын
Yes. The guards' words filtered through Atticus's interpretation.
@muddi9002 жыл бұрын
It was clearly said that the jailers did not care one bit about Tom. He was a just another black man in the jail.
@FredKaffenberger2 жыл бұрын
@@muddi900 I'd be interested to see the citation from the book. The event is reported filtered through Atticus's perspective: it's a story which he tells, and his stories tend to idealize things.
@jkknight92092 жыл бұрын
He panicked and they were morons. The two don't mix well.
@jeffamell3501 Жыл бұрын
@@muddi900 no
@Bacopa683 жыл бұрын
Also, what about Calpurnia? This is the black character with the most coverage in the book. Calpurnia is the maid and part-time cook for the Finch family and a mother figure of sorts to Jem and Scout. She's not exactly a traditional "mammy" character. One way the movie disappointed me is that it left out a chapter where Jem and Scout spend a weekend at Calpurnia's house when Atticus has to go to Montgomery to do legal research. It was an amazing chapter and was a Calpurnia dominated chapter. Yeah, white words in a black character, but I learned things. For instance, I was beginning to learn bass guitar at the time after a bit of background in classical piano. The scene at Calpurnia's church blew me away. I was learning the pentatonic scales and the similar blues scales derived from West African music, along with blues harmony. I never knew why blues songs had repeated lines with two different harmonies until I read this part of the book. I have to say it made learning the music easier to know how it started. I really think this vid should have covered Calpurnia.
@stephaniehendricks35373 жыл бұрын
This video needs a part 2
@fabrisseterbrugghe85673 жыл бұрын
There's also the great scene in Watchman where Jean Louise visits Calpurnia and picks up on her family's anger at the Finch family.
@iRedEarth3 жыл бұрын
When my class had finished reading the book, the teacher said she was going to bring someone in to discuss it who didn't like the book. I think that was the first time the idea that not everything deemed important is universally liked, or needs to be liked, was presented. When the man came in I think the first thing he said after being introduced by the teacher was "the room got real quiet when you all saw me!" (He was Black).
@gentlerat3 жыл бұрын
I’ve heard some people say “Go Set a Watchman” is the better book because it’s not oversimplified but deals more honestly with upper class white collar racism. I’ll withhold judgement until I read it.
@theduchessofspring23953 жыл бұрын
It's great! I have the audio book.
@danjlp91552 жыл бұрын
I was always very critical of TKM for the reasons listed in the video. Go Set a Watchman was a pleasant surprise because it actually did address many of the systematic issues within southern society and held the white characters accountable for taking part in that system. Even Scout isn't free of any kind of responsibility. So, if you read TKM and were dissatisfied, Go Set a Watchman may be a good book to pick up.
@gregoryeatroff86082 жыл бұрын
I'm one of those people. I loved Jean Louise's realization that her father had feet of clay.
@megb77152 жыл бұрын
It was fine with me until Scout is taught a lesson about how the Lost Cause/ English cultural identity being the reason for the Civil War and segregation. The way it's presented makes it sound as if it's justified. She's called a bigot for not accepting the racists.
@KatzePiano3 жыл бұрын
I don't really think of Watchman as a sequel, more a glimpse of what Mockingbird might have been. For me, the Atticus of one is not synonymous with the Atticus of the other - they were not meant to co-exist and instead are set in distinct universes. If I remember correctly, the trial from Mockingbird is even mentioned in Watchman and has a different outcome. They're very different novels with very different intentions. Watchman isn't trying to be what Mockingbird ended up being. Instead it's a small story about discovering that the people you love aren't the perfect people your childhood mind thought they were. It's very fitting that Scout's shock and hurt at this discovery is mirrored by a lot of readers' reactions. While I think her editor was right in getting Harper Lee to focus on the childhood flashbacks so that Mockingbird could become what it did, I still found it a valuable read and am genuinely baffled why so many declare it unequivocally bad.
@namename22733 жыл бұрын
I love your point
@W4TSKY3 жыл бұрын
Yeah, I think it's better to look at GSAW as an early draft for Mockingbird rather than a sequel, because that's basically what it is.
@aaronkelly17622 жыл бұрын
Watchman was literally an early draft of Mockingbird. It's not an actual sequel.
@jkknight92092 жыл бұрын
Because we're tired of being miserable. We know how horrible and sick and traitorous and disgusting people are. We know life is not fair and there's a damn good chance we'll die of it. We just prefer to not be slobbered with darkness and misery hammering us that all life is dogshit, so we might as well just give up. People like feeling miserable and secretly justified that all people are worthless, so haha.
@Akilahfoye2 жыл бұрын
@@W4TSKY good point
@TroyBrinson3 жыл бұрын
I enjoyed this one. Especially the running gag. I only wish you spent some time with Calpurnia. I agree with the points you made about agency vs the white savior narrative, but “Cal” was an unsung hero in this book, and I always tried to follow her example when it comes to opening myself up to others and taking risks to stand for outsiders in your culture. I think an “unsung hero” episode of It’s Lit would be enlightening
@faemomofdragons3 жыл бұрын
I agree. When I teach TKAM, I always focus on Cal because she is so interesting, and people forget her because she's not much in the movie.
