Atticus Finch and His Family: Models of Leadership in a Divided Society

Did you know that a survey done in a Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll displayed by the New York post states that 55% of voters believe that America as a society today is considered to be racist? That is very concerning due to the large amounts of protests done since the Civil Rights movements all the way to the BLM movements. It is almost as if history repeats itself. “To Kill A Mockingbird” is a very controversial book that has racism written all over it. Despite that, it takes one person to be a leader and create a team of followers. Followers who will follow to take steps into the right direction. Atticus Finch and his family display the role of leadership that many of us need to consider as we live in a society that is taking steps into the opposite direction. The direction that we used to be; divided.     

One of the main conflicts presented in the novel is injustice. Not just the injustice that Tom Robinson is facing, but also the Atticus family is facing due to the fact that they are being prosecuted from the society that they are living in. And through the 1940’s, where this novel takes place, hate within colored folks was just growing. Atticus decides to defend a falsely accused black man of rape and this is what causes the main conflict for the whole family. As we dig deep into the actions of Atticus, we can clearly see why his kids, Scout and Jem, viewed him as such a prestigious and kind gentleman that has the best attributes and qualities. That is to show to his kids and to his family that the pressure is not an opponent to him but rather a task that he overcomes and shows it by displaying simple characteristics. For example, Harper Lee inscribes the audience with his actions by stating, “He turned out the light and went into Jem’s room. He would be there all night, and he would be there when Jem woke up in the morning”(bookroo). Atticus shows endurance and strength mentally and physically and that goes to show the type of father he is and the type of lawyer he is. In a sense, being there for his kids provides trust and unity as a whole and that is the type of leadership that we need today, and that is someone that people can trust. Most highschoolers have read this book in their early years of highschool but never truly understood the true difficulty that Atticus is being faced with. I personally did not realize the true warrior Atticus was until now. An article written by Anne Maxwell states that Atticus is trying to develop his children to act in a Civil manner because during these times, he knew that they had the upper hand when it came to having privileges. She goes on to quote Atticus saying that “‘The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule’, he says, “is a person’s conscience.’” (Maxwelle). Everyone wants to think and feel the same because that is the rule. Although the only thing holding someone to be different is mainly due to how they feel. Changing how you feel is much better than changing how the majority of the people feel.

Furthermore, we dive deep into the author's amazing job at explicitly stating what the characters are and their roles throughout the novel. The story is being narrated by an older Scout Finch looking back into her childhood days and when describing characters, she makes it clear to the audience who to look out for. For example, the audience is introduced to characters like Boo Radley in the case where he apparently killed his father, so we understand that he is dangerous and also awkward because we also know that all he does is stay inside causing the audience to believe he is a creep and abnormal. Moreover, the author broadens the character with further development as we later understand that Boo Radley actually has a heart because we begin to realize that Boo is the one leaving behind gifts for Jem and Scout. I believe he does this because the characters of Jem and Scout portray a symbolic meaning of light and hope for others. In contrast, Bob Ewell symbolizes evil because he creates such a cancerous environment around his people. In a sense you can put it as a battle between hope and desperation; we become so desperate in certain aspects of our lives that we kill that hope that we once had and the reader can see that on display as Bob Ewell tries to kill Scout and Jem but out of nowhere Boo comes and kills Mr. Ewell to save them. Overall this can relate to the leadership that has been brought upon by Atticus as he has relayed his message on his  kids very well creating a foundation of success and prosperity for his family.

Moreover, with great hardship comes great lessons to learn. By that, I want to reiterate that throughout the novel we understand that the scenery is taking place during times of diversity, where it is illustrated, “Cecil Jacobs made me forget. He had announced in the schoolyard the day before that Scout Finch’s daddy defended ni***rs. I denied it, but told Jem”(Lee,77).  This part of the novel changes directions as the kids are now older and they begin to understand more of what is going on. The effect of racial prejudice and discrimination on the children of Maycomb, Alabama, is demonstrated in this remark. Scout Finch, the speaker, is a small child who is innocent and ignorant about her surroundings. She is oblivious of the pervasive bigotry in her neighborhood until Cecil Jacobs, a classmate, disparages her father's line of work.  Scout's response to Cecil Jacobs' assertion is one of disbelief and perplexity. Although she is aware that her father is a nice man who is dedicated to doing what is right, she is also aware of the rampant racism in her neighborhood. She is loyal to her father, as evidenced by her rejection of the charge, but it also reveals her ignorance of the racial tensions and discrimination that exist in Maycomb.  The tone of Scout in the quote was curiosity and it became a curiosity to the audience as to who or why such diction is being used but most importantly, this foreshadows the journey that the Finch family is going to be tasked with.  Atticus Finch defended Tom Robinson, a black man who had been wrongly convicted of rape, in the statement given by Cecil Jacobs.  Regardless of ethnicity or social class, Atticus is an upright and moral lawyer who supports justice and equality for all.  However, in Maycomb’s extremely racist and divided society, supporting Tom Robinson is seen as a betrayal of his own race and a danger to the status quo.  Overall, this quotation emphasizes how widespread racial prejudice and discrimination were in the 1930s South. It demonstrates how even good-hearted kids like Scout can be impacted by racial tensions in their neighborhood and how challenging it is to bridge these gaps and work toward a more just and equal society.  

Overall, Atticus Finch describes his case as “fighting for our friends” implying that the color of someone's skin in his eyes has no meaning. The point of describing Aticus’ bravery and hard fought battle that he had to endure was to open the eyes of people and see how we can make a change. He is the kind leader that people in today's day in age need to look for to create unity and change in our world.  In conclusion, Atticus Finch and his family serve as leadership role models that are still applicable and necessary in today's society in Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird." Those who want to build a society that is more equal, and compassionate need to possess Atticus's moral integrity, courage, and devotion to justice. The example offered by Atticus and his family might serve as a reminder of the value of empathy, compassion, and acceptance of others who are different from ourselves at a time when our society is becoming more polarized and divided. By following in their footsteps, we may seek to eliminate discrimination and create a world where diversity is cherished. 

Works Cited

Anne Maxwell Assoc. Professor. (2023, March 30). How the moral lessons of To Kill a Mockingbird endure Today. The Conversation. Retrieved April 3, 2023, from https://theconversation.com/how-the-moral-lessons-of-to-kill-a-mockingbird-endure-today-100763 

Atticus Finch quotes. The 42 Best Atticus Finch Quotes. (n.d.). Retrieved April 3, 2023, from https://bookroo.com/quotes/atticus-finch 

Lee, H. (n.d.). To kill a mockingbird - full text pdf.pdf. Google. Retrieved April 3, 2023, from https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=YW5udXJpc2xhbWljc2Nob29sLm9yZ3xzaXN0ZXIta2F0ZWx5bnxneDo2NjVmZmE1NzNjNjc4NWM 

Miller, J. R. (2020, July 21). Majority of US voters believe American Society is racist: Poll. New York Post. Retrieved April 3, 2023, from https://nypost.com/2020/07/21/majority-of-us-voters-say-american-society-is-racist-poll/