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-
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their retinas are one yard high. They look out of no face but, instead, from a pair of enormous yellow spectacles which pass over a nonexistent nose. ” Fitzgerald indicates that the eyes are perceived after some time because society has lost the conviction that follows the execution of sin. The eyes are a representation and mark of God. The retinas are gigantic because God is all knowing. He sees all righteous deeds and every perverse act. This quote reveals that the characters in this novel (Tom and Daisy Buchanan, Nick Carraway, Jordan Baker, Jay Gatsby, the Wilsons, etc.) are no longer concerned about pleasing God, but are worried about fulfilling their own desires, the lusts of the flesh, leaving God on the sidelines. Fitzgerald illustrates that the spectacles of Doctor Eckleburg are yellow, which is an example of situational irony; yellow symbolises money and materialism, yet Eckleburg, God, is wearing these glasses. One would associate the detestment of mammon with God. As a reader, one may identify the spectacles symbolising that God is in favor of this age of wealth, rather, this indicates that God is focused on the faults of humanity and the love of materialism in which they fall into, including the acts that are results of this transgression. He is viewing all occurrences through the spectacles that penetrate the facade of affluence. The eye’s of T.J.
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…
their vigil… ” Fitzgerald writes that the eyes are keeping “vigil”, indicating that even during daylight, and evening (considering that vigil is defined as being awake during the usual hours of night fall) , the eye’s of God are continually open and watching all that is taking place. This reveals that while Gatsby, Daisy, Tom, Jordan, and Nick are committing reprehensible deeds, God is fully aware of them! He is aware of the love affair Tom is having with Myrtle and of the affair Daisy is having with Gatsby! This includes the falsehood that manifests within Jordan and the hypocritical character Nick demonstrates (he states he is an upright individual, yet his actions prove otherwise). The two quotes reveal the abandonment of honorable character and incorruptible living, which is replaced by the love of mammon, and the desire to fulfill selfish ambitions, by any means. Every person who commits wickedness will be judged and will enter condemnation, for the wages of sin is death. Fitzgerald writes, “Wilson’s glazed eyes turned out to the ashheaps, where small grey clouds took on fantastic shape and scurried here and there in the faint dawn wind. ‘I spoke to her,’ he muttered, after a long silence. ‘I told her she could fool me, but she couldn’t fool God. I took her to the windowー’ With an effort he got up and walked to the rear window and leaned with his face pressed against it, ‘ーand I said ‘God knows what you’ve been doing, everything you’ve been doing. You may fool me, but you can’t fool God!’ Standing behind him Michaelis saw with a shock that he was looking at the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg which had just emerged pale and enormous from the dissolving night. ” The grey clouds symbolize Wilson’s paradigm, for the color grey symbolizes void, decomposition, and failure. His spirit is disturbed and emptiness and pain fill his being, for he desires to avenge the death of his wife and seek revenge against whoever committed the affair with her. George Wilson’s wife, Myrtle, was killed on impact by a car. The foolish acts committed by Myrtle are reprehensible, which lead to her grotesque death. This quote unveils the harsh truths which lie behind each dishonorable action: Immorality does not go unpunished. The carelessness of the characters, such as Myrtle, is revealed, for they are not concerned about the consequences of the iniquity that is present in their life, and when there is an acknowledgement of the transgression(s), it is too late. When Michaelis and George Wilson gaze outside of the window, the eyes of T. J. Eckleburg are the first thing to be noticed, for the vigil eyes are the last thing perceived in the evening and the first object that is spotted at dawn. Wilson believes that the eyes of God have been watching all that Myrtle has been committing, and that he (Wilson) may not be aware of the truth she hides beneath the skin, but God is all knowing and is not oblivious to what she has done; “‘You may fool me, but you can’t fool God!’” Whoever executes unlawful actions will surely be punished, and the secret sin(s) will no longer be concealed. Fitzgerald utilizes the eye’s of Doctor T.
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
sinful nature, and George Wilson, who murders Gatsby, receives his punishment by committing suicide; no one else had to fulfill his fate, he did it himself. Tom and Daisy Buchanan, like cowards, flee from the difficulties and the crime they are involved in, which signifies the abandonment of the moral beliefs they had once held dear. Their immature decisions reveal that they are absentminded and are doers of evil. Soon, their fate will come to pass just as Myrtle and George Wilson, and Gatsby. No matter how hard one may try, the concealment of sin will utterly fail, for vices and transgression lead to death.
