Step Two: Select your favorite Motif

Question

Using the highlight tool in Google Docs, highlight your favorite motif in the table you just completed. This can be the motif you noticed the most, or the motif you would most like to discuss.

Step Three: Analyze Your Motif
Complete the following analysis about the motif that you selected.

Selected Motif
Copy and paste your favorite motif that you came up with into the box below.

Example: Justice

Author’s Opinion
In 1-2 sentences, explain what you think the author wants us as readers to understand about this motif after reading The Great Gatsby.

Example: The author wants readers to understand that justice is never as simple as it seems.
How Do You Know?
Using moments from the text, explain HOW you know the author was trying to get us to understand this idea about your motif. (2-3 Sentences)

Example: During the novel, we see the main character struggle with his ideas of right and wrong. He has grown up with a specific set of values and the conflict in the novel challenges those values.

F. Scott Fitzgerald wants readers to understand that...
During the novel...

Answer 1

Selected Motif
Illusion

Author’s Opinion
F. Scott Fitzgerald wants readers to understand that illusion and reality are often intertwined and blurred.

How Do You Know?
During the novel, we see characters creating illusions for themselves and others. For example, Gatsby creates an illusion of wealth and success to win Daisy back, but it ultimately leads to his downfall. The green light at the end of Daisy's dock is also a symbol of the illusions and dreams that characters chase in the pursuit of happiness.

F. Scott Fitzgerald wants readers to understand that the line between illusion and reality is thin, as characters in the novel struggle to distinguish between the two. The false appearances that characters project, such as the extravagant parties and lavish lifestyles, only serve to mask their true emotions and desires. This theme is further highlighted through the tragic fate of Gatsby, who clings to his illusions until the very end.