Atticus Finch and Heroes

Atticus Finch: My childhood hero, my literary icon. Finch occupied a role for me that few other characters could; he was a pioneer of social justice, while remaining loyal to his family (an accomplishment few others achieved).

In To Kill a Mockingbird,Atticus, a lawyer in Maycomb, Alabama, defends Tom Robinson, an African-American man falsely accused of raping a woman. Adding to the moral significance of his actions, Atticus must defend Tom to an all white jury.

Harper Lee gives us a fictional—though undeniably realistic—account of morality. Lee creates a moral archetype in Atticus, a man committed to universal ethics and principals, willing to defend a just cause. And yet Lee’s true brilliance as an author is the ability to create a timeless hero in Atticus—he speaks to young attorneys and social activists, to people young and old. Barry Schwartz, speaking on the topic of practical wisdom, brings in Finch to highlight the loss of ethics in modern day business practices. He states, “no ten year old goes to law school to do mergers and acquisitions”, they want to be Atticus Finch.”

And for years my hero has remain impenetrable, untouched by my changing perspectives on ethics and norms. Recently, though, I came across an article by Malcolm Gladwell, famed author of pop sociology (psychology?) books including, The Tipping Point, Blink, and Outliers. Gladwell dedicates his work to challenging accepted notions, to connecting social phenomena, and drawing unnoticed conclusions based on various studies.

In August, Gladwell entered into the literary arena, taking a sociohistorical approach to examining Atticus Finch. Finch, he argues, does not challenge social norms, instead doing his job as the expectations of the position require.

Gladwell, examining Finch’s passivity at the guilty verdict—Robinson’s verdict at the end of the trial—writes: “If Finch were a civil-rights hero, he would be brimming with rage at the unjust verdict. But he isn’t. He’s not Thurgood Marshall looking for racial salvation through the law.”

Gladwell’s essay begs two important questions: Should we reevaluate our heroes? Understand the context that made them great?

I encourage you to read Gladwell’s essay (http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/08/10/090810fa_fact_gladwell) on Atticus Finch and to share your reactions.


Joel Neft
English Department