Atticus for America: Part 2

Intro & Recap

In last week’s post, I spent a good bit of time looking at what an American hero is and why they have faded in recent decades. I also explained why fictional heroes can be just as inspiring as real historical figures, especially as those figures begin to slip from our collective memory.

Since part of my argument was that we can know fictional people in a deep way—and since this series is called Atticus for America—it’s time we got to know Atticus Finch.

If you haven’t read To Kill a Mockingbird or if it’s been a while, I’ll give a quick character sketch to pave the way for my analysis.

Atticus is a lawyer in a small Southern town. The novel traces the story of his family, in the form of his daughter’s memoirs, as he handles the case of a black man charged with the assault of a white girl. He’s also a widower, raising his two children, Scout and Jem.

Victory in Perspective

I’m not going to discuss the details of Atticus’ case, that could quickly become so controversial and uncomfortable that the value of this analysis would be drowned out. Instead, I’ll look at how Atticus handled the outcome. In my opinion, that is one of the most important indicators of his character—and his heroism.

He knew it was likely Tom Robinson wouldn’t win. However, he also knew that did not absolve him of his responsibility to defend Tom. As far as it was in his power, Atticus fought for his client’s human rights.

That’s a sentiment any good defense attorney can “amen.” But it went further than simply giving a client a fair trial. Atticus knew his community. He knew they would convict the man; their prejudice was deep.

Yet, he knew many of them weren’t cruel people; underneath all their prejudice, they wanted to do the right thing. He also knew which members of the community really were cruel. Which ones were to blame for the terrible things happening.

Even though he couldn’t convince the jury to acquit, Atticus could plant seeds. He could bring out truths everyone else would shy away from. He had a chance to ask questions no one else would. This case was a chance to fight for the truth, and even proclaim it. He could give the good men of the community pause and lay the bad men bare.

Atticus’s children didn’t understand how he took his loss so well or why his client’s friends and family were still grateful. Atticus explained that even though Tom Robinson lost his case, there was a different sort of victory. The jury spent a long time deliberating over the verdict. Atticus called this a “shadow of a beginning.”

For Atticus, success wasn’t flashy. Victories were won slowly and incrementally. Fighting for lost causes might have been exhausting and made people call him a fool—and worse—but he was playing a longer game.

Implications & Applications

Heroes have too frequently been seen as only those who make definitive choices in moments of crisis. And while those people are surely heroes, we’d do well to remember that change is seldom instantaneous or definitive, especially in modern times.

There can only be so many people that win decisive victories. If that’s the only kind of success and heroism we can aspire to, our inspiration will quickly fade. On the other hand, if we remember the most important people are those who fight even for a shadow of a beginning, we all have a chance at making a difference.

In last week’s post, I mentioned people like George Washington. It’s hard to boil them down to one definitive moment—although titles like “father of our Country” seem to try—but they are definitely dramatic figures. Of course, it’s wonderful to admire them and even hope to be like them.

It’s also intimidating. Most of us never find ourselves in history-making situations. If that’s what defines a hero, we’re all left out in the cold.

If what defines a hero is fighting for what’s right; loving our family, friends, and community; and persevering through setbacks, then we do have a chance.

That’s why Atticus is a hero for modern Americans. He lived in a world a lot more like ours than many of our historical favorites did. And, if we can point to areas where our world now is better than his, it’s thanks to the real people who fought for shadows of beginnings and celebrated the smallest successes. Be one of those people.

Be a hero.