Go Set a Watchman Summary & Analysis (Harper Lee) - Thug Notes 

I never heard of this sequel, but grew up on mockingbird. Atticus being like that is a heartbreak, wow

Can we get an "et tu, bruh?" shirt?

Liked for the line, "I know what I think, but I ain't gonna set your watchman for you." I wish more celebrities, news hosts, speakers, entertainers, and the like respected their viewers.

I feel bad about being even able to read this, I feel like it was just her first rough draft and we were never intended to see it.

YOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!...Thanks for the shout out on the opening credits!!!!!!!

I haven't read "To Kill a Mocking Bird" in a long time, but Atticus was nothing like how he is portrayed in "Go Set a Watchman". I really don't want this book to be remembered since it really looks like a bad first draft that the author didn't want to see the light of day.

Did you people not watch the video? This book came BEFORE TKAM but was scrapped and then completely reimagined. The Atticus we all know and love is the real Atticus. Stop freaking out.

A rap archetype guy saying "et tu, brah?" is one of the coolest things I've seen in ages. Nice one, Greg

Whether or not this was intended to be published, I find that it adds good depth to Atticus as a character and teaches the important lesson not to idolize your role models too much, since they'll never reach your expectations when you look too closely.

I almost named my firstborn son after Atticus. Phew! Bullet dodged! "Et tu, bro? Et tu, BRO?!?" Indeed.

I didn't even know Lee released another book. That in itself was news to me. Hearing that Atticus, the guy we all put on a pedestal fell from grace is messing with me. I understand then why the protagonist and then pretty much everyone who read it lost their shit as they read about the cataclysmic fall of their hero. However, Harper Lee seemed to understand and anticipate that, and used it to try to teach another, possibly equally important lesson. I think Sparky Sweets PhD hit the nail on the head with his spectacular summary and analysis. There was something else worth thinking about, and he elucidated it perfectly. This might be one of the best analysis segments Thug Notes has ever done. I think both Lee and Sweets brought up something that we all need to think about a bit more. I can't thank either enough for pretty much forcing it on us. Like most modernish people, when I encounter attitudes I think are detestable, like racism, I have a tendency to dismiss the person saying it, immediately. Awhile ago, while thinking about why I am justified being intolerant to intolerant people, I just could not help but notice my overwhelming hypocrisy. I may be better justified than a racist when I think they are terrible people, but the truth is, I am doing exactly the same thing they are doing. The kind of prejudice is different, but the process and end result is the same. At that time I started wondering if intolerance of intolerant people was just me falling into the same binary trap. I concluded it is. I don't yet know how to deal with it yet, and still have a lot of thinking to do o to try to figure out how to even think about it consistently, but I made a conscious decision to not simply condemn people for one obvious flaw. That is not to say I approve of racism, or any of the other attributes that I disagree with (because I don't, as I still find the act of racism deplorable) but I was being intensely hypocritical dismissing people for one specific characteristic I don't like. By reducing people to one attribute that I don't like, as Sweets pointed out, and even worse treating them badly for it, I am just as guilty of codifying and internally justifying a deplorable position and actions as they are. So, I think that in order to avoid that binary trap, and recognize that people are more complex than one attribute they possess, or their ethnicity, or skin color, or whatever shortcut towards a judgment we use, we should (or at least I should) avoid knee jerk reactions. So bringing it back to this book which I have not even read, I think Lee and Sweets are correct that even though Atticus is flawed, he is not merely just a racist asshole. He is a racist asshole, but he deserves more credit and consideration than merely that. Dismissing him solely because he is a racist asshole makes me just as prejudice as he is, and I don't want to be that. Thanks again for letting me know this book even existed, and for the spectacular summary and analysis. You brought up some deeper points that I don't think I would have even noticed had I read the book and not seen your analysis. Even though I try to consciously not think about people in a good or bad binary, I still have that tendency, and seeing Atticus fall from grace would have made me react exactly like everyone else reacted. Hopefully I would have come to my conclusion that complexity and general intolerance on my part was the wrong way to think about it, but you guys didn't fall into that trap at all. Wisecrack once again delivers, and in grand form.

This was one of Thug Notes most epic summaries ever.

Damn, I'm a big fan, but this right here is the best episode y'all ever cracked out. Well done, well done.

As long as a person lives, it's still possible their beliefs and attitudes can change for the better.

6:07 so are we heading toward a "to kill a mockingbird" literary universe? I guess Calpurnia was put in in order to have own book later this year!

Most people want to forget this book. I'm with ya, let's forget this book.

This is, straight up, one of the best, most even-handed, treatments of GSaW I have seen. It makes me think, and that's what good literary criticism does. I love these vids. I rec them to everyone, and this vid is a perfect example of why. Nicely done.

