Theme, Symbols, and Motifs

1
Theme, Symbols, and Motifs
2
ThemeWhat is it?

• Themes can be found everywhere literature, art,
  stories, movies, etc
• The theme of a fable is moral.
• The theme of a parable is teaching.
• The theme of a piece of literature is its view
  about life and how people behave.

3
Theme

• The main idea or message of a literary work.
• A universal truth
• A significant statement a story is making about
  society, human nature, or the human condition.
• Theme is not the subject of the work but instead
  is an insight about life or human nature.
• THEME IDEA

4
Theme

• Stated Theme- expressed directly
• Implied Theme- revealed gradually through other
  literary elements such as plot, character,
  setting, point of view, imagery, figures of
  speech, or symbolism.

5
Example

• Simply this hunting had ceased to be
• what you call a sporting proposition. It
• had become too easy. I always got my
• quarry. Always. There is no greater bore
• than perfection(74, The Most Dangerous Game)
• Through Zaroffs comments about hunting, the
  author implies that hunting animals is not
  sportsmanlike. With only speed and instinct, they
  are not fairly matched against mans intellect
  and reason.

6
Themepurpose?

• An understanding of theme is dependent upon ones
  experience of life and literature yet
• Theme in literature can enlarge ones
  understanding of life.
• The theme will never completely explain the
  story, but rather supports all of the other
  elements in the story.

7
Common themes in literature

• The quest for immortality
• The individuals relationship with and obligation
  to society character vs. society
• Individuals journey to understanding
  him/herself character vs. self
• Individuals relationship with and obligation to
  nature character vs. nature

8
Common themes in literature

• How justice and injustice are decided
• What it means to be a hero or antihero
• What it means to be a survivor
• An individuals experience with alienation or
  despair
• What the future holds
• Love and hate and effects of

9
Symbolism

• The practice of representing things by means of
  symbols or of attributing symbolic meanings or
  significance to objects, events, or
  relationships.
• a person, place, thing, or idea that stands for
  something else. They are used deliberately to
  reinforce meaning.
• For example, a sword may be a sword and also
  symbolize justice. A symbol may be said to embody
  an idea.

10
Symbolism

• A symbol may have more than one meaning, or its
  meaning may change from the beginning to the end
  of a literary work.
• Personal a meaning uniquely associated with our
  experiences
• Contextual a private meaning created by an
  author
• Cultural a meaning uniquely influenced by our
  culture (ex/ dogs represent faithfulness in
  China, but impurity in Indian/South Asian
  cultures
• Universal a meaning that is given to a thing by
  most people and cultures (ex/ lions represent
  deity, power and courage in many cultures)

11
How many symbols can you associate these images
with? (Dont limit yourself to just objects.
Think about shapes, colors, and parts of each
image as well)
12
Motifs

• A recurring image, word, phrase, or action that
  tend to create unity within a literary work.
• Sometimes the motif helps to create the theme in
  literature
• A motif differs from a theme in that it can be
  expressed as a single word or fragmentary phrase,
  while a theme usually must be expressed as a
  complete sentence.

13
Motif Examples

• A recurring motif in George Orwell's "1984" is
  urban decay. Winston Smith's run-down home,
  London's crumbling buildings, and the overall
  disintigration of the city all support Orwell's
  theme of the miserable results of total
  government control.

14
Below is a short list of common literary
motifsthere are sooo many more!

• Clothing Seasons Colors
• Death Supernatural Adversaries
• Extraordinary Animals Wishes
• Magical Objects Magical Powers Deep Sleeps
• Witches Trickery Illness
• Consequences of Greed Flowers/plants
• Beautiful Princess  Foolish or Dimwitted Hero