Final answer:
The eyes watching over the valley of ashes in The Great Gatsby are those of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg, symbolizing a higher moral authority or the eyes of God amidst the moral and social decay.
Step-by-step explanation:
The eyes that are watching over the incidents in the valley of ashes are those of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg, depicted on an old billboard. This imagery is found in the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The correct answer to the student's question is B) The eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg are watching. This is symbolic of a higher moral authority or the eyes of God watching over the characters and their moral decay. The dilapidated sign and the omnipresent eyes suggest that the characters are under the scrutiny of a forgotten moral code, symbolized by the now-faded advertisement, in an area that otherwise lacks justice and spirituality.
The symbolism of the eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg is significant as it delves into themes of moral oversight in the absence of a more direct authority. This question illuminates the idea that in literature, characters are often under the unseen gaze of a moral or ethical authority. The Valley of Ashes represents both the moral and social decay resulting from the unbridled pursuit of wealth, and the plight of those left in the wake of this pursuit.