Dang! The backstory surrounding the publication of this book is just as mind blowing as the book itself

"I know what I think, but I ain't gonna set your watchman for you." Damn lowkey that shit was heavy. Never thought about the whole 'can someone still be a good person if they have a MAJOR flaw' thing. That's a tough one. I always love a channel that makes me think. Thanks for the video Sparky Sweets

So it's a sequel set years later, they killed one of the main characters off-screen, and they totally changed one of the main characters. This sounds more like a Disney sequel than an official sequel by the same author

Wow, that's some heavy shit! Can a racist still be an otherwise good person? I'm going to have to think on that one for a while.

Mad respect for how you handle the last bit dr sweets. Says a lot about a man who respects his audience enough to refrain from telling them how to think. You the man in my book. Keep the videos rollin.

Considering how the book got published makes me inclined to say that these aren't the same characters. If this was written before Mockingbird surely it doesn't take into account the events of her childhood. She gave the characters of Mockingbird the same names, but they essentially became different people. Maybe I'm just desperate to still love Atticus

That was a beautiful articulation of the nuance existent in each human's essence. People are people...with all their insecurities, biases, and proclivities, they, each in their own soul, contain both reverential and impious qualities.

Well I won't bother reading that book now. Thank you THUG NOTES for saving me ten bucks. To Go Set A Watchman , by Thug Notes, has set my watchman.

A very thought-provoking review, and I think this is one of your best episodes yet. Thank you.

What many seem to forget is the parallel between Atticus and Harper Lee's father, who by many accounts had been racist in his younger years, but who changed his view later, more to the one you see in To Kill a Mockingbird. So, for her father's sake she really never wanted to let that novel see the light of day, but yeah... money talks. lawyers talk. The end.

These reviews are great. As a teacher, I think a lot of my students would appreciate the "down to earth" tone and language. He/you do(es) a great job of hitting on the main themes and characterizations.

can we just pretend this book is none cannon.

I actually quite enjoyed this book (just finished it last night after getting it on Wednesday) and even though it was such a stark contrast in story quality to TKAM it was still exceptionally good. Atticus being a racist to me was a really good thing to have because it shows that people that you worship aren't always perfect and have their flaws. Not only that but Scout being so out of her element and upset as to how she sees her town is a feeling shared by the reader. We go on the same journey as scout through the book and by the end (if you're like me) you accept Atticus' racism like scout did.

Atticus :'(

I can understand Atticus standing for Justice while being a racist, it's a great twist on the insidiousness of hatred. But the way this sh*t was published doesn't stand. If Harper Lee didn't want it published then I'm never buying it - 'Girl deserves serious respect.

Good lord, it's like if there was a sequel to the Harry Potter series with all of our favorite characters grown up, and Ron was an alcoholic wifebeater, Hermoine was always in and out of the psychiatric hospital, and Harry became a drug addict in his attempt to conquer his PTSD with illegal substances, which eventually lead to his and Ginny's divorce and her taking the kids.

YOUR BEST ANALYSIS TO DATE. In depth, thorough, insightful, balanced, and practically applied to everyday life. You at your best. Thank you.

this is amazing, really i`m speechless - it manage to be funny, kind of offensive, but very very very inteligent. Godammit. Bravo.

"Et tu, bruh? Et tu, bruh?" Bhuahahaha.

What an interesting fan-fiction; it was probably found deep in the vowels of Reddit.

This series has NOWHERE near as many viewers as it deserves.

Sparky Sweets is the man! Thanks for representin' the lit game so strong! I always recommend Thug Notes to my students. And I'd show the videos in class if I could ;)

I watched the Mockingbird episode after this one and it's nice to see how much better the videos are. This one maybe the best so far.

My English teacher from freshman year met Harper lee before her stroke and has a copy of a signed To Kill Mocking Bird she showed up a picture of it and her with the author it was dope

Thank you for the fine work and time you're putting into these. Especially the homework clearly evident in this one. You walked the fine line perfectly between integrity and respect. Well done.

In high school I wrote an essay saying that Atticus wasnt a hero, weirdly I was right XD

I really appreciate with the controversy surrounding this book that you pointed out the positives as well as the negatives.

I love Thugs Notes!!!! Y'all should do Requiem for a dream or A Million Little Pieces

by far the best episode of thug notes yet.

Dark Tower please :D

One of the best Thug Notes to date.

How the fuck they ruin Atticus' character like this..?

"Even if someone got a whack-ass worldview, you should still give them a chance." This is the key to tolerance. A lot of players are good on accident, and even having a good worldview doesn't make you a good person unless you live it. You can't be judging other people for what they believe, judge them for what they do. Atticus was a sane man who defended those who were in need, even if he felt they were inferior.