@lilren20212 жыл бұрын
She was one of my favorite characters in the book as well.
@stefanieprejean6609 Жыл бұрын
I has never heard of the white savior trope the first time I read the book as a teenager and didn't fully understand it then as I knew very little of the history of the Deep South at the time I read it. I thought that Atticus Finch was merely a decent man that believed in justice and fairness for everyone but knew that they would not win the case ( he actually says so in the book). Actually, that is still what I think. I only knew about the white savior idea about 2 years ago from reading someone's deconstruction of the Narnia books ( they looked at Prince Caspian that way). One of the main things I found interesting in the story was the night that Atticus was guarding the prison and Scout was oblivious to the fact that the men gathering there were an actual threat to him and Tom Robinson. She thought it was merely some kind of social gathering ( one of those times when a child thinks that adults are kind of odd and do strange things). At any rate, I have never thought of Atticus Finch as a white savior type exactly but just as a rather decent man who was trying to raise his kids to believe in justice and fairness and knew they were going to lose from the beginning but did the right thing anyway
@MaryamMaqdisi Жыл бұрын
@@stefanieprejean6609 I believe the trope is very strong in the narrative of the book itself though, the idea of bad white people being responsible for racism and good white people fighting them, where do we include non white people in the conversation? The perspective is racist because of the whole context and storytelling rather than just the character itself
@marygebbie66113 жыл бұрын
Your conclusion sums up my feelings pretty well too. It's fine to read that book, for school even, but it should be just one of many. If it is the sole work read to be used to discuss the heavy and complex history of racism, it is not adequate as a solitary representative.
@mandisaw3 жыл бұрын
When+where I grew up, we did Mockingbird in high-school (grades 9-12), as part of an entire American & World Literature framework that spanned all 4 years, with progressively more nuanced and complex stories told from various perspectives. Besides the annual Shakespeare (1-2 per year), and American Experience canon (Call of the Wild, Catcher in the Rye, A Separate Peace, Ethan Frome, etc), we also did Invisible Man, Things Fall Apart, Joy Luck Club, Catch-22, My Antonia, etc. A lot of poetry too - Langston Hughes & Maya Angelou stand out. It's fine to have "Southern white girl's POV", but it just needs to be one of many voices. The problem is that so many schools barely teach any literature / creative writing (or even basic literacy!), so the few books that are taught have to pull way too much weight.
@mollywantshugs59443 жыл бұрын
I died at GSAW being compared to Jar-Jar. Not a comparison I was expecting even if it does fit
@pe41943 жыл бұрын
I laughed out loud, it definitely holds true.
@josephkolar34433 жыл бұрын
Alexandra Petri rules.
@austintrousdale23973 жыл бұрын
So GSAW was a stealth Sith Lord 🤔 🙃
@CaraRowen3 жыл бұрын
I yelled out no and started laughing so hard I was crying
@rsanders7913 жыл бұрын
I just love how we don’t talk about the book that shall not be named. Spoke too soon anyway in the sequel the uncle was the best character
@lilredpandagirl96813 жыл бұрын
But Go Set A Watchman isn't a sequel.
@hive_indicator3183 жыл бұрын
@@lilredpandagirl9681 How is it not? The same protagonist at a later time is called what to you?
@nothingbutcute26853 жыл бұрын
The book that shall not be named??Voldemort has his own book???
@rsanders7913 жыл бұрын
@@lilredpandagirl9681 You’re right it’s more like a good case on why rewrites are important
@lilredpandagirl96813 жыл бұрын
@@nothingbutcute2685 I thought it was a reference to the Bible 🤷♀️
@mad_scadd89 Жыл бұрын
This is my all time favorite fiction book. It saddens me that they have taken it out of schools. Kids need to read this book to understand how horrifying racism was in the past to prevent it from ever becoming like that again.
