The Great Gatsby

5 Pages 1284 Words

Great? Or Not So Great?
In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby we see the constant battle between morality and secularism, mainly through his use of symbolism. Two main symbols used throughout his work are the eyes of Dr. T. J. Eckleburg and the green light.
One must sometimes wonder why people create dreams and images of false hope which almost never come true. But it’s no surprise why the people of the Valley of Ashes disillusion themselves in this gloomy town. The narrator, Nick, first introduces the Eyes of Dr. T. J. Eckleburg in the beginning of chapter two. At this point in the novel the eyes don’t seem to represent anything of importance to him. At first sight, all he sees are, “A pair of enormous yellow spectacles which pass over a nonexistent nose”. (pg 27) After Nick’s description of the billboard, he doesn’t discuss it any further, thus implying that he only saw it as an object and really didn’t put much though into it. However, in chapter seven, Nick has a different outlook on the eyes. He states that, “The eyes were regarding us with a peculiar intensity…” (pg 131) For the first time, Nick feels like the eyes are overseeing everything that is happening. This can be due to the fact that he is witnessing Tom’s wife and mistress being at the same location, at the same time. This allows nick to realize the unmoral behavior surrounding him. The third and final time the eyes are seen in this novel is in chapter eight. This is the point in the novel when George mourns the loss of his wife Myrtle. While his neighbor, Michaelis tries to consol him,George turns to the billboard and says, “God sees everything”. (Pg167) George believed the eyes were the eyes of God, while Michaelis assured him that it was, “only an advertisement!” (Pg167) Obviously to Wilson, the eyes had a deeper meaning, while to Michaelis it meant nothing.
During the 1920’s, society was breaking away...