"Saw with a shock", is talking about the element of surprise in the novel. In this particular situation the saw was the eyes of T.J. Eckleburg. The eyes most likely were a symbol for the eyes of God. It is symbolizing that God is watching everyone just as T.J. Eckleburg's eyes seem to be. The element of shock is brought up throughout the entire novel as well. People were in shock when they saw Tom break Myrtle's nose. Nick was also in shock when he saw Gatsby's body floating in the pool. The whole book has many parts that end up surprising the reader. In this passage Michaelis was shocked when he saw the eyes of T.J. Eckleburg, but he says that it is just an advertisement.

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