The eyes are said to be the window to the soul, and often give away one’s emotions and feelings in times of discomfort and longing. When Gatsby and Daisy reconnect for the first time in five years, their eyes portray their intense pain as they reminisce on their past and what they used to have. The meeting is intended to be a happy, romantic reunion; however, Gatsby and Daisy end up “looking conscientiously from one to the other with tense, unhappy eyes” (Fitzgerald 87).
" This is a quote from Nick Carraway, the central figure of the story, and the voice of Jay Gatsby. Dr. Eckelburg is introduced at this point. He takes on an image of a human figure, which he is characterized as at many times throughout the novel, and that of a Godlike figure. & nbsp; Doctor Eckleburg's eyes were referred to once again by Nick when he was driving in his car with Tom, Gatsby, and Daisy on a trip to New York City. "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.
Stories can be interpreted many different ways when one happens to be trapped in a section of their lives. Their point of views and emotions all greatly affect the way they think and react. Especially in Fitzgerald’s book, The Great Gatsby, people commonly act in their best interest rather than thinking about the impacts of their actions. The wealthy ones can easily do whatever they like without too heavily worrying about their consequences; however, the huge gap between the poor and the rich further encourage the rich to be blindness of their actions. Throughout The Great Gatsby, the eyes of T.J. Eckleburg symbolize the failure of the American dream, God watching over mankind, and serves as a warning.
Fitzgerald has an in-depth writing style. He uses symbols through out the text, which highlight key ideas, some are more obvious than others although all are effective. He has added detail to the smallest of things and every component of this text has a meaning. Fitzgerald has used many symbols thought this text some which include a green light, representing what Gatsby dreams of having and what he can’t reach, the Valley of Ashes, where people like George and Myrtle Wilson live - people who are not very wealthy - . the eyes of T.J Eckleburg, who is represented very alike to God who is known to see everything that happens, the clock, which is knocked over by Gatsby symbolising that Gatsby and Daisy have caught up in time and the weather which symbolises the atmosphere between
Gatsby’s distinct charisma indicates his struggle against moral corruption and sets him apart from the moral decay evident in the upper class. Owl eyes is very surprised when he finds out all the books in Gatsby’s library are real, “‘The books?...Absolutely real--have pages and everything...It’s a bona-fide piece of printed matter. It fooled me. This fella’s a regular Belasco’” (45). While most of the upper class uses outward displays of wealth to cover their inner moral corruption, Gatsby uses his extravagant opulence to mask his love for Daisy. In this way his morals and ability to conceal his love prove his willingness and drive to acquire Daisy’s love and acceptance. The majority of the upper class suffers from moral poverty, lacking internal morals to keep them grounded acting out in ways that diminishes their social status. Gatsby is so close to Daisy his whole life yet he is unable to get any closer until their relationship is destroyed forever. “I thought of Gatsby’s wonder when he first picked out the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock...his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know that it was already behind him” (180). Gatsby continually reaches out for Daisy with hope and optimism, but the distance between his dock and the Buchanan’s does not get any closer symbolic for the
In the story The Great Gatsby, the eyes of T.J. Eckleberg are mentioned throughout the book. It is said that those eyes see all the lies and secrets the characters are keeping and it sees the results of those secrets when they are found out. After Mr. Wilson found out about Myrtle, his wife, cheating on him with someone, he explained, “God knows what you’ve been doing, everything you’ve been doing. I told her she might fool me, but you can’t fool God!” This quote is on page one hundred and fifty nine in the book. He thought the eyes on the billboard were like God seeing all. In this book those eyes are an example of secrets leading to misfortune. Michaelis saw with a shock that he was looking at the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleberg, which had just emerged, pale and enormous, from the dissolving night. “That’s an advertisement,” Michaelis assured him, also on page one hundred and fifty nine.
