The Eyes Of T. J. Eckleburg Symbolize In The Great Gatsby

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The Eye’s of God in The Great Gatsby
In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald utilizes symbols in order to convey the true colors of humanity and of the characters within the text. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is a novel about the wages of sin and moral abandonment, with the eyes of T.J. Eckleburg symbolizing God. Fitzgerald is warning readers that unlawful deeds will not be concealed forever, but will eventually lead to death and eternal condemnation.
The eyes of T.J. Eckleburg symbolize God and judgement. Fitzgerald writes, “But above the grey land and the spasms of bleak dust which drift endlessly over it, you perceive, after a moment, the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg. The eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg are blue and gigantic- …show more content…

Eckleburg, God, are always watching. As Nick, Jordan, Tom and Daisy Buchanan, and Gatsby are heading to town, Nick perceives, “We were all irritable now with the fading ale and, aware of it, we drove for a while in silence. Then as Doctor T. J. Eckleburg’s faded eyes came into sight down the road I remembered Gatsby’s caution about gasoline. ” The eyes can be spotted at the beginning of the sinful excursion, hoping to bring conviction to Nick and those involved. Eckleburg’s eyes are illustrated as “faded” because the characters in this novel and during this time period are concerned and preoccupied with their own lusts instead of containing virtue and being viewed as holy in the eye’s of God. This description is evidence that the fear of God is no longer present and being conscience of the presence of God is diminishing. The faded eyes indicate that even at the root of all wicked affairs, God, who is washed down, watches, praying the persons partaking in it would cease sinning. Nick is aware of the gasoline that is needed to stall the events that are going to take place; be knows what is morally correct, yet is fearful to remove himself from the situation or speak up. He felt a small shove of conviction within him. Fitzgerald also writes,“The locality was always vaguely disquieting, even in the broad glare of afternoon, and now I turned my head as though I had been warned of something behind. Over the ashheaps the giant eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg kept …show more content…

J. Eckleburg to establish that those living in this era have abandoned God and moral thinking because wealth and the desire to attain the innermost ambitions has become the priority. The eyes contain discernment and are able to view through all deception, which is why the rims of the spectacles are yellow. The appearance of the eyes are weathered away and are beaten down because of its surroundings. This is significant because it persistently stares at all of the wickedness that abounds in the city, so much so, that it is weathered away by the extensive amount of time it has viewed all of the terrible and sinister acts. The irony behind the advertisement is that, although God is in opposition to mammon, the sign itself is an advertisement which publicizes the oculist to gain a profit (to gain customers), yet the oculist no longer lives in the area, hence, the beaten down sign. Just as the sign, once fruitful and successful at reaching those in need, advertising the well-being it will bring, Jay Gatsby perishes and he is forgotten, just as Doctor T. J. Eckleburg, God, is forgotten and disregarded in the text. In chapter seven, Daisy connects Gatsby to the advertisement of Doctor Eckleburg. This reveals that perhaps she desires to be with him because her perception of Gatsby: that he is perfect, like God is faultless in every aspect. Although he executed all of the immoral deeds on the account of love, Gatsby was punished for his

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