What are the motifs in The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler?

Self-Preservation is a recurring idea in the story. There are several characters who are willing to do whatever it takes in order to survive or in order to retain a certain aspect of their lives. One of those is Terry Lennox who finds himself faced with the likelihood of being charged with the murder of his wife, Sylvia. When that happens, he calls on three old friends in order to make his escape. Marlowe takes him to catch a plane and two others go so far as to help Terry fake his own death. Eileen Wade is another who goes to great lengths to save herself. She goes so far as to make her husband, Roger, believe that he killed Sylvia Lennox and then kills Roger as well.