Summary of “The Unconquered Eye”

In Laurie Champion’s criticism “When You Finally See Them: The Unconquered Eye in To Kill a Mockingbird,” addresses perception and the ability to “see clearly.” There is more to seeing than meets the eye, according to Champion, and Atticus is the character that is most sufficient in displaying this ability with a “transparent eyeball.” In other words, Atticus is not like most people of his town, and when he looks at people, he sees more about them than the color of their skin or the clothes on their backs. She goes on to give backup information on different incidents where Atticus “possess just such a transparent eye- physically blind yet able to focus on meaning beyond literal sight.”
Analysis of “The Unconquered Eye”

The main idea of “When You Finally See Them: The Unconquered Eye in To Kill a Mockingbird” by Laurie Champion was not to judge by what you see with the naked eye, but to see the inside of a person and how they feel. Even Atticus himself has judged before, but he, unlike many others, has enough guts to admit it. Overall, I agree with the message Champion is portraying in the article, because even though everyone “has his blind spots, along with the rest of us, a person willing to acknowledge his own flaws, is a sign of honor.” In the novel, all people of the town base their beliefs on what past family also believed, consequently “to assume that Tom is telling the truth and that a white girl is lying is a verdict that will not fit their belief system; therefore, they decide Tom raped Mayella because that scenario fits their preconceptions that whites are superior to blacks.” However, Atticus uses his “transparent eye” to look past race, and remains to be a “self-reliant individual whose internal moral values are not contingent upon external social judgement.” Which is what the majority of people in modern world need to learn to do, as well. Look through your “transparent eye,” and see the good in people, not just what your notice from the outside. Every point that Champion made in here, from looking at situations from two different angles, and giving yourself a new attitude like Atticus I agree with.