@Bacopa683 жыл бұрын
BTW, I think even in TKAM Atticus can't be described as a white savior. Tom was convicted despite a robust defense in what should have been an easy acquittal. Tom later gives up on what white people can provide him and is killed in an escape attempt despite the fact that Atticus tells Tom there may be a good chance for an appeal. In this book an idealized version of a white savior fails, and fails absolutely. And not just because of poor white folks. Plenty of better off white people like the sheriff and DA supported Tom's indictment, as did a Grand Jury. And I doubt the jurors were riff-raff. I have always read this book as a subversion of the white savior narrative. Yes, white people of good intentions and high aspirations really did exist, but not in the numbers to really change things. I say this as the great-grandson of an white man who tried, and I think backed down. My great-grandfather was on the school board of his county in a rural area of Texas. I heard this story both from my grandmother and my father. I later learned that my mother had asked my grandmother's older siblings about this story, and she told them to me. The story varies in detail, as truthful accounts do. An exactly identical set of stories is a rehearsed lie. The factual core of the story that does not vary is that my great-grandfather was at a public comment meeting about school tax spending and while he was away, the KKK made a public comment at his house, threatening his wife and children. Not sure exactly why. My grandmother was just a little girl scared by the horses and torches. Great uncle "J" said it was because they were going to bring in a "college-educated Negro" as an assistant administrator. Great aunt "V" said she did not exactly know what the board vote was about. I don't know what happened the next week at the budget vote. I only know the Klan did not come back. Also, the term "white trash" is racist. Racist against black folks. The idea is that black people living in some state of degradation is understandable, you know, because of "natural" inferiority. Yes, yes, I fully understand that such degraded conditions are almost entirely the result of the legacy of slavery, the failed promises of Reconstruction, and subsequent racial oppression. But the "white trash" narrative claims otherwise. Black people have the supposed "excuse" of "innate" inferiority, while any white folks living like that must be total defectives.
@stefanieprejean6609 Жыл бұрын
I disagree about the jurors not being riff raff ( except the one Cunningham on the jury Atticus mentions in the book as being for acquittal). It was quite obvious that Bob Ewell's and Mayella's testimonies were lies and that he was the real culprit. It's especially obvious when one sees it dramatized in the movie. I believe the other jurors besides the one Atticus mentions were definitely racist and just wanting to convict Tom Robinson rather than examine the facts of the case.
@suleiman15203 жыл бұрын
I loved this book - first read it in high school and totally changed the way I look at the world.
@mikywinfield9087 Жыл бұрын
Lmao I thought u were my friend b/c his name is sulaman as well
@VogonPoetry2133 жыл бұрын
Forever pour one out for all the guys out there who were named after Atticus Finch 😭
@SP1CEANDW0LF3 жыл бұрын
I don't really think the new novel really sullied Atticus much in the general publics eyes, even of people that even know GSAW exists or have even read it, most are aware of the controversy of how it released, and how it was really a rough draft of what TKAMB could have been, instead of an actual sequel.
@JordanS-ww4eu2 ай бұрын
You mean lord Voldemort
@ironicallynice3 жыл бұрын
I have been reading Octavia Butler (Kindred, the Parable of the Sower) so thanks for showing me what to read now.
@lynnhawkins9523 жыл бұрын
If I may: Toni Morrison, anything and everything. Zora Neal Hurston: especially, Their Eyes Were Watching God. Nora Larsen: Passing. As a working poor white woman, these were my introductions to Black Women's voices. I am forever grateful for gift of their voices.
@wettale3 жыл бұрын
I was literally named after Atticus Finch... I'm a POC, it's been confusing lol
@mikehenry013 жыл бұрын
It shouldn't be confusing for anyone who's read the book. :-)
@Bacopa683 жыл бұрын
There's also a tradition among upper class southern white folks of using names from classical Greek and Roman literature for themselves and also for their slaves. They also used names from the Anglo-Saxon period. Black people have followed this tradition even though white people gave it up. If you hear someone is named Darius or Cedric, you know they're black. Same with Atticus. It just means "from Attica", a region in Greece.
@wettale3 жыл бұрын
@@Bacopa68 thank you, thank you. Being that I grew up and exist now at 28 years old with the name Atticus.. English.. I am very familiar with the entomology of my name. Apart from the unfortunate realization that Atticus Finch wasn't who I thought he was supposed to be, I've had to deal with daily interactions about how 'cool' or 'unique' my name is, I was worn out on that by College
@JordanS-ww4eu2 ай бұрын
What is a POC ?
@Angel-pg7nmАй бұрын
@@JordanS-ww4eu Acronym meaning Person Of Color, basically anyone who's not white
@FredKaffenberger3 жыл бұрын
The whole book is about Scout learning to not trust herself and to trust what Atticus says instead, like Jem does. Atticus says: the Klan is Gone. Tom was shot by white guards while trying to escape, but he knew that he would be killed and that was his choice, similar to Jem's statement Boo Radley's choice to stay inside all the time because of predjudice. The Klan wasn't gone. The guards may have shot Tom whether escaping or not. Boo Radley stayed inside because his father wanted to protect him.