Can you please do a 500,000 sub special with the dark tower series by Stephen king?

Man, now THIS is what I call a review son!!!!! Proud of you guys and proud to be an original supporter from day one. Keep up the great work and keep all that fresh content coming!!! :-) Oh, I hope you all are having a good summer, too. :-)

Racism is a inexcusable behavior. If you don't give other people a chance to prove themselves, why the hell do they deserve a chance? It's a good book on it's own, but as a sequel it doesn't make sense. Atticus was always a level headed and a man who believed in justice, no matter what. He taught his kids to not judge, which is literally what racism is. It's just a poor cash grab and it pisses on Lee's legacy.

"Just because you're licked before you started, is no reason not to try". One of my favorite lines of all time. Way to nail it again Sparky.

Atticus is how I felt about Hulk Hogan. I was Like please have said the N-word with the soft "a" nope he said it with the hard "er"

The Analysis was EXCELLENT!!!! Seriously great! Really loved the back and forth views! Well done!

My 10th grade English class watched this😂😂

You know I think this is the best episode you guys have done.

ET TU, ATTICUS? ET TU? Gold!

Best video series on the internet... ever.

I think people who are racist, homophobic, (and all the other horrible phobias that aren't really phobias) aren't bad people. I think that they aren't exposed to the hurt that their causing through their hate. I think that if we can educate these people on these issues that we can change their point of view.

This is the only book review that matters.

Review atlas shrugged please because I really want to understand bio shock better

A very concise and well-analyzed book review, articulated with plenty of flair and entertaining value. :) That being said, I have to admit the analysis wasn't completely accurate - more like 95% accurate. How so? Atticus wasn't a true racist, nor did he hate on black people. He made a comparison along the lines of giving all black people (of that time), all the exact same rights and equality as the white folks, akin to giving an adolescent a gun, as most of them lacked a real education and a stable foundation, and would therefore do themselves and their own people a lot of harm. He used the example of how the NAACP would want to get any black man convicted of a crime, set free with no punishment, simply because he was black, and not based on whether he was guilty or not, and Atticus (an attorney) saw that as a corruption of the system (and corruption of power). Furthermore, Atticus pointed out the fact that he and Henry had to live in their community, and make a living there, and if he picked a fight with the whole town over every social injustice, that he would have been driven out of town, and would no longer be a part of the community he called home. Additionally, Atticus acknowledged the fact that how the white people treated the black people at that time was wrong, and that the black community deserved understanding and the sympathy of the white folks. He also admitted that he didn't believe in a lot of what was being said about the black folks, but instead chose to bite his tongue (in most instances), or at least try to be diplomatic about it, as not to ostracize himself from his own community... and that the necessary social "changes" could not happen overnight, but would have to happen over a long period of time, because of people's fears and beliefs. Now personally, I myself don't completely believe in all of what Atticus said in his defense, but I at least understand where he was coming from. So saying that Atticus was a full-on racist, isn't exactly accurate. If you wanted to be more accurate, the more correct terms to call Atticus would be words like: hypocrite, or coward, or sell-out, etc... Finally, when Uncle Jack called Jean-Louise a 'bigot'... he was not implying that she was a hater ... but rather that she was being narrow-minded and intolerant of other viewpoints, refusing to accept any viewpoint other then her own as having value or merit. NOTE: There is a lot of truth in what Uncle Jack said, in how we are all bigoted in certain ways, as we aren't trying to understand the other side, and we believe that we are in the "right", and all other views are wrong, and so when we seek out information, we only look for or pay attention to information that is in agreement with our own beliefs (what they now call "information bias). That bias or narrow-mindedness, is the true definition of being a bigot, and not necessarily that you are a racist or a sexist.

9:05 You just used a pen to write "hate" on your knuckles, and snapped that photo right quick, didn't you? I love this channel so much.

I grew up in West Virginia, and thanks to being born into the age of the internet, I was able to educate myself. I was (still am, but was sounds more dramatic) a far left liberal atheistic homosexual surrounded by southern West Virginian culture of homophobia, sexism, a light smattering of racism, and soldier diefication. I often get shit for my views and my sexuality, however, as this book itself says, that is not a one-way ticket to being a monster. My family may have very regressionist beliefs, but I have seen myself how great they can be in times of struggle. Where we live there's a flood every few years, and recently one of those floods hit *hard*. My family, somewhat racist, homophobic, left-hating, Obama-death-wanting crazy-asses went out and bought a shitton of water and forded the high waters, risking their vehicles and worst case their lives, just to deliver water to those who couldn't get out of their houses. People should be judged on their entirety, not based on the worst parts. Hatred has more impact than a positive view, but every person has pros and cons to their being. That's just reality.

