Keyword Guide · theme-analysis
Motifs are repeating symbols or ideas that reinforce a work’s core themes—and in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s *The Great Gatsby*, they’re critical to unpacking the novel’s commentary on wealth and the American Dream. This guide breaks down the most impactful motifs, plus gives you actionable ways to use them for assignments and discussions. Whether you’re prepping for a quiz or drafting an essay, this structured analysis will help you connect motifs to larger themes.
This small, glowing symbol anchors the novel’s exploration of unfulfilled desire. It represents the distant, unattainable goals that drive the characters, particularly Gatsby’s longing for a lost life with Daisy. To analyze it in essays, link the light to the broader theme of the American Dream—how it promises progress but often leaves people grasping for something just out of reach. For class discussions, ask peers how the light’s meaning shifts as the novel unfolds.
Fitzgerald uses two distinct types of wealth as a recurring motif: old money (inherited, established) and new money (earned, flashy). This contrast highlights the rigid class divides of 1920s America, where even extreme wealth couldn’t buy acceptance into elite circles. For quizzes, memorize how each character’s financial background shapes their choices. For essays, argue how this motif exposes the emptiness of materialism as a path to happiness.
References to clocks, schedules, and reliving the past appear throughout the novel, emphasizing characters’ struggle to move forward. Gatsby’s obsession with rewriting history is tied to this motif, which reinforces the idea that the past cannot be undone. For class discussions, explore how other characters, not just Gatsby, are trapped by their own histories. For essays, connect this motif to the novel’s tragic ending.
This faded billboard acts as a silent, all-seeing motif representing moral decay and the loss of spiritual values in a materialistic society. Unlike traditional religious symbols, it’s a commercial relic, highlighting how 1920s culture replaced faith with consumerism. For quizzes, focus on how the eyes are described in relation to key plot moments. For essays, analyze how they frame the novel’s critique of the American Dream’s corruption.
A motif is a recurring symbol or detail (like the green light), while a theme is a broader, overarching idea (like the emptiness of the American Dream). Motifs work to reinforce and illustrate themes throughout the novel.
Start by choosing one or two motifs, then track their appearance across the novel. For each instance, explain how it connects to a core theme. Use specific character actions or plot beats as evidence, and end with a conclusion that ties the motif to the novel’s larger message.
The green light is the most frequently tested motif because it directly ties to the novel’s central theme of the American Dream. Be sure to know its shifting meaning and how it relates to Gatsby’s arc.
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