@hypeasaurusrex34223 жыл бұрын
It seems pointless to examine TKAM by today's lens. A book in which white people are the perpetrators of racial injustice and how wrong it is written by a white person might not be so relevant today, but during the 1960's it absolutely was. With the civil rights movement in full swing, virtue signalling wasn't a thing. You could still face societal repercussions for the mere suggestion that non-whites deserved equal treatment. This examination also seems lacking in a lot of ways. I get that some of the other source material being pulled from is also to blame. The point of the book was showing empathy for everyone. Anti-racism was a facet of that theme. Boo Radley, a very important character, was mentioned in a single line in this video, and was another pivotal plot device for Scout's growth. The argument that TKAM is a portrayal of poor white people being the sole perpetrators of racism seems shallow given that the book takes place during the Great Depression, most people were poor. Not only that, but people of similar social standing to Atticus are overtly racist. His direct peer, the lawyer for the prosecution, for example. Scout was a child and an outside observer to the black community. During a time of extreme segregation, it would have been unnatural for her to observe the lives of black people in her town in depth. Her family's cook Calpurnia (another person responsible for a lot of Scout's growth and not mentioned enough) is a black woman who takes the kids to her church where Scout is introduced to her community for probably the first time in her life. I have never believed that Atticus was a paragon of anti-racism either. While having empathy, he was imperfect. He was an upstanding lawyer, however, and believed that every man deserves a fair trial, and so he agreed to represent someone most wouldn't, which in part led to Scout's awakening to empathy for all people, along with her interactions with Boo Radley and others. I wish the idea that Atticus is the only character that should be focused on, for any reason, would die. So many people were involved in Scout realizing all people deserve to be treated with respect who are always ignored during discussions of this book. The book isn't perfect, and by today's standards it doesn't stand up as a great depiction of allyship, but for all of its faults it was an important book when it was published and I believe it's an important read, if only because it's beautifully written and a good example of American literature.
@amvfan153 жыл бұрын
"Please stop naming your children after fictional characters" tell that to my cousin who named his daughter Kylo Ren
@revan08903 жыл бұрын
I feel sorry for her.
@amvfan153 жыл бұрын
@@revan0890 Yeah you aint the only one
@Sgtpepper10193 жыл бұрын
Like any classic text, I think Mockingbird should be neither accepted nor rejected wholesale but should be analyzed critically for its merits and faults, and as a product of the context it arose from, and that is precisely what this video does. As a hispanic kid who grew up in a northern city, I have a fair bit of psychological distance from the Mockingbird and other Southern-set classics, but I have always found them eerie and often touching parables of American identity and the American experience. My favorites in this idiom are probably A Lesson before Dying by Gaines and The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by McCullers. One I think is underrated (though also limited in perspective) is Graceanne's Book by P.L. Whitney.
@FlyToTheRain3 жыл бұрын
my required read was in 8th grade. the language arts teacher was obsessed with it and our social studies teacher joked (?) about how much room the stacks of books took up and how he was going to get rid of them. in an entirely opposite experience, a few years after i had to read it for school our local theater did a stage production of it. a childhood friend of mine played mayella ewell and it was seriously the most emotionally moving performance i've ever had the privilege of witnessing.
@alisamarie27443 жыл бұрын
Omg love her KZfaq vids, I didn’t know she did vids for storied but I really glad she does
@samthegreatman3 жыл бұрын
Your subscriptions are similar to mines lol
@Sunshine-zm1fx3 жыл бұрын
I would love it if this KZfaq channels had a list of every book mentioned in the written description below the video. That would be such an amazing resource to give your viewers.
@moniqueloomis97722 жыл бұрын
👏👏👏
@leoharrison74492 жыл бұрын
It’s nice to see an actual intelligent good faith criticism of TKAMB because there are so many people who just love the idea of criticising things people love
@The_Reviewist3 жыл бұрын
I always find it fascinating when I hear about how scholarly writers have written whole theses on how one novel, telling one story, fails to "adequately explain/exculpate/admonish or atone" for an entire system and history of something. It's like... they don't get that, it's still just a story at the end of the day, and the other book is also still just a story. Maybe don't put all the weight and needs of academia onto one text written by a first-time author's published or unpublished novel? Personally, I always liked TKAMB, it's a great story, and it teaches some good lessons of tolerance, understanding and open-mindedness, while painting a very specific (if fictionalised) viewpoint of a time and place. Similarly, I would guess that GSAW does the same, and I will read it someday. Also, complaining that a novel by an upper-middle class southern white woman in the 50s fails to accurately portray the experience of the working class black community at that time... just seems a little bit of a facile statement.
@sarahberlaud42853 жыл бұрын
I think that the issue lies more in the fact that the work is upheld as sort of a pinnacle of anti-racism by so much of North America. It is, as you say, just a story, just one in a sea of many... and yet it is, for many young folk, the only novel dealing with racism as a central theme, that they may ever study in school or even read (depending on their hobbies). I suppose that's why the video started by explaining what a huge and longstanding bestseller it is. Boards of Education all over could be making better choices to open discussion on this critical and relevant subject, and it feels like it gets chosen to make us white folk not feel too responsible (just as Ms. Weekes says in the video). Rather than thinking of it as an attack on TKAM or on Ms. Lee, I'd rather think of it as a questioning of the work's relevance to our society today if we want to move forward beyond the type of anti-racism measures that, while not without some merit, currently aren't working fantastically well. "Complaining that a novel by an upper-middle class southern white woman in the 50s fails to accurately portray the experience of the working class black community at that time... just seems a little bit of a facile statement," to me, misses the point. We're not complaining that Harper Lee failed to portray something she didn't experience, we're complaining that this is considered just about THE major text dealing with racism that schools feed to children of all races and backgrounds, and often the only one many white children may ever read in-depth.
