"Did I tell you about the books? They're real."

So, in class I kind of went off on a tangent about some stuff and I want to clear it up. At the end of this book I finally think I figured out why the library scene is so significant and in a way that we didn't really discuss in class. Owl Eyes looked at those books and assumed that they were cardboard. His impression of Gatsby was “old money” because that was the way that Gatsby portrayed himself. “Old money” people would pretend to look smart by putting fake cardboard books in their libraries. Owl Eyes could have just assumed that the books were cardboard because every other rich person had cardboard books. However, he took the initiative to open up one of the books and see that it was real. Although this is cliché, he literally encompasses the saying “don’t judge a book by its cover.” Owl Eyes found that the books were real; they weren’t what he expected. That’s exactly how Gatsby is; both the books and Gatsby appear to be one thing but truly, deep inside, they are something else. Owl Eyes also says that if you take one book out of its place for too long, the whole library will collapse. Gatsby’s life and his lie are like that library because his scheme is very nice and organized but fake. If one little detail of Gatsby’s plan were out of order for too long, he would be destroyed, just like the library would be if a book was messed with. Owl Eyes’ revelation in the library describes Gatsby’s life. By looking at the books, Owl Eyes is able to understand that there is much more to Gatsby than meets the eye, just like there is more to the books. This is why I think that Owl Eyes knows all about Gatsby; he came to the funeral when nobody else did and he was able to figure out that the books were real.