The Owl-Eyed Man

Speaking of those books, what’s up with that guy in the library? We almost listed the owl-eyed man as a character, but then we realized we know absolutely nothing about him. Even Nick reduces him from a man to a pair of eyes. So we’re thinking he’s really more of a symbol than a full blown character. Feel free to disagree.

And, yes, we are getting to the point. First, there’s the owl bit; owls are a symbol of wisdom, but can also be an omen of death (we don’t know how that came about, either, but we’re thinking someone got their signals crossed). Then there’s the glasses bit; a man with large eyes and spectacles would be expected to be more perceptive than those around him.

So does the owl-eyed man fit the bill? Being perceptive and all, the bespectacled man is right to be suspicious of Gatsby. He is the only guest who, in doubting Gatsby, is also wise enough to investigate further. Moving right along to the portent of death part, did you notice that it was the owl-eyed man who had the car accident outside of Gatsby’s house? And that, shortly after he got out of the car, he revealed that someone else was driving? Does any of this sound familiar?

If you’re really interested in the owl-eyed man (as we so clearly are), you should check out the scene at the end where he’s the only former guest to come to Gatsby’s funeral. Why would that be? Exactly.