@dmrobg30912 жыл бұрын
@@sarahberlaud4285 Which, by itself is a symptom of a system trying to whitewash its own history. Its in the same way that Dr King's communist theories aren't discussed, or the violence that was required to propel the Civil Rights movement isn't discussed.
@amandahartsell92473 жыл бұрын
Love this book but agree with all the points. I do think it should be taught in school but ONLY within a curriculum that includes Black writers. Now that I’m thinking about it, Beloved as an anti-racist text has stuck with me more.
@hobihope29813 жыл бұрын
Honestly the fact that the American education system doesn't require many black authors in their curriculum is atrocious. I think the only works we ever read were The Autobiography of Malcom X (6th grade) and Fences (10th grade). BUT I graduated in 2014, so hopefully things are getting a bit more diversified 🤞
@Bacopa683 жыл бұрын
Some anti-racists texts like "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison and the venerable "Huckleberry Finn" have been removed from school reading lists for their use of racist language. Really? You are censoring a black man for describing his own experiences and censoring a white man who showed how an uneducated white boy could overcome all he was taught at what he believed was a risk to his salvation to fight the system. "All right, then, I'll go to hell." Some say it's the best line in all of American literature.
@allmigthygoddess9392 жыл бұрын
that's racist amanda
@allmigthygoddess9392 жыл бұрын
@@hobihope2981 that's racist Hobi
@Aurelian369_2 жыл бұрын
@@allmigthygoddess939 how is that racist 😂😂😂
@jessicaclakley36913 жыл бұрын
My English teacher mother will love this episode
@captainshadow37563 жыл бұрын
If anyone is looking for the black experience and perspective of the Jim Crow south to come from a Harper Lee book, well that's just really, really weird. It's been quite a while since I read the book but I remember Atticus in the book wasn't portrayed as gloriously in the movie adaptation. Some tend to conflate the two. Might just be my own flawed headcanon but I remember Atticus in the book wasn't so pure as the movie portrays. Who is the book for? Anyone who's interested in Harper Lee's experience and perspective of the Jim Crow South.
@OomaGooma3 жыл бұрын
Atticus is such a cool name. It’s the name I use whenever I need to name my characters in video games.
@faemomofdragons3 жыл бұрын
I agree on a lot of points here. You did an excellent job. TKAM cannot be a stand alone text to discuss racism in America. I do think Lee is a lot harder on the Southern Whites, including the "upper class," than you give her credit for. Aunt Alexandra is vile. The missionary tea scene is truly horrible in only the way being surrounded by sexist, racist, white, upper middle class women can be. I teach it every year because it says some interesting stuff about racism, sexism, and classism. Cal says some interesting things about code switching and double consciousness. After reading TKAM, I teach Langston Hughes, Maya Angelou, and Audre Lorde.
@laexploradoraaaXD3 жыл бұрын
I'm very glad my teacher chose to teach Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry instead of TKAMB
@greubermeister22 жыл бұрын
"An introduction to empathy, but at a distance." I love that, this is a wonderful take! Gives me new insight into TKAMB. I will say, however tangential, I did really enjoy Go Set a Watchman. The anger, frustration, and confusion that the readers felt when discovering Atticus was racist struck me as poetic given that Scout was going through the exact same dissonance; she could not believe her father, the devoted symbol of justice, could be that wrong. The whole book felt like her trying to come to terms with that, something I wish readers could do as well alongside her. Ah well, I totally get the outrage, but I still liked it personally.
@graphosxp3 жыл бұрын
Ahmed Best's performance as Jar Jar Binks was absolutely fantastic and it it so sad that Lucas bowed to pressure and reduced Jar Jar Binks to a background joke. At the very least a new prominent character should have been created for Episodes 2 and 3 with the role given to Ahmed Best!
@tobybartels84263 жыл бұрын
Jar Jar should have been revealed as the true Sith Lord behind the whole thing!
@twilighterification3 жыл бұрын
The only one joke is brilliant
@atticusshadowmore3263 Жыл бұрын
I am an Atticus. My parents for whatever reason love Go Set a Watchman. They can not seem to understand why I have issues with it
@iciajay68913 жыл бұрын
I'm Canadian, we read this in schools here.
@keithgehman39453 жыл бұрын
Love this series, Princess Weekes, please never stop!
@chopchop89163 жыл бұрын
It's one of my favourite books, largely because my late grandfather gave it to me and Atticus (as played by Greogory Peck in the film, which I also watched with my grandfather) reminded me of him. This is one of the reasons I cannot engage with GSAW personally (that and the dubious story behind its publication, it makes me feel so sad to think about how she was taken advantage of), though my two cents is that it should be taken as an 'alternate' version, or just one possible version, since it was written before. I'm also Irish, so some of the context is missing for me. It's on the curriculum here, but many schools don't choose it (we did Of Mice and Men), but I defenitely agree - I think it's a fine book, I read it when I was eleven and am glad that I did, BUT it should not be read by a teacher who then closes it and says 'okay we learned about racism, let's move on'
@KOB9233 жыл бұрын
I will never read GSAW. I fully believe that it was published by vultures taking advantage of Lee's diminished capacity. So, so sad.
