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The City


A coming-of-age tale of a jazz prodigy finding his way in 1960s New York City.
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What do you make of the theme of the "all-seeing eye"? Have you ever encountered a set of eyes that brought you face-to-face with something you wouldn't have seen otherwise?

Created: 07/14/14

Replies: 5

Posted Jul. 14, 2014 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
davinamw

Join Date: 10/15/10

Posts: 3442

The All-Seeing Eye

The "all-seeing eye" is a major theme throughout the novel. In some ways, do you think he’s attributing his own self-reflection to these "artificial eyes?" Or is there another explanation?

Have you ever encountered a set of "eyes" that provoked something in you in the same way? That made you uncomfortable or brought you face-to-face with a truth you wouldn't have seen otherwise? Are there similar symbols in other works of literature?


Posted Jul. 14, 2014 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
mal

Join Date: 09/09/13

Posts: 164

RE: What do you make of the theme of the "all-seeing eye"? Have you ever encountered a set of eyes that brought you face-to-face with something you wouldn't have seen otherwise?

Jesus is always watching, at least he watches me even when others aren't.


Posted Jul. 14, 2014 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
deeh

Join Date: 03/03/12

Posts: 239

RE: What do you make of the theme of the "all-seeing eye"? Have you ever encountered a set of eyes that brought you face-to-face with something you wouldn't have seen otherwise?

Jonah was quite unsettled when he found the stuffed "eye" in the alley. So much so, that he put it in a box where it couldn't watch him. I do understand his discomfort.

I worked for 22 years in a mental health facility, and the eyes of some of those patients still haunt me.


Posted Jul. 15, 2014 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
janeh

Join Date: 06/15/11

Posts: 222

RE: What do you make of the theme of the "all-seeing eye"? Have you ever encountered a set of eyes that brought you face-to-face with something you wouldn't have seen otherwise?

I do think eyes are the lasting memories you have of most people -- and the ones that most signify the passing of someone in their deathbed. The light simply goes away. I am not sure about the stuffed animal eye and how I felt about it in the book. When first introduced, I loved it and was anxious for it to make more appearances. I didn't think it was used to its best advantage after the first introduction. The overall theme of the all-seeing eye probably lent the story it's most powerful supernatural feature, but I didn't feel the connection to the fake eye like I thought I would when it was introduced. Maybe that was the intention of the author -- just to give you a brief brush against reality and then make the all-seeing eye more pervasive.


Posted Jul. 20, 2014 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
mariannes

Join Date: 12/17/12

Posts: 206

RE: What do you make of the theme of the "all-seeing eye"? Have you ever encountered a set of eyes that brought you face-to-face with something you wouldn't have seen otherwise?

Jonah was spooked by the eye, but I really didn't see any reason for him to feel that way. I figured it was because he was young and some weird things were going around him.


Posted Jul. 21, 2014 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
joanp

Join Date: 06/13/11

Posts: 102

RE: What do you make of the theme of the "all-seeing eye"? Have you ever encountered a set of eyes that brought you face-to-face with something you wouldn't have seen otherwise?

Jonah found the eye the day that Fiona Cassidy materialized. He thought that she was all seeing and always watching. I can only think of one instance in my life when I encountered what might have been thought of as all seeing eyes. My newborn granddaughter had what I called wise eyes and seemed to be watching and taking in everything she saw. This is a stretch but it was a little unsettling if not evil.


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