Go Set A Watchman Setting

The city of Macomb in Alabama is described very similarly in Go Set A Watchman to its description in To Kill A Mockingbird. In fact, it is one of the aspects that has not changed in the book, with some descriptions being almost word to word. When Jean Louis returns the south, she describes: "Over her breakfast coffee, she watched the last of Georgia's hills recede and the red earth appear, and with it tin-roofed houses set in the middle of swept yards, and in the yards the inevitable verbena grew, surrounded by whitewashed tires". This is the firs description of the book and therefore shows that the setting of the south is a significant element to the book. There is a small aspect of mystery in the description of the south, as Mr Fred explains: "The longer I stayed away the more I missed Maycomb. I got to the point where I felt like I had to come back or die. You never get it out of your bones." 

Although most of these physical looks did not change, Maycomb has changed in terms of the people that reside there. This may be because people changed due to World War Two. However, despite this, there are still hits on the American Civil War. As Uncle Jack explains "No war was ever fought for so many different reasons meeting in one reason clear as crystal. They fought to preserve their identity. Their political identity, their personal identity."

The setting of Maycomb also seems to be attractive to Jean Louise more than simply being the city of her past. Her saying "After I pushed back I realized I'd become a part of it" is often can suggest her being ready to be part of Maycomb once again. 

The few changes of setting that do occur in Maycomb are seen as negative Jean Louise. We find out that Atticus had built a new house after the death of Jem. This might suggest that Jean Louise is more attached to the past than Atticus.