@GamerSlyRatchet13 жыл бұрын
Yeah, that was always my issue with it, not some image of Atticus being shattered or anything.
@lunartears67612 жыл бұрын
I think it’s a bit of both, but I won’t let that diminish the conversation that it opened up to me as a kid.
@gregoryeatroff86082 жыл бұрын
While no one should force you to read anything, I think you're missing out. I found GSaW fascinating.
@njlkerins3 жыл бұрын
Excellent episode, thank you. Very thought-provoking.
@mau_victorino3 жыл бұрын
Tequila Mockingbird is now my band's name
@pvtpain66k3 жыл бұрын
"Their Khaleesi turned fascist..." Nope, NOPE, NOPE!! IT'S STILL TOO SOON! OH, BY THE GOD'S SHE'S DONE IT NOW!!! *flips table* FETCH THE BREAST PLATE STREACHER!!!!
@Krylov2232 жыл бұрын
"Introduction to empathy" was a great line.
@Jim48151623423 жыл бұрын
Saying that we should follow up TKAM with a book that actually follows a black perspective is awesome. Almost every critic I see of the book says it should be replaced with an undefined book by an undefined black author. It definitely does feel like it is for a primarily white audience, but there is more there for everybody. The white P.O.V. is important while white people still set the course for society- as society spends more time and effort examining the perspectives of non-white people, this becomes a bit less vital. But the rest of the novel is also important. The way characters constantly judge others based on income, race, or... I believe they actually use the term "breeding"... makes it a good way to get people to think about prejudice in general. Atticus being impotent to change society shows the legitimate frustration that a lot of progressives face. (It is easy to make negative changes, as Bob Ewell attempts, but it is harder to make positive ones.)
@exmcgee16472 жыл бұрын
Literally one of my all time favorites
@omnitoad21873 жыл бұрын
This book was always very special to me. It's the first book I scored an A on in english class tests and book report without actually having read at all. It taught me the value of ignoring school as an educational institution and viewing it more as child jail. A lesson that has served me better than literally everything I learned in school.
@Bacopa683 жыл бұрын
Well, there's a section where Jem and Scout go to Calpurnia's house for a long weekend. They go to Calpurnia's church and I leaned why blues songs are the way they are.
@thaliakottke69523 жыл бұрын
I, too, loved GSAW realizing that it was from the point of view of an adult Scout. I felt that it was much less edited than TKAM, knowing the history of Harper Lee having worked very extensively with her editor. In comparison, GSAW felt less much edited. But I love both and may just go read them both again.
@mr_fyahz96243 жыл бұрын
This was one of the best books I got to read in highschool. What a read!
@FIRING_BLIND Жыл бұрын
Can we just have some love for Boo Radley in the comments? I remember loving his character so much.
@darkjaden-fe Жыл бұрын
"Stop naming your children after fictional characters" don't listen to her Naruto Kurosaki, you were named after two of the bravest men I've ever known
@Exspence2 жыл бұрын
Ha ha that closing comment destroyed me, my daughter is named Scout because of a fever dream her mum had about this book whilst pregnant
@fennecfoxfanatic3 жыл бұрын
The book is a starting point and not the ending point
@meganhartmann1803 жыл бұрын
that's a good way to put it
@tomhalla4263 жыл бұрын
There is an old tendency among moralists to want all literature to tell the message they want given, rather than just being a more or less honest portrayal of how liberal white people in the late 1950’s felt about an issue. I am reminded of the comment that H.G. Wells’ later novels limped because “he sold his birthright for a pot of message”.
@Kumikoete3 жыл бұрын
My niece is 4 and her name is Khaleesi🤣🤣🤣 Her mother regrets NOTHING😂🤦🏽♀️
@lilredpandagirl96813 жыл бұрын
Because that is what is being discussed.
@Kumikoete3 жыл бұрын
@@lilredpandagirl9681 And?
@medusa_slayer3 жыл бұрын
I've read the comic version and the story , especially at the end , was so facked up but also so well written ... Gave me goosebumps
@Elfos643 жыл бұрын
On one hand, I kind of respect the nerve Go Set a Watchman had in calling out disingenuous support- that despite all their big convincing talk, they were just playing a role they for some reason felt they had to play- a real issue that media rarely touches upon in a non-shallow/ham-fisted manner. On the other hand, I dislike the bleak depressing message it suggests, that there might not be any such thing as true allies with the self awareness to see issue in the system they benefit from at the expense of others, that any of them could be phonies. But it isn't quite the latter; while Atticus Finch was in fact revealed to be disingenuous, Scout clearly actually believed in those values that Atticus only pretended to, she was actually disgusted with him for not living up to the image he projected of himself and taught her to follow. And despite how prejudiced Atticus was, he didn't really try to convince Scout that she was wrong for disagreeing with him, he respected that she stood up for what she believed in. The book ultimately reveals allies like Scout exist, but be weary of people like Atticus. But then again, disingenuous as it was, Atticus did still help people like Tom Robinson and inspire people like Scout, Scout's sincere belief had no such large-scale impact. Begrudgingly, we can't really afford to be without the Atticus Finches of the world, the Scouts of the world aren't enough to stand up to the Robert Ewells of the world. That's a bold and mature message.
