The eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg in The Great Gatsby represent a complex symbol primarily associated with the moral and spiritual decay of American society during the 1920s. They are depicted as a faded, bespectacled billboard over the Valley of Ashes, a desolate industrial wasteland between West Egg and New York City, symbolizing the consequences of materialism and the loss of spiritual values
. These eyes are often interpreted as the eyes of God, watching over and judging the characters and society's moral failures. George Wilson explicitly views them as God's eyes that see everything, especially in moments of despair and tragedy
. However, the novel also suggests a departure from traditional religion, as the eyes symbolize a kind of impersonal, omniscient gaze that exposes human vanity, dishonesty, and the emptiness behind the American Dream
. The eyes also serve as a moral authority or diagnostic gaze that sees beyond social pretenses and class distinctions. They witness the selfishness, infidelity, and corruption of characters like Tom Buchanan and Jay Gatsby, highlighting the disparity between wealth and true moral worth
. The billboard's original purpose-to advertise an oculist-has long been abandoned, which further symbolizes the faded and hollow nature of the values the eyes now oversee
. In summary, Dr. T.J. Eckleburg's eyes symbolize:
- The moral and spiritual decay of American society.
- An omniscient, god-like judgmental presence.
- The failure of the American Dream and the consequences of materialism.
- The disparity between social classes and the emptiness behind wealth and ambition
