{"id":6398,"date":"2018-05-23T17:00:04","date_gmt":"2018-05-24T00:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/?post_type=essay-writing-blog&p=6398"},"modified":"2018-03-02T14:44:14","modified_gmt":"2018-03-02T22:44:14","slug":"spot-motif-in-literature","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/spot-motif-in-literature\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Spot a Motif in Literature"},"content":{"rendered":"

When you\u2019re studying literature, just understanding the main point of certain books is difficult. But when you have to look for certain literary devices<\/a> in the text, it can feel like a nearly impossible task\u2014or at least not a very fun one.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ve gotten the basics of theme, setting, and symbolism down, so now it\u2019s time to dive further. I\u2019ll show you how to spot a motif in literature.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s actually pretty simple when you get the hang of it (I think it\u2019s even easier than spotting some symbols).<\/p>\n

Motifs make reading more fun because you get to explore literature for all it\u2019s worth.<\/p>\n

You can learn about the author, about society, or about yourself if you refuse to take fiction at face value.<\/p>\n

So let\u2019s get started.<\/p>\n

What Is A Motif?<\/h2>\n

The technical definition of a motif is a recurring idea or image that reinforces the theme of a piece of literature.<\/p>\n

But technical definitions are boring. What does this actually mean?<\/p>\n

To understand motifs, you first must understand themes<\/b>. Themes are basically the main messages of a novel, play, or other piece of literature.<\/p>\n

There can be more than one theme in whatever you\u2019re reading (in fact, there\u2019s usually <\/i>more than one). Authors use motifs to reveal the themes to the reader through repetition.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s think about it in terms of a painting.<\/p>\n

The canvas, colors, type of paint, brush strokes, etc., make up the whole painting\u2014just like different literary devices make up a whole piece of literature. Let\u2019s say this particular painting is one of a violent storm.<\/p>\n

That image\u2014what the painter wants you to see as the big picture\u2014is the theme. The motif may be the many bold brush strokes that give that storm its movement. Or it could be the choice of grays that show the ominous nature of the storm.<\/p>\n

Sometimes, a motif in literature is as easy to spot as the colors in a painting because of its repetitive nature. Other times, the author may choose to make the motif a little subtler.<\/p>\n

Motifs vs. Symbols<\/h2>\n

Symbols<\/a> are objects, characters, places, or concepts that represent something else. For example, the color purple can represent royalty, while a rose may represent beauty or love. In many cases, a symbol only appears once or twice in a text.<\/p>\n

A motif, as discussed earlier, is a recurring image or idea\u2014and it can even be (and often is) a recurring symbol.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
\n
A motif is a recurring image or idea\u2014and it can even be (and often is) a recurring symbol.<\/a><\/div>\n

Click To Tweet<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

There are a few differences to note when thinking about symbols and motifs. First, a symbol always<\/i> represents something else. A motif, on the other hand, is more flexible. It can be much more straightforward than a symbol, but it doesn\u2019t have to be.<\/p>\n

For example, symbols of death could be dark colors, ravens, tolling bells, or whatever else the author chooses.<\/p>\n

If one of these symbols is repeated throughout the book, it becomes a motif. However, a motif of death could be as literal as several characters dying throughout the story.<\/p>\n\t

\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t
Stuck on Your Analytical Essay?<\/div>\n\t\t\t
Check Out These Example Analytical Essays<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tYes! Show me examples.<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n

Another difference between symbols and motifs is how often they’re repeated. Here, the motif is the one with the stricter guidelines. It must be prevalent in the literature rather than appearing just once or twice. Symbols can pop up just once or in every chapter.<\/p>\n

There can also be a wide variety of symbols to represent just one concept. Because of this, symbols may sometimes be harder to spot than motifs. But motifs still have their own set of challenges. Fortunately, with a little help and practice, it gets easier to find them.<\/p>\n

Finding a Motif in Literature<\/h2>\n

There are a couple of ways to go about finding a motif in literature. You can either work forward or backward. I find it most helpful to work backward, but that\u2019s just my personal preference.<\/p>\n

With this method, you first identify a theme. You then think about what made you identify that as a theme. If there was an object or idea that kept popping up in the text, that\u2019s <\/i>your motif.<\/p>\n

The second way is to work forward. You first look for the objects or ideas that appear over and over again. Then you link them to a theme.<\/p>\n

Whichever method you use, you should end up with the same result.<\/p>\n

Motif Examples in Literature<\/h2>\n

Pretty much every piece of literature has at least one motif. Here are some examples from some of the most-read pieces of fiction.<\/p>\n

Romeo and Juliet<\/em><\/h3>\n