@philippebrehier73863 жыл бұрын
"Every adult should read (it) before they die ahead of the bible." Absolutly. And they also should read the bible, but completely, from start to finish; it's the best way to become an atheist. ;-)
@MonnyArcade3 жыл бұрын
Agreed. Anyway if you want a black child narrated story set in the same era then read Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. It's basically what TKAM should have been - black authored, black family centred. Black people are not objects passive in their own fate, but have actions and personalities and ways of handling things. And even the "good" non-racist white people are not White Saviour tropes.
@meganhartmann1803 жыл бұрын
That was one my favorite reads during middle school. Thanks for bringing it into the conversation!
@stefanieprejean6609 Жыл бұрын
I would prefer to read TKAM as I like Scout, Jem, and Atticus so much.(I am sure Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry is a good book and it's one my daughter read as part of a series of books assigned in school)
@calmyourmind56653 жыл бұрын
When she got to GSAW, I had to go get another drink and prepare myself.
@thedragondemands51863 жыл бұрын
1:50 three murders in the span of a year? Robinson and Ewell...she didn't personally witness Robinson but even counting that, what was the third one?
@shkee233 жыл бұрын
The dog?
@Wolfy395652 жыл бұрын
THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITES
@zam6877 Жыл бұрын
This is great We tell ourselves stories to reassure that we are OK But keeps us from reality's gray areas And holds us back from moving to deal with those realities
@arnettrabaker48723 жыл бұрын
Y’all coming for the American canon’s neck! I’m here for it!
@hihihi45ify2 жыл бұрын
Princess should have a spot in every highscool english lit class!
@billyalarie9293 жыл бұрын
Also. One (1). Only one and not more than that.
@Ninnative2 жыл бұрын
"The Jar Jar of classic literature" Lmao damn, that's rough 😆
@jeffcherubin90732 жыл бұрын
I heard bad reviews about Go Set A Watchmen but 'the Jar-Jar of classic literature' had me pausing this video like DAMN!
@Xochimique3 жыл бұрын
Wait... doesn't "Go Set a Watchman" fix those issues that caused criticism for the first novel?
@fabrisseterbrugghe85673 жыл бұрын
@@John-ir4id And don't forget Zora Neale Hurston.
@kimsmith17462 жыл бұрын
I used to read TKAM annually. Then I read Go Set a Watchman...which was, in fact, published prior to this video, and barely before Harper Lee's passing. I haven't read either since. More interesting, TKAM was Harper's legacy, her only one. She never married (was Truman Capote's beard) and never had children. She was, like so many before her, destined to leave a mark so great, that descendents were superfluous. (Abraham Lincoln has no living descendents, no does Benjamin Franklin...just food for thought).
@medusa_slayer3 жыл бұрын
First😄😃. What a pleasure to be here for the queen.
@amandabeaty14922 жыл бұрын
In the constitution, it is an individual's right to have adequate representation. I always thought Atticus took on this case, not to fight the racial injustices of the world but because everyone is entitled to a defense. I never viewed him as a white savior. I always saw him as defense attorney. But that's just my opinion.
@-tera-33452 жыл бұрын
Yeah, that's the impression I always got, as well. He was only defending because it was his job, and he was going to do his job to the best of his ability, no matter what it took. I seem to remember him pretty explicitly never having any actual personal attachment to the case.
@nicolaezenoaga97562 жыл бұрын
Thanks.
@susieboo223 жыл бұрын
The main reason I suspect GSAW wasn't really meant to be published was all the continuity errors. Aside from the radical changes in Atticus' character, GSAW says he got Tom Robinson acquitted. And, like... no. No, he didn't. The entire last section of TKAM would've gone VERY differently if he had. The fact that such a blatant and major error got through makes me think no one even bothered to edit the damn thing. Just a soulless cash-grab from a publisher.
@zeusros11 ай бұрын
For me, this is the story of two people (father and daughter) who try to do the right thing when all is against them. They lose, but they are right. That's matter more for the society, instead of do nothing in front an injustice. The "new book" is like when you try to return to your origin. You have changed, but you see how the old ideas and ignorance is still present in our society.
