Question

What are some common motifs in literature?

Answer 1

Hint: A motif is a literary device that consists of a recurring element with symbolic significance in a work of literature. A motif is a recurring image in some cases. Other times, it's a linguistic expression of a repeated word, phrase, or subject. A motif is a recurrent circumstance or action in a story.

Complete answer:
A motif is a symbolically significant recurring narrative feature. You're probably dealing with a motif if you notice a symbol, idea, or plot structure that appears frequently in the text. They must be connected to the work's core concept, and they must always reinforce the author's overall message.

Some common motifs in literature are:
Motifs are often helpful in recognising or illustrating a work's main theme. In a literary novel, colour serves as a motif to reflect emotions or themes. For instance, white can represent purity, black can represent evil, red can represent passion, and green can represent greed.
Weather is another motif that contributes significantly to the literary work's theme. The heavy pattering of rain each night gives a central character the feeling of being cleansed or reborn. The loss of someone or something important is on the horizon if a character is continually misplacing objects.

Example: Several motifs in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mocking Bird help the central concept of good and bad coexisting. Lee adds to the atmosphere with a recurring theme of Gothic details, such as dark and haunted scenes, supernatural occurrences, and a full moon. Another theme in the storey is Maycomb's small-town life, which portrays goodness and pleasure in life.

Note: Remember that you must be able to connect a motif to the book's "major ideas." Just because the narrator mentions a pair of shoes a few times doesn't mean it's a motif — unless the author makes a point of linking it to a larger question about, say, liberation and escape.