| “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 nonexistent nose.”
|
| The quotation above is the first major description of
Doctor T.J. Eckleburg that we find in the novel.
Note that there is no mention of a mouth, hands, or a body. There
are only eyes, used for observation, not communication. This emphasizes the fact that Doctor Eckleburg, representing
God, is a silent spectator. He
is there and he is ever-present, but he can’t reach out to or
communicate with people. I
think that the silence of Doctor Eckleburg gives us insight to how the
characters, and others outside The
Great Gatsby, might view the role of God in their lives and in the
modern world. He watches,
but does not take part in and meddle in the lives of human beings.
The fact that Dr. T.J. Eckleburg has no mouth is very important.
It shows a lock of control of people the people that follow him.
It is proof that humans are independent from divine interference
and that we have free will. God
really has no way of giving us advice or commands.
Just as Doctor Eckleburg observes the action below him from his
billboard, many view God as a watcher and not a participant.
Someone who observes and lets everything carry on with its own
will.
By: Jessica Saltiel |