5:33 - 5:43 THANK YOU SPARKY!!! THANK YOU!!!! Also Really great Analysis too. I really like you go into detail in everyone of your analysis and you always know how to keep it real. I applaud you, Sparky.

i need to have et tu bruh on my coffee mug

First time I've seen one of these videos but I really liked it and subscribed. Good work.

...I just pretend this book doesn't exist. I confess I haven't gotten around to reading To Kill a Mockingbird, but even I know how inspiring and beloved a character Atticus is. This...this whole book is just a pile of shit.

Thank you for addressing the issues with the book's publication. It is a blaring case of elder abuse and manipulation, yet so many have chosen to ignore it. There should be no room for the public's apathy, no matter how exciting a return to Maycomb is for book lovers.

Atticus being a racist makes him even more a hero, because he put aside his intolerance and risked being a social pariah to defend a black man in court.

This channel is incredible. Never thought I'd miss english class...

Usually if someone is sexist or racist it's because they are ignorant, not because they are some evil monster. They just need to be educated.

I love you so dang much Sparky

I know the message is supposed to be, like, "just because someone is ______ doesn't mean they're a bad person and you shouldn't focus on that one thing," but doesn't that somewhat excuse their behavior. Like, I get that a lot of people aren't going to change their views but racism is a problem and to think about it in such a small way is really awful

My 14 year old said that maybe the Atticus in Go Set a Watchman is just representative of our realization when we grow up that our parents aren't perfect. In childhood, we tend to idealize our parents, but when we grow up, we see things that might be hard to see - that they are flawed human beings. So that's why the Atticus in TKAM was such a hero - because he was being viewed through the eyes of Scout, a child. She turned us all into children. And now, with Go Set a Watchman, she's made us grow up, whether we like it or not.

Ghandi was a racist. He thought African people were inferior to Indian people. He lived in a time where racism like that was pretty widespread (and not just in India). Do any of you all think Ghandi is a monster?

You give the best critical analysis out there. Keep up the great work!

when you are watching this because its your summer reading book and haven't read it yet

Man... What an excellent analysis. Great great great work.

Please read "The Last Unicorn" by Peter S. Beagle! That book is mad legit. Best, best, best book ever.

This is the best video on a book that I've ever scene. You earned my subscription!

One day in the life of Ivan denisovich next!!!

Really well done. Lots to think about.

"Look, I know what I think playa, but I ain't gonna set your watchman for you." Wisest piece of advice ever.

At the last part, you was putting it down hard, A++++++++!

I personally believe that racists or homophobes, generally bigots, deserve at least one chance at redemption. At least one chance to change their mind. If they can't do that, then they aren't worth the time. If they aren't able to change their minds, then they are lost.

Great video, Thug Notes still got it!

Needa bust up a shifarobe

I love this show so much

Call of Cthulhu when?

Yay thugnotes! I've missed this!!!!

The funny thing is, whenever I read To Kill A Mockingbird, I never saw Atticus as a fighter for racial equality. I saw a man who valued justice and the law. That's why he fought so passionately. But that was how I read it. Can we support Atticus? Of course we can. His vague, two-dimensional racism in Go Set a Watchman does not invalidate any of the good he's done or the wisdom he's spoken. If we were to throw out a character simply because they're flawed then we wouldn't listen to a single damn thing anybody from a book has ever said.

Fantastic Analysis

Omg I wish this was April fools day. I mean I am so disappointed in atticus!!! I thought he was a good guy!!! I actually looked up to him!!! Seems like the moral of the story is do not trust anybody!!!

Great video. *Very* interesting questions at the end.

I think it would have been better if Atticus had a different flaw, like him being against women's rights or something. Having him pull a complete 180 on his views on race doesn't make any sense.

another great episode

I think we can learn a lot from the fact that "Go Set a Watchman" came before "To Kill a Mockingbird", and it's also why Atticus is still awesome regardless if he's a racist. Just as Lee Harper had to change the story of "Go Set a Watchman" and turn it into "To Kill a Mockingbird", which essentially was Atticus going from racist opinions to, well, not racist opinions, so too can people change their opinions and worldviews. Unfortunately, instead of engaging someone with an opposing viewpoint in a civil discourse, people, like Jean, are quick to completely throw someone under the bus and go so far as to hate them when they discover they aren't that perfect, god-like individual they thought they were. So why does this make the racist version of Atticus awesome? That's because, without him (and, by extension, Uncle Finch), the lessons of "Go Set a Watchman" don't have the same impact. The truth is both stories offer great insight on Segregation and the attitudes of the time. Lastly, to everyone whining about how Atticus is ruined, you're all forgetting that "Go Set a Watchman" is what "To Kill a Mockingbird" WOULD HAVE BEEN. Your beloved Atticus is still the anti-racism superhero he was when you first read about him in school.