In a famous poem by Thomas Gray, the well-known expression "Ignorance is bliss, it is folly to be wise" was used to describe the happiness that the author found in not knowing the true consequences. This is similar to the characters in The Great Gatsby, the great American novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, who have more money than they can spend and feel exempt from the law and can buy their way out of any what situation. What they also ignore is the constant surveillance they are under, whether it is a divine force watching over them, like Dr. Eckleburg's eyes on the billboard, or their servants and butlers who constantly clean up after themselves in their house. They do not see the pain they cause themselves, the exhausting difficulties and the disgust that others feel when they pick up the debris they leave everywhere they go. Nothing is invisible in this novel, blindness is a common disease among the rich who turn a blind eye to the decadent and corrupt society and culture from which they are separated with their mounds of wealth and impregnable mansions. Ignorance is mentioned throughout the book and is constantly displayed by the characters, “blinded by the glare of headlights”. (59). This quote could be taken literally and it could be said that the character was only blinded by the lighthouse. I feel like the meaning is deeper in that the headlights could be used to depict the flashy wealth of the time that prevents everyone from seeing the nefarious greed of the rich. The rich would drive the car with the high beams aimed at drunk and blinded people to distract them from their recklessness. Each main character is oblivious to certain baggage that prevents them from looking forward and thinking about consequences...... middle of paper ...... to identify what not everyone can see no more because he doesn't want to, or they are just completely oblivious. Daisy chooses to be blind to her husband's scandalous activities and, like Jordan, they are both trapped in their own little world because that's where they feel most comfortable. Gatsby only sees the past and doesn't think about the future because Daisy is no longer his now. This brings us to the general theme that we should not avoid things because they are foreign or heartbreaking, we must confront reality and what is fact or fiction and not attempt to disguise it in the name of our personal beliefs or our comfort level. Works CitedFitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Scribner, 1995. Print. Gray, Thomas. “Ode on a Distant Perspective of Eton College.” Poetry X. Ed. Jough Dempsey.June 16, 2003. March 16. 2014 .