Oh Atticus...The Subversion of Masculinity in To Kill a Mockingbird

Atticus Finch is an iconic and compelling character in both the literary and cinematic canon thanks to his depiction by Gregory Peck and Harper Lee herself. Atticus is often held up as a new kind of man, an educated, measured lawyer in the old South who finds the courage to quietly stand up in the face of injustice and to end suffering in many ways.

I've always been interested in how much hold Atticus has on the minds and hearts of the many educated people that I know. He is held up as a new symbol of masculinity, especially by the parents I know, some of which have named their children after him. It is certainly clear that Lee's work is masterfully done for most readers end up worshipping, fearing, and loving Atticus just as Scout does. He is a man of some mystery, but of endless love and compassion. It makes so much sense to me after all the gentle talks Scout and her father have that parents would hope their sons could have the same quiet nobility.

(Spoilers follow.)

And yet there's something unbelievably subversive about Atticus too. Despite his encounter with the rabid dog, he abhors guns and violence and values knowledge above all. He takes abuse from Ewell and his supporters on the chin using nonviolence. He is a single father who refuses to remarry, proving that he can be a giving, approachable custodial parent to his children (with help from Calpurnia of course.) It should also probably be noted that this notion of the more educated, less violent Southern male is also highlighted in the character of Boo Radley, who does not match the archetype of the powerful Southern gentleman either, and Jem and Scout's attempts to emulate Southern alpha male behavior before their father shows them the folly of hurting other people to make them think like you.