@karlmark99673 жыл бұрын
Your contents, the never disappoint
@ebmosier1 Жыл бұрын
I grew up white middle class in the Midwest in a pretty progressive (though probably very sheltered) household where the idea of treating someone badly because of their skin color was really foreign to me. I read TKAM in 8th grade and completely identified with Scout's naïve viewpoint, though I think it's one of the book's strengths - to children, the notions of racism and discrimination seem ridiculous. Telling someone they're somehow inferior because they look different is, at its core, total nonsense. We'd learned about Southern segregation and Jim Crow in Social Studies, so I knew the context, but I remember reading about the trial and thinking, "He's clearly innocent, why is this even happening?" It seemed like such an obvious injustice. Side note: The only fictional character name I would use would be Jo(sephine) from Little Women if I were to have a kid.
@Just.a.person593 жыл бұрын
I read it in my late 20s and really enjoyed it.
@melanietoth13762 жыл бұрын
Excellent points here. Thank you for the insight
@samwheat24803 жыл бұрын
Fabulous video as always.
@ferysdj13643 жыл бұрын
I kinda like the Scarlett letter 👉👈
@FIRING_BLIND Жыл бұрын
My mom played Scout in a production of the play adaptation when she was a kid-so its always been a novel i think of fondly. I agree with Princess. TKAM still has its place in American literature. But black voices need to be heard as well. I love this book, and as Princess said-its a great "introduction to empathy" -something many parents are failing to model, let alone teach their children. I also think that because its written from a white perspective, it makes the ending-that Tom was wrongly accused, but convicted anyways, hit different. For a white child reading this, its a travesty of justice-a betrayla of everything theyve been taught America stands for. It makes the ending very powerful for young white readers imo. I of course, say this as a white person. I can understand why it would not have much of an impact on black students. But its not the black students who need to be shown what racism can do to ruin a persons life.
@ltlbuddha3 жыл бұрын
IMO, TKAMB should only ever be considered as an entry into exploring race in America and never as a sole read.
@red198650711 ай бұрын
Last year I paired TKAM with Warriors Don’t Cry. Parents complained. But not about TKAM.
@rrrosecarbinela3 жыл бұрын
Thank you. Good perspective.
@FaithfulHorrorhound3 жыл бұрын
Michiko says that, yet Stephen King's short, 1922, has some exact same statements from the anti-hero. Odd world, publishing.
@celianunn20702 жыл бұрын
When I had to read TKAM for my english class, I couldnt finish it. Now, I'm an avid reader and was reading ahead of the class. I was allowed to do this as long as I did the worksheets. Anyway, when it got to the point where it was "revealed" (use it loosely cuz anyone that knows the red flags could have seen it beforehand) that Bob was actually sexually assaulting his daughter, I couldnt finish due to my PTSD. My teacher was understanding and allowed me to move on to the next book instead. But theres one part I distinctly remember, wasnt it Bob's plan to frame Tom for the assault(s) in the first place so he wont get caught and could still keep his other children? Or am I remembering it wrong?? 🤔
@grapeshot3 жыл бұрын
It's crazy once the sequel did come out many many years later her father Atticus Finch did turn out to be a racist white supremacist. Now disappointed in his hippie sounding daughter.
@Jabberstax7 ай бұрын
I find it hard to take some of this criticism seriously.
@TexRenner3 жыл бұрын
Excellent content made better by you delivery.
@Mu51kM4n3 жыл бұрын
Poor Jar Jar, gets more hate than he deserves
@soukokkyuuu38803 жыл бұрын
Can you make video about Vrykolakas
@MXOtaku2 жыл бұрын
I just finished reading the sequel "Go Set a Watchman"
@KristiContemplates3 жыл бұрын
Thanks for sharing 🤔 I have more to think about
@annefoley6950 Жыл бұрын
Yep, she nails it spot on. Empathy with distance. The book that introduced me to racism, but fell short later on, when compared with Black voices.
@petroglyph888mcgregor23 жыл бұрын
at 5:08, not "southern progressivism", but rather "southern classic liberalism". although I don't know what to make of Scout calling her dad 'Atticus' all the time. [Sorry about the nit-pick. This video is awesome IMHO. So many points covered.]
@sethh19439 ай бұрын
Scout didn’t witness Tom Robinson’s murder though. I expected better from PBS.
@Jabberstax7 ай бұрын
PBS is not what it used to be. As with the BBC, standards have fallen sharply over the last two decades.
@rafaela000023 жыл бұрын
Yes new video!!
@arthurrubiera8029 Жыл бұрын
How do you feel about Huckleberry Finn? Would you do a video on that?
@JordanS-ww4eu2 ай бұрын
Yes definitely please dude yess man
@cyberlux2 жыл бұрын
As a conservative, I’d just like to express my appreciation and respect for the perspective Princess Weekes shares on the topics covered in the It’s Lit series. I may not always agree, but I do enjoy exploring her understanding and presentation. I see no reason not to teach Mockingbird alongside Uncle Tom’s Children (or similar) in school. More understanding leads to less “othering”, and we could use a lot less othering right now. Well done.
@likebot.3 жыл бұрын
I read this in school... apparently with polarized lenses ;)