These are some of the theme topics. Your job is to notice these as you read & then decide what Fitzgerald might be saying about them.
Theme topic of time – Look for clocks, symbols of passing time, time references, what time of year is it? Is time moving forward? Backward? Confused?
Theme topic of mutability* and loss – Look for negative change, things decomposing, falling apart. Go beyond material objects and look at changes in people, situations, etc.
mu·ta·ble adj.
1.a. Capable of or subject to change or alteration.
b. Prone to frequent change; inconstant: mutable weather patterns.
(Though its meaning – its denotation – is neutral, its connotation in literature is negative. Mutability is change for the worse.)
Theme topic of aspiration - Who wants what? What are they grasping for? What defines success? What is the dream?
as·pi·ra·tion n.
a. A strong desire for high achievement.
b. An object of such desire; an ambition.
Theme topic of hope and despair
Theme topic of appearances vs. reality – this includes anything unreal or fake as well as lies and hyperbole. Where is the truth?
Theme topic of carelessness and superficiality – with Nick look for the opposite: a desire for order, attention to detail, etc.
motif: in literature, a repeated or recurring element.
Colours – which colors appear repeatedly and what do they represent? You probably won’t get their significance until later in the novel; early on consider common associations for the colour, then see which ones hold true as the story progresses.
Weather – watch references to and changes in the weather. What does the weather seem to reflect?
Daisy’s voice – what is the secret of her voice? What is its effect?
East vs. West – what does each represent? Can you go too far West? Why or why not?
Cars – some cars are symbolic here, but cars are also a motif and they are often significant to the action. Watch their colours, who’s driving and what happens in or because of them.
Houses – this one is smaller, but consider what each house says about its occupant(s).
Displays of wastefulness – look for all types of waste or wastefulness including ashes, trash, byproducts of wealth.