It is ironic that the sole authority figure in The Breakfast Club is someone who does not show much in the way of leadership. Mr. Vernon does not want to be there that Saturday morning any more than the kids do. He makes $31,000 a year, has a home, and he is at the stage of his teaching career where he really does not care anymore. He hates the kids; they are a constant source...
It is ironic that the sole authority figure in The Breakfast Club is someone who does not show much in the way of leadership. Mr. Vernon does not want to be there that Saturday morning any more than the kids do. He makes $31,000 a year, has a home, and he is at the stage of his teaching career where he really does not care anymore. He hates the kids; they are a constant source of vexation and he does not want to have anything to do with them. To Vernon, kids are just those annoying creatures who get in the way of the smooth running of Shermer High.
So Vernon does not lead. He does not inspire the kids with anything but loathing and contempt. He simply lays down the law and leaves the kids to their own devices. Bender, however, unexpectedly shows leadership skills, albeit of a more unorthodox variety. As well as being a perennial screwup and troublemaker, he also has great charisma, which he uses not just to challenge Vernon's formal authority, but also to inspire the other kids to rebel.
And their rebellion is not just against Vernon, but against their parents and the society they represent. The unlikely figure of Bender provides the catalyst for the kids to explore and express their deepest, innermost feelings. They are not about to start acting like Bender when they return to school on Monday morning; but he has led them to get in touch with their true selves. This is something that only Bender's charismatic leadership could ever have achieved, and certainly not the formal, rules-based leadership of Mr. Vernon.
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