First and foremost, the Eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg are representative of an omniscient God. The Great Gatsby begins chapter one with a description of “The eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg are blue and gigantic – their irises are one yard high. They look out of no face, but, instead, from a pair of enormous yellow spectacles which pass over a nonexistent nose” (Fitzgerald 23). Fitzgerald describes the eyes of T. J. Eckleburg as if they are big and nobody can miss them. The enormous yellow spectacles let the readers know that Eckleburg has
The eyes are a one-way street to a person’s soul. Throughout F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Great Gatsby, there are many connections between eyes and a greater symbol, which symbol lies deep within the story. The reader is given small hints through the story on how the character truly is, based on descriptions of the character’s eyes. Throughout The Great Gatsby, the eyes of various characters are used as a symbol, from the symbol of being able to reveal true personalities to being an all mighty figure.
This shows that he was about to die, just as the leaves in the tree were. The final symbol used in the story is the eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg. Until George Wilson decides that they are the eyes of God, they are simply
The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is a novel based on Gatsby’s dream and hope. In order to enrich the story, symbols are used to emphasize what the author is saying and they create a curiosity in the reader as they are frequently used throughout the story. These three symbols – green light, valley of ashes and the eyes of Dr. T. J. Eckleburg are not connected to each other but each of them represents important things in the story.
We encounter the eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg in the valley of ashes, the desolated land between West Egg and New York. The vulgar eyes of Dr. Eckleburg have become something to intertwine with the Valley of Ashes to many critics and readers. The setting of where the billboard is located makes it seem as if it is not significant. However it is also the location of the billboard that explains how the eyes overlook both New York and West Egg since it is between it. The valley of ashes is exactly what its name sounds like. Scott Fitzgerald described it as:
The eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg are perhaps the most important symbol in The Great Gatsby. The eyes can be taken as the eyes of God or even as us, the observers. We are observing the characters in what they do and analyzing them as an example of what is wrong or what is right. In this case, we are observing Daisy Buchanan and Jay Gatsby. We are observing their conducts and deciphering whether their actions are wrong or right.
... on waiting trains can stare at the dismal scene for as long as half an hour” (24). The symbol is important to the story because it shows that no matter how fabulous a place looks there is always a dark side. Another symbol in The Great Gatsby is the eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg which symbolizes the eyes of God staring down in distaste of the corrupt city and how God has lost his connection with that city. The eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg are described as this, “The eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg are blue and gigantic-their retinas are one yard high” (23). F. Scott Fitzgerald mentions the eyes again soon after, “I followed him over a low whitewashed railroad fence, and we walked back a hundred yards along the road under Doctor Eckleburg’s persistent stare” (24). This symbol is important to the story because it shows that the flashy cities were not approved of.
In the story, Owl Eyes shows up and disappears throughout the events the characters face. Unlike Dr. Eckleburg, Owl Eyes can interact with the characters (Schroeder 90). For example, when the reader first comes in contact with Owl Eyes, he is in Gatsby’s house admiring the books that are on the bookshelf and inspects them to make sure they are, infact, real books. Shortly after, he reports over to Nick and Jordan to inform them about his findings, "See!.. It 's a bona-fide piece of printed matter. It fooled me. This fella 's a regular Belasco. It 's a triumph. What thoroughness! What realism! Knew when to stop, too – didn 't cut the pages. But what do you want? What do you expect?" (Fitzgerald 41-49). With his admiration to the books in Gatsby’s house, one could assume that this makes the connection of God always knowing someone’s true feelings, whether real or fake. For example, people can seem pristine and perfect on the outside, but on the inside, they can be the complete opposite. However, Gatsby, on the other hand, is the polar opposite. In connection to this, Gatsby’s feelings toward Daisy is as true and real as it gets. With Owl Eyes actions towards the books, he sees the true Jay Gatsby and the characteristics he takes on. In addition to Owl Eyes being able to see the true personalities in people, he also foreshadows future events that take place in the story. After the party when Nick Carraway is
The eyes of T J Eckleburg represent the loss of moral and social values in America, the hollowness of the American Dream, and the corruption of people. T.J. Eckleburg’s eyes stare down at everyone around them, including the main characters that pass by it on their trips to New York City. In this way, the symbol of the eyes reveals the corruption of the American Dream through the people that the eyes are watching. The eyes ‘watch’ as Gatsby goes to luncheon with Nick to meet Wolfshiem, the dishonest man who helped fix the World Series. The eyes too have watched Tom go into the city...