The Great Gatsby: Symbollism
By: Joey D. ; Josh W. ; Hayanny S. ; Nicole A. ; Danny K.
The Eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg
A Conduit
A Watcher, A God
The Eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg
Through Great Gatsby we have witnessed many references to eyes. “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- 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…But his eyes, dimmed a little by many paintless days under sun and rain, brood on over the solemn dumping ground” (Chapter 2). This quote talks about the eyes of God looking over the world.George Wilson states “God sees everything” (Chapter 8) this shows how strongly he believes in God watching over him through the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg and that only God has the right to judge his wife. Not only can this passage be symbolizing the eyes of God but also Nick’s. In chapter one Nick states "I'm inclined to reserve all judgements.” He is the only one in the novel who really knows what is going on.
The eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg on the billboard overlooking the Valley of Ashes represent the haunting waste of the past. “These haunting, unblinking eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg watch over everything in the Valley of Ashes” (Chapter 2)
Dr. T.J. Eckleburg looks down on the Valley of the Ashes which symbolizes the American Dream and the corruption of that dream. “But his eyes, dimmed a little by many paintless days, under sun and rain, brood on over the solemn dumping ground.”(Chapter 2) This quote symbolizes the corruption and failure of the American Dream.|
History
Owl Eyes
Judge
The Owl Eyed man in The Great Gatsby is more of a living symbol rather than a character. He is perceptive and notices trivial details that point out flaws in characters, primarily Gatsby. While most of Gatsby’s house guests would only recognize a bookshelf full of books, the Owl Eyed man could “see through” Gatsby’s cultured facade.
He was already wise enough to know that Gatsby doesn’t really read the books and realize they are only for show, but he was most surprised at how far Gatsby was willing to go to keep his appearance of great wealth by placing real books in the bookshelf when he could have just made them fake.
Work Cited
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"Symbols in The Great Gatsby." Symbols in The Great Gatsby. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Dec. 2014.
Fitzgerald, F S. The Great Gatsby. New York: Scribner Paperback Fiction, 1995. Print.
Shmoop Editorial Team. "The Owl-Eyed Man in The Great Gatsby." Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 09 Dec. 2014.
User5067439. "What Is the Meaning of the Eyes of Dr. T. J. Eckleburg in The Great Gatsby? - Homework Help - ENotes.com." Enotes.com. Enotes.com, 2 Apr. 2013. Web. 09 Dec. 2014.