In novels that outlast the ages there is often more than meets the eye. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s, The Great Gatsby, there is one character that is often overlooked but deserves to be looked at closer by teachers and their students who study this novel. The character named simply Owl Eyes, by Nick Carraway, is only mentioned in the 180 pages of the book thrice. Appearing so little he is often overlooked, but in him remains a series of symbols throughout the novel. First thing that we need to look at is his name itself. The character is referred to as Owl Eyes and that is no accident. The owl while a symbol of wisdom, which will be discussed later, is also an omen of death. Fitzgerald was certainly aware of the omen of death related to owls.
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Fitzgerald does not want you missing the fact that he wears glasses. He ensures you notice them by having him take them off and wipe them several times, “He took off his glasses and wiped them again, outside and in" (118). Why would he place so much emphasis on the glasses? He does this because it is often assumed of those that wear glasses that they are more perceptive than the average person. By this, along with his owl like features symbolizing wisdom, we can be assured he knows something everyone else doesn’t. Owl Eyes is the only one who truly sees Gatsby for who he is. When he is first introduced he is already questioning Gatsby. When he realizes the books are real he realizes more about Gatsby then we might originally realize. “"See!" he cried triumphantly. "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.” (50). This paragraph tells us a lot. Having already been suspicious of Gatsby, he is surprised to see the books are real. But when he notices he didn’t cut the pages he sees right through Gatsby’s charade. Gatsby went to all the trouble of buying books to fool people into thinking he is the classy gentleman born and raised they all think he is. But Owl Eyes notices the books have never been read, that the books are only there for show. “That's because he's the perfect Belasco, a reference to theater producer David Belasco. Gatsby knows how much he has to do to fool people, and he knows that he doesn't need to cut the pages. Nobody in this crowd is going to check, because they're just as fake as he is. That's what the owl-eyed man sees.” (Shmoop) While he was deceiving them his intentions were good. “Gatsby has the capacity for the pursuit of happiness. He believes in his dream…. He has a passion for belief, and although he may be wrong about the kind of happiness
Fitzgerald does not want you missing the fact that he wears glasses. He ensures you notice them by having him take them off and wipe them several times, “He took off his glasses and wiped them again, outside and in" (118). Why would he place so much emphasis on the glasses? He does this because it is often assumed of those that wear glasses that they are more perceptive than the average person. By this, along with his owl like features symbolizing wisdom, we can be assured he knows something everyone else doesn’t. Owl Eyes is the only one who truly sees Gatsby for who he is. When he is first introduced he is already questioning Gatsby. When he realizes the books are real he realizes more about Gatsby then we might originally realize. “"See!" he cried triumphantly. "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.” (50). This paragraph tells us a lot. Having already been suspicious of Gatsby, he is surprised to see the books are real. But when he notices he didn’t cut the pages he sees right through Gatsby’s charade. Gatsby went to all the trouble of buying books to fool people into thinking he is the classy gentleman born and raised they all think he is. But Owl Eyes notices the books have never been read, that the books are only there for show. “That's because he's the perfect Belasco, a reference to theater producer David Belasco. Gatsby knows how much he has to do to fool people, and he knows that he doesn't need to cut the pages. Nobody in this crowd is going to check, because they're just as fake as he is. That's what the owl-eyed man sees.” (Shmoop) While he was deceiving them his intentions were good. “Gatsby has the capacity for the pursuit of happiness. He believes in his dream…. He has a passion for belief, and although he may be wrong about the kind of happiness