The eyes of T. J. Eckleburg loom high above the “valley of ashes,” observing the lives and lies of those around him (Fitzgerald 23). In the absence of God in the “ashes” (23), Eckleburg rises up to take His place as the new moral authority; however, his morals are not based solely upon religion and faith, but rather the booming capitalist economy (Bracken 1). F. Scott Fitzgerald carefully and purposefully wove the ascension of the eyes of T. J. Eckleburg into The Great Gatsby, forcing the characters to feel the weight of Eckleburg’s gaze in their lives. Had Fitzgerald abstained from emphasizing the significance of the eyes, both the characters and the readers would not have realized the mounting supremacy of the billboard.
Only being an oculist’s billboard, the eyes of T. J. Eckleburg did not seek idolization. The eyes were merely in the right place at the right time. Being all the characters had in terms of a god, it was not difficult for the …show more content…
When given so much power, any economic system would skew the morals and values people hold themselves to. In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald chose to explore the repercussions of allowing capitalism to become the moral authority of the main characters in the novel. Capitalism, “legally...is a system of objective laws (rule of law as opposed to rule of man)” (“Capitalism” 1). Capitalism, as an ethic guide, is not based on true values, but what is best for each individual, a far cry from the guidance of actual religions (1). “The closest any country has come to pure capitalism is 19th century America…” when capitalism was roaring and the all-important economy was king (1). It is not hard to believe that under capitalist rule the characters in The Great Gatsby viewed the eyes of T. J. Eckleburg, an advertisement, as
Only being an oculist’s billboard, the eyes of T. J. Eckleburg did not seek idolization. The eyes were merely in the right place at the right time. Being all the characters had in terms of a god, it was not difficult for the …show more content…
When given so much power, any economic system would skew the morals and values people hold themselves to. In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald chose to explore the repercussions of allowing capitalism to become the moral authority of the main characters in the novel. Capitalism, “legally...is a system of objective laws (rule of law as opposed to rule of man)” (“Capitalism” 1). Capitalism, as an ethic guide, is not based on true values, but what is best for each individual, a far cry from the guidance of actual religions (1). “The closest any country has come to pure capitalism is 19th century America…” when capitalism was roaring and the all-important economy was king (1). It is not hard to believe that under capitalist rule the characters in The Great Gatsby viewed the eyes of T. J. Eckleburg, an advertisement, as