Goose’s dog tags (Symbol)
Goose's dog tags take on multiple symbolic meanings throughout the film. First, they are a symbol of Maverick’s inability to come to terms with the death of his friend. He takes them from Goose’s house and looks mournfully at them, planning to quit the Navy altogether. Then, when he is dispatched on the rescue mission, he has a moment of fear and discouragement in the air, and looks at Goose’s dog tags as a symbol of Goose himself. “Talk to me, Goose,” he says to his deceased friend while looking at the dog tags. It is in this moment that the dog tags represent Goose’s spirit, and Maverick’s courage to get back into the thick of the action and save Iceman. At the end of the film, Maverick throws Goose’s dog tags into the ocean, and here they symbolize the fact that Maverick has come to terms with Goose’s death, and has found inner peace.
Motorcycle (Symbol)
As we learn early on in the film, Maverick is an adrenaline junkie. He likes to fly fast and foolishly, because he knows that with big risks come big accomplishments. His need for speed and his enjoyment of "life in the fast lane" is symbolized by his motorcycle. The motorcycle represents his taste for danger and his sex appeal. He drives it to Charlotte's house for their first date, and here it symbolizes his sex appeal and his swagger with a member of the opposite sex. Later, when he feels insulted by Charlotte in class, he speeds away from Top Gun on his motorcycle at high speed. Here it represents his taste for danger and his anger at Charlotte, and reinforces his image as a "bad boy."
Sweat (Motif)
There is quite a lot of sweat in the film. Maverick, in particular, sweats a lot, and it can signify different things at different times. Sometimes it means that he is reckless, athletic, and exerting a lot of energy in his work as a naval aviator. It shows that he cares more than anyone else. Then later, his sweat signifies his inner anguish and difficulty with coming to terms with the death of Goose.
Coffee spills (Motif)
Early on in his time at Top Gun, Maverick cockily decides to fly dangerously close to the base at Top Gun, causing one of his instructors to spill coffee all over himself. It is a comic moment and signifies the fact that Maverick is a rule-breaker. At the end of the film, after Maverick has saved Iceman, he flies very close to the aircraft carrier, causing someone to spill their coffee. This moment shows that, although Maverick has perhaps learned how to better integrate his cocksure flying style into the Navy ethos, he is still, true to his name, a "maverick."
"Take My Breath Away" (Motif)
The film won one Academy Award, for original song, "Take My Breath Away" by Berlin, which plays, famously, during the consummation of Maverick and Charlotte's love. The song is a romantic 80s power ballad and represents the tender emotions shared between the two lovers, contrasting with the otherwise high voltage world of the Navy around them. The song recurs when the couple is together throughout the film, to represent the special connection between them.
