The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is a novel about Jay Gatsby and his quest for the American dream. Throughout the novel, Fitzgerald focuses on materialism and lack of social mobility. He alludes to the vice of American society and the abandonment of religion by incorporating the motif of eyes into descriptions of the Valley of Ashes. Through the motif of eyes, Fitzgerald uses religion to comment on the corruption of society and the inability to achieve the American dream. When Nick first describes the Valley of Ashes, he mentions Dr. TJ Eckleburg's advertisement. He pays special attention to his eyes and the way they survey the valley. The eyes of Eckleburg overlooking the Valley of Ashes symbolize the eyes of G-d watching the moral decay of American society: The eyes of Doctor TJ Eckleburg are blue and gigantic... They look not at a face but... at a pair of huge yellow glasses... Obviously some The eccentric oculist placed them there to enrich his practice... then he sank into eternal blindness or forgot them and moved away. But his eyes, a little dulled by many days without painting, under the sun and the rain, contemplated the solemn discharge. (Fitzgerald, 27-28) The eyes represent G-d looking at and judging American society as a moral wasteland. Just as the billboard is faded and ignored after “many days without painting,” religion is neglected. Myrtle, one of the characters who resides in the valley, abandons typical religious beliefs by committing adultery and trying to obtain wealth and prosperity through Tom, demonstrating her rejection of spiritual values ​​in an attempt to achieve wealth material. The eyes and advertising also suggest the decadence of America...... middle of paper ...... brokenness and vice in American society, but simply acts as an observer. The inability to realize the American dream and be able to rise to a higher class is due to the abandonment of religious values ​​and the immorality of civilians. Myrtle ultimately couldn't be prosperous and have the wealth she always wanted because she had to cheat on her husband. Wilson uses the idea of ​​G-d as a billboard watching over the Valley of Ashes as an excuse to get revenge on the man he believes killed his wife. Gatsby dies without achieving his goals because his methods of making money and building a life were illegal. Fitzgerald uses the eyes as a way to convey the loss of spiritual values ​​in America, the corruption of the American people, and the emptiness of the American dream. Works Cited Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Scribner, 1995. Print.