The Symbolic Significance of Vision in The Great Gatsby
The motif of vision and perception runs throughout The Great Gatsby detailed character descriptions, with Owl Eyes serving as a particularly ironic example. Despite his nickname and thick spectacles suggesting keen sight, he represents the broader theme of selective blindness in the novel. His constant cleaning of his glasses becomes a recurring symbolic gesture, highlighting the struggle to see clearly in a world of illusion.
Highlight: Owl Eyes' character serves as both a comic figure and a truth-teller, revealing deeper insights about Gatsby's carefully constructed world through his seemingly drunken observations.
In analyzing Jay Gatsby quotes that describe him, Owl Eyes' observations become particularly revealing. His discovery of the uncut pages in Gatsby's library serves as a metaphor for the superficiality of the entire era - beautiful facades masking hollow interiors. This revelation connects to broader themes of appearance versus reality that dominate the novel's exploration of the American Dream.
The character's perpetual drunkenness, rather than diminishing his credibility, actually enhances his role as an truth-teller. His statement "I've been drunk for about a week now, and I thought it might sober me up to sit in a library" carries a deeper irony - in this world of elaborate deception, sometimes clarity comes through unlikely sources. Through Owl Eyes, Fitzgerald presents a character who, despite his apparent limitations, sees more clearly than many of the novel's more "respectable" figures.