Why Is T. J. Eckleburg Important In The Great Gatsby

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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. The worn down billboard of T.J. Eckleburg …show more content…

The billboard was described as worn down which meant that in the past there were opportunities for Doctor Eckleburg’s business; however, the aged advertisement signified that the business no longer last. Fitzgerald described the billboard as, “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. Evidently some wild wag of an oculist set them there to fatten his practice in the borough of Queens, and then sank down himself into eternal blindness, or forgot them and moved away. But his eyes, dimmed a little by many paintless days, under sun and rain, brood on over the solemn dumping ground (Fitzgerald 24).” Not only the advertisement identified the downfall of the …show more content…

In the land of waste, the eyes of Doctor T.J Eckleburg still remains and continues to watch its people. The advertisement still stands strong in the land of waste conveys the idea that even in one of the worst condition, there is still hope and God is still watching. It was under the eyes of Eckleburg when Tom introduces Nick to his affair Myrtle. The death of Myrtle also happened as a result of the affair and took place in the valley of ashes where the billboard watches. After Myrtle’s death, her husband George Wilson claims that he doesn’t know who Myrtle cheated on him with but he states that God knows who the person is and go is watching everything. While staring at the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg, Wilson said, “I spoke to her. I told her she might fool me but she couldn’t fool God. I took her to the window 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! God sees everything(Fitzgerald

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