"For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth." - Isaiah 21:6
First my gynecologist retired, the one I had been seeing for more than 20 years. Then my long-time primary care doctor moved to another town. Now my dentist is retiring. This is the dentist that cured me not only of some pretty severe dental problems but also of my intense phobia of dentists. I have not been to another dentist since becoming one of his first patients when he set up shop in Leeds 40 years ago, straight out of dental school. I think I have lost enough.
I have decided that as far as it's in my power to not do so, I will not give up another essential of my life. Now I'm not senile yet; I still know that Atticus Finch is a fictional character and all that. But he's a fictional character that I met as a teenager in a horrible time and in an area of the country rife with racism, segregation, hatred, injustice, and murder. Atticus stood tall and spoke truth and didn't let white redneck fear buckle his knees. He was, is, and forever shall be my hero.
I don't care to meet the Atticus that I understand (from people who have actually read the book) inhabits what turns out to be Harper Lee's first attempt at writing a novel, and which eventually, through what is said to have been a laborious and painful process, became To Kill a Mockingbird. The publisher turned that first attempt down, and rightfully so. Sent Nell back to her New York walk-up to write a more gentle, inspirational novel--a novel that finally turned out to inhabit the No. 1 spot on my personal list of Best Books of All Time, To Kill a Mockingbird.
For my whole adult life, that novel has been second only to The Holy Bible as my rule book for living my life--and if I have to tell the truth, on some subjects it inhabits the number-one spot. I don't care that it didn't start out with an Atticus who placed fairness and justice above all else, that the character of Atticus is really based on Nell Harper Lee's own father, a Klan sympathizer and member of The White Citizen's Council. I don't care about any of that.
The Atticus Finch of TKAMB is a good man, perhaps even an unrealistically good man, but a good man that I refuse to have replaced in my heart and mind with a bigot who thinks African Americans are some kind of subspecies, deserving of southern "separate but equal" justice but not to white-folks rights. Not to go to school with our lily-white children, swim with them in our city swimming pools, eat beside us at local lunch counters.
Screw that Atticus Finch. I have known too many like that one in my life, and I detest them. I won't have a man who helped shape my heart, mind, and soul turned into one of them--even if he is "just a fictional character." He lives in my heart.
So no, Miss Nell, I won't be reading your new/old book, and I can't see why you let it be published. You should have burned the son of a bitch fifty years ago. You don't need the money. You ran from the fame. So what's with dragging this trash out of the garbage and allowing Atticus's dirty laundry to be aired? You should be ashamed.
“I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do."
--Atticus Finch
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On 07/30/2015, Barbara said ...
You so eloquently put into words what I could not. Like you, TKAMB was my favorite book. When I saw the new one at Costco, something in me would not let me pick it up. I had heard the buzz, so I knew my hero was going to be thrown from his pedestal. I didn't want to face it.
On 07/30/2015, Gretchen said ...
I agree with you 100%. I was very suspicious when I heard that there was a "new"book and from what I've heard about it, it never should have seen the light of day. I really wonder if Miss Nell was fully in agreement with the publication.
On 07/30/2015, Linda said ...
I too agree with you totally and I will not be reading the new book for the same reasons!
On 07/30/2015, Barbara Anne said ...
Amen, sister!
My sympathy on the retirement of your doctor, dentist, and the office move of your PCP so it's an unreasonable drive now. The loss of trusted medical care professionals is one of the unavoidable pitfalls of getting older. Bummer!
Hugs!
On 07/30/2015, Barbara Groeschell said ...
Maybe the best thing about this book is it caused me to reread TKAMB. Thanks to you I won't be reading it.
On 07/30/2015, Anita said ...
Me neither. TKAMB is part of my growing up. Plenty of the world I knew and loved is gone, but I'm keeping this. Pooh to the new book.
On 07/30/2015, Mary Bolton said ...
Well said!
On 07/30/2015, Stephani in N. TX said ...
Amen.
My son is an attorney. He won't be doing criminal cases, but I gave him a DVD of TKAMB while he was finishing law school. Gotta set the bar high!
On 07/31/2015, Thelma said ...
Well said and i could not agree more. I'm also baffled why TKAMB was released. I read she was pressured by her children to do so, how odd.
On 07/31/2015, Beverly said ...
amen.
On 08/03/2015, Helen L Nordseth said ...
My husband, knowing how much I love TKAMB, asked me if I was going to read the new release. I struggled with the right words to explain my rather passionate NO! You have said what I feel so eloquently......I will just read your post to him.......giving credit to the author of course!
On 08/06/2015, Pat said ...
I have a copy, but I doubt I'll read it. TKAMB one of my all-time favorites. Would hate to see it ruined. Change is not easy (doctors, etc.) but some things we CAN leave unchanged. Memories of a great book being one.
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