When comparing similar novels to each other, there are often large differences between them, including characters. This example is especially prominent in Harper Lee’s works To Kill a Mockingbird and Go Set a Watchman. The character Atticus Finch, who like almost all of the characters, is in both novels and shows a great difference in attitude between the novels. Throughout To Kill a Mockingbird he defends black people whereas in Go Set a Watchman he says some regrettable things about them. At some point between the two books Harper Lee decides to change Atticus Finch’s character greatly.
In To Kill a Mockingbird Atticus takes up the job of defending Tom Robinson, a black man who is convicted of rape. Atticus is greatly committed to this job and believes that everyone should be equal in the court of law. Because he believes this the townspeople tend to be prejudice toward him and call him a “nigger-lover”. Scout questions these words and he answers that it is an ugly term and when asked if he was one he replies, “I certainly
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Jean Louise still looks up to her father very much and still believes him to be a good person in the beginning of this novel however, she soon finds that his views are much different from hers. In the city council meeting scene in the novel it quickly becomes clear that the people who attend the meeting, Atticus and Henry among them, are prejudice against black people. Although Atticus nor Henry say anything to contribute to the racist remarks at the time there silence is enough to make Jean Louise feel sick to her stomach. Later in the novel when talking to Jean Louise Atticus expresses his want for division among the Negroes and White people. He does not believe that Negroes should have the right to too much power, saying they are not progressed enough in the “white ways”. Atticus is very different in his views on race in this novel it