Natasha Oslinger
Ms. Hale / Mr. Baldauf
American Studies
8 November 2015
Hollow: The Great Gatsby
The hollow eyes of a dead and uncaring god watch over you, unmoving, judging every decision you make. At least that’s what F. Scott Fitzgerald expressed in his novel, The Great Gatsby. In The Great Gatsby, emptiness, nihilism, and a meaningless universe are ever present themes. These themes are expressed subtly but deeply through the eyes Doctor T.J. Eckleburg, a billboard gazing blankly over the worn down Valley of Ashes. Many of the characters living in the dull and hopeless world Fitzgerald created could be considered nihilists, or people with the belief that god is dead and the universe is meaningless. One character in particular, Myrtle Wilson, does not have this belief. She, on the other hand, lives more in the moment, and indulges in the unnecessities of life. Overall, the eyes of Doctor Eckleburg symbolize nihilism in the novel, and while they watch hauntingly, there is no life behind them, symbolizing the lifelessness of god. F. Scott Fitzgerald uses symbolism and complex characters his novel The Great Gatsby to portray a godless universe.
There is no truth. There is no reason. God is dead and the universe is meaningless, there is truly no purpose; this is nihilism. Nihilism is the belief that existence is pointless and life has no meaning. Nihilism is a major theme in The Great Gatsby, it is used to express the deep and complex nature of humanity. Many of the characters in novel are nihilists, they contain a deep underlying self loathing that is shown though the writing and the actions the characters take. Other characters are the exact opposite, they hold the opinion of god too highly, while others, like Myrtle Wilson, are more neutral. “Standing behind him, Michaelis saw with a shock that he was looking at the eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg, which had just emerged, pale and enormous, from the dissolving night. "God sees everything," repeated Wilson.” The abandonment of religion and hope present mostly though the beautiful but hollow Jay Gatsby. Gatsby tries to relive his better past and fill the void he feels with massive parties, and futile efforts to reclaim past loves. This nihilism Gatsby presents might have been his undoing, for his character counterpart, George Wilson, sees god unlike god sees him.
George Wilson is arguably the most religious character in the novel, his beliefs are so radical that he would be willing to kill in God’s name. "I spoke to her," he muttered, after a long silence. "I told her she might fool me but she couldn’t fool God. I took her to the window" – with an effort he got up and walked to the rear window and leaned with his face pressed against it – " and I said ‘God knows what you’ve been doing, everything you’ve been doing. You may fool me, but you can’t fool God!’" While Myrtle Wilson’s relationship with god is not a major subject point in the book, it is safe to assume that she is not religious. Myrtle is an unfaithful, unpleasant woman who cares more about herself and her image than anyone else. She rude, unkind, and snobby, and contradicts herself when trying to seem higher class than she is by just making herself into a fool. Myrtle often acts out of greed, and while it could be argued that she shows a couple qualities of a nihilist, she cares far too much about image and living healthily to truly find life pointless.
In addition to the characters, Fitzgerald uses another symbolization to represent nihilism in The Great Gatsby. “ "God sees everything," repeated Wilson. "That’s an advertisement," Michaelis assured him. Something made him turn away from the window and look back into the room. But Wilson stood there a long time, his face close to the window pane, nodding into the twilight.” The looming eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg watch the godless universe Fitzgerald created. His faceless eyes represent the dead American Dream and the hopelessness of god, they watch out emptily over the Valley of Ashes. Despite the lack of religious views proposed by some of the characters, the eyes, and in turn god, are always watching. But, the eyes of god are a cold blue, they are judging and they are cold. They are not there to symbolize any good and wholesome acts performed by any of the above mentioned characters, they are there to show how there is not escaping god, and all crime comes with a punishment.
Myrtle Wilson wasn't a nihilist, and she couldn't hide her affair from god. Her greediness set of a chain reaction, ultimately leading to her death. Myrtle’s death could not be excused, though, with god watching, she had to be avenged. Doing what he thought was god works, George Wilson went off to right the wrong, and by being at the wrong place at the wrong time, Gatsby took the fall, beneath the eyes of god, for the death of Myrtle Wilson. Ultimately, it was the idea and forceful hand of god, that caused nihilist Jay Gatsby to crumble. It is ironic that his undoing stemmed directly from an idea that he believed to be pointless. The themes of nihilism, despair, longing, and unnecessary death are recurring in the novel The Great Gatsby. They are shown through not only such complex characters such as Gatsby, Myrtle Wilson, and George Wilson, but also through the intricate and intriguing symbolization of such things as the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg. Overall, this novel portrays the deep emptiness and dissociation of humanity, and in a beautifully tragic way, tells the story of a nihilist whose ultimate undoing was god.
