Essay A Changing Era of Religion in The Great Gatsby

World War I brought new views on religion to the United States, it ended just before the 1920s so these views were carried over. Some turned to god, while others turned away. Morals were changing in that people spent their time and money on completely different things now. Religion had been the basis of many people’s lives before this, making this way of thinking and acting brand new. In The Great Gatsby, Doctor T. J. Eckleburg’s eyes symbolize god and how traditional religion and morality are sinking away from everyday life. Eckleburg’s eyes first appear at the beginning of chapter two. These eyes â€Å"dimmed a little by many paintless days under the sun and rain,† (28) watch over the valley of ashes. In this valley, the grey men work all†¦show more content†¦God always pays attention, constantly staring at the world as that is his ‘job,’ it is what god does to help his followers. Doctor T.J. Eckleburg’s not only symbolize how religion is no longer the foundation of people’s lives but also the loss of morals. Myrtle and Wilson are married, but secretly, Myrtle is seeing Tom. Tom and Daisy are married but Daisy and Gatsby have a secret relationship. Nick â€Å"turns [his] head as though [he] had been warned of something behind,† (131) and sees the big blue eyes in the distance. Nick, having glanced at those irises, realizes that Tom and Wilson are in the same position, both of their wives are cheating on them. Many believe that god is the reason for their big realizations, such as what happened here. Daisy and Myrtle, and really Tom too, commit adultury, and violate what the bible says. Also, the 1920s were a time where people were carefree they acted now with out truly thinking of what might happen later down the road. People would go out and spend tons of money on things that were ‘bad’ and did things that were ‘bad.â⠂¬â„¢ According to previous beliefs, religion and morals were changing entirely, including moral views on relationships. Opinions on the war made some grow apart from god, but made others grow closer to god depending on if they agreed with the war, and how god could help them through it, if they did indeed turn to god. Wilson is one of those peopleShow MoreRelatedRelevance Of The Great Gatsby1437 Words   |  6 PagesThe Great Gatsby’s Applications to Today In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s third novel â€Å"The Great Gatsby,† he demonstrates the social unrest between the upper and middle class in the 1920’s. Throughout the novel, the narrator, Nick Carraway, describes the life of the middle class while Jay Gatsby and Tom Buchanan represent the upper class. The idea of this unease and discourse was heavily accurate to the time-period in which it was written. 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