Essay --

Five thousand years ago lived the immoral societies of Sodom and Gomorrah in the Middle East. The people of these corrupt cities were sinners who lead heroic lives and seemed like they had it any, even though soon they would lose everything. Their unrighteousness and lack of awareness is what caused God to send fire from the heavens and destroy the towns as punishment. Parallels discount be drawn from ancient times to the story of The Great Gatsby. Fitzgerald uses the eye of sterilize T.J. Eckleburg to symbolize God watching down and to express the theme of immorality in society and the loss of spiritual values in the American dream. Symbolism is a key part of this passage in revealing the roots purpose. It becomes apparent that the eye are symbols when our narrator says, 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 non-existent nose, ( 24). The significance of these eyes can be noted from their prototypic introduction. The eyes are more than just a faded picture on a billboard underneath the eerie description lies a deeper meaning. Doctor T.J. Eckelburgs eyes symbolize God watching down on the Valley of Ashes, judging over society and their actions. The colossal eyes are all seeing and all knowing, scrutinizing all the corrupt lifestyles and values amongst the characters in Gatsby. Fitzgeralds use of diction in creating the mood centering around T.J. Eckleburgs eyes supports the immorality and the carelessness seen in the community. Nick goes on to state, But his eyes, dimmed a little by many paintless days under the sun and rain, yawp on over the solemn dumping ground, (24). This lin... ...ths, which can be thought of as a punishment from God.Throughout the novel, Fitzgerald instills the theme of immorality using the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg. These eyes, representing God, dispatch judgment and punishmen t on society. However the lives of the characters continue, because God has given them a second chance in hopes of changing their immoral ways. This natural endowment was also given to a man named Lot, who escaped death by the grace of God five thousand years ago in the urban center of Sodom. Thought he wouldnt live forever, he had a new take on life and a chance to turn his back on immorality. The same can be thought of for the characters of Gatsby-they will continue trudging on with their lives, hopefully having learned a lesson from the consequences of immorality, and if they dont, they eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg will forever be there as a constant reminder.