Ms. Hale / Mr. Baldauf
American Studies
8 November 2015
Hollow: The Great Gatsby
The hollow eyes of a dead and uncaring god watch over you, unmoving, judging every decision you make. At least that’s what F. Scott Fitzgerald expressed in his novel, The Great Gatsby. In The Great Gatsby, emptiness, nihilism, and a meaningless universe are ever present themes. These themes are expressed subtly but deeply through the eyes Doctor T.J. Eckleburg, a billboard gazing blankly over the worn down Valley of Ashes. Many of the characters living in the dull and hopeless world Fitzgerald created could be considered nihilists, or people with the belief that god is dead and the universe is meaningless. One character in particular, Myrtle Wilson, does not have this belief. She, on the other hand, lives more in the moment, and indulges in the unnecessities of life. Overall, the eyes of Doctor Eckleburg symbolize nihilism in the novel, and while they watch hauntingly, there is no life behind them, symbolizing the lifelessness of god. F. Scott Fitzgerald uses symbolism and complex characters his novel The Great Gatsby to portray a godless universe.
There is no truth. There is no reason. God is dead and the universe is meaningless, there is truly no purpose; this is nihilism. Nihilism is the belief that existence is pointless and life has no meaning. Nihilism is a major theme in The Great Gatsby, it is used to express the deep and complex nature of humanity. Many of the characters in novel are nihilists, they contain a deep underlying self loathing that is shown though the writing and the actions the characters take. Other characters are the exact opposite, they hold the opinion of god too highly, while others, like Myrtle Wilson, are more neutral. “Standing behind him, Michaelis saw with a shock that he was looking at the eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg, which had just emerged, pale and enormous, from the dissolving night. "God sees everything," repeated Wilson.” The abandonment of religion and hope present mostly though the beautiful but hollow Jay Gatsby. Gatsby tries to relive his better past and fill the void he feels with massive parties, and futile efforts to reclaim past loves. This nihilism Gatsby presents might have been his undoing, for his character counterpart, George Wilson, sees god unlike god sees him.
George Wilson is arguably the most religious character in the novel, his beliefs are so radical that he would be willing to kill in God’s name. "I spoke to her," he muttered, after a long silence. "I told her she might fool me but she couldn’t fool God. I took her to the window" – with an effort he got up and walked to the rear window and leaned with his face pressed against it – " and I said ‘God knows what you’ve been doing, everything you’ve been doing. You may fool me, but you can’t fool God!’" While Myrtle Wilson’s relationship with god is not a major subject point in the book, it is safe to assume that she is not religious. Myrtle is an unfaithful, unpleasant woman who cares more about herself and her image than anyone else. She rude, unkind, and snobby, and contradicts herself when trying to seem higher class than she is by just making herself into a fool. Myrtle often acts out of greed, and while it could be argued that she shows a couple qualities of a nihilist, she cares far too much about image and living healthily to truly find life pointless.
In addition to the characters, Fitzgerald uses another symbolization to represent nihilism in The Great Gatsby. “ "God sees everything," repeated Wilson. "That’s an advertisement," Michaelis assured him. Something made him turn away from the window and look back into the room. But Wilson stood there a long time, his face close to the window pane, nodding into the twilight.” The looming eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg watch the godless universe Fitzgerald created. His faceless eyes represent the dead American Dream and the hopelessness of god, they watch out emptily over the Valley of Ashes. Despite the lack of religious views proposed by some of the characters, the eyes, and in turn god, are always watching. But, the eyes of god are a cold blue, they are judging and they are cold. They are not there to symbolize any good and wholesome acts performed by any of the above mentioned characters, they are there to show how there is not escaping god, and all crime comes with a punishment.
Myrtle Wilson wasn't a nihilist, and she couldn't hide her affair from god. Her greediness set of a chain reaction, ultimately leading to her death. Myrtle’s death could not be excused, though, with god watching, she had to be avenged. Doing what he thought was god works, George Wilson went off to right the wrong, and by being at the wrong place at the wrong time, Gatsby took the fall, beneath the eyes of god, for the death of Myrtle Wilson. Ultimately, it was the idea and forceful hand of god, that caused nihilist Jay Gatsby to crumble. It is ironic that his undoing stemmed directly from an idea that he believed to be pointless. The themes of nihilism, despair, longing, and unnecessary death are recurring in the novel The Great Gatsby. They are shown through not only such complex characters such as Gatsby, Myrtle Wilson, and George Wilson, but also through the intricate and intriguing symbolization of such things as the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg. Overall, this novel portrays the deep emptiness and dissociation of humanity, and in a beautifully tragic way, tells the story of a nihilist whose ultimate undoing was god.