Motifs in Literature: Create a Recurring Narrative Element

Authors layer in many elements throughout their works to give readers clues about the overall themes, character development and point of the story. One example of these elements is a motif. Motifs are often present in poetry, short stories, and novels. Knowing how to find motifs in literature may help you more deeply understand an author’s intent in a book or become a better writer yourself. 

What is a Motif in Literature? 

A motif refers to a repeated pattern that shows up throughout a story. This pattern may involve a specific sound, symbol, word, or image that adds meaning to the story. You can think of a motif as a clue that the author calls the reader’s attention to in the work. 

Learning how to find motifs in literature is helpful for academic studies, but also for making you a better and more informed reader. It’s easier to see how the book themes, certain scenes, and actions for each character are connected to one another when motifs exist. 

Motif and theme are related elements of a story, but are not the same thing. The theme of a book is abstract, but motifs in literature are concrete elements. Even though the motifs found in a work may relate back to the theme of the story, they are more tangible as story elements than the theme itself. 

How Do You Identify Motifs in Literature? 

These motifs reinforce the main idea of the author and can be thought of like bread crumbs along the trail of the story. Not every element that shows up more than once is a motif itself. Usually the motif is an example of something deeper, which is why it’s often referred to as symbols. 

For example, the Ruby Slippers in Wizard of Oz might initially seem to be a pair of magical shoes that transport Dorothy to magical lands or back home again. However, there’s more at play here: a motif related to ownership and property. At the beginning of the story, Miss Gulch threatens to take the family farm unless the family gives her Toto the dog. The Wicked Witch, Miss Gulch’s counterpart in the land of Oz, has to watch as something she believes she’s entitled to is given instead to Dorothy (the ruby slippers). 

The use of red or magical shoes in another story might not have any meaning attached to it at all, or the same meaning as this story. 

Common Motifs in Literature 

There are many examples of motifs in literature, and it’s also possible to find examples of multiple motifs layered in one story. 

Clocks and Time 

Clocks may be used as a symbol to reflect a character’s relationship with time, their past, or their future. One example of this is The Great Gatsby. When Daisy and Gatsby haven’t seen each one for five years, their first conversation focuses on Gatsby’s mantle clock, hinting at the passage of time. 

Change and Journeys 

Characters within a story are often on a journey of change, but this might also be represented with motifs. For example, in Jane Eyre, change and journeys are a common motif that recur throughout the book. Jane takes multiple actual journeys in the book that mirror her psychological ones. Her first journey to school takes her away from her strict life with her aunt. Jane struggles with inferiority as she moves away from this location and grapples with what it means to be herself for the first time. 

Good vs. Evil 

An age-old element of most storytelling is the battle of good vs. evil. Light and darkness are often used as symbols to illustrate this. Lord of the Rings is full of symbology about good vs. evil by mirroring darkness and light. For example, where the elves live is bright, lush, and peaceful, whereas Sauron is dark, foreboding, and filled with fire. 

Death and Mortality 

Many stories touch on the temporary nature of human existence, including those such as Catcher in the Rye and Hamlet. For Holden, the main character in Catcher in the Rye, his brother passed away from leukemia, then he witnesses a suicide at his school, and has his own death wish. 

Famous Motifs in Literature 

Decay in “The Cask of Amontillado”

Edgar Allen Poe stories are rich with many interesting motifs. Throughout his popular story “The Cask of Amontillado,” a reader might identify numerous references to decay. From skeletons lining the catacombs to physical signs of decay on the walls, these symbols highlight the decay coming to the main character. Similarly, the use of catacombs also hints at the concept of a web, one of deceit in which the character gets caught in the story. 

Light and Dark in Romeo and Juliet 

One of the most famous works of Shakespeare, this love story is also filled with examples of motifs. To reference the idea that in some cases, two things cannot coexist, Shakespeare uses the opposing concepts of lightness and darkness. Romeo references Juliet as the sun and as someone equipped to make torches burn bright. This idea of polar opposites reflects the fact that Romeo and Juliet are from warring families.

The Emptiness of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby 

Corruption, greed and excess are all showcased throughout this famous work by F. Scott Fitzgerald—but there’s another motif at work here, too. Fitzgerald continually hints at the unattainable nature of the American dream through the use of the color green throughout the book. From the green light Gatsby spots from Daisy’s estate to green cards handed out by Daisy at his party to the vehicle crash involving a green car, this motif shows up to reinforce the idea. 

Put Your Motif Identification Skills to Work 

The next time you sit down to read literature, try to find at least two examples of motifs on your own. Brainstorm what they might mean and the point the author is trying to make. With more practice, you might become a pro at seeing the deeper layers of meaning within stories. There are many rich motifs in literature examples that can inspire you to look for others and to create your own motifs as a creative writer. 

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