Which character notes that the eyes of Dr. Eckleburg are just an advertisement?

• A. Nick Carraway
• B. Daisy Buchanan
• C. Michaelis
• D. Gatsby

Answer: (C)

The situation tests how a symbol can be interpreted differently by people in the story. Dr. Eckleburg’s eyes on the billboard loom over the valley of ashes as a powerful symbol of oversight and moral judgment. When Michaelis speaks up and calls the eyes “just an advertisement,” he toys with that symbolic weight, treating the billboard as a relic of marketing rather than a divine or moral sign. This moment highlights a broader theme: in this world of wealth and material concerns, signs that once felt morally heavy can be reduced to commercial imagery. Michaelis’ pragmatic view contrasts with readers’ tendency to read the eyes as a spiritual symbol, and it’s his line that most directly embodies the idea that the eyes function as mere advertising in that context.