Dictionary of Meaning

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Motif (literature)

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In literature, a '''motif''' is any recurring element that has symbolic significance. For example, it could be a thing, place, or a statement. The green light in ''The Great Gatsby'' is a motif, as is the repeated statement, "My father said that the reason for living is getting ready to stay dead," in William Faulkner's ''As I Lay Dying''. Also, a motif can be considered something that re-occurs to further the theme in a novel.

See also
*theme (literature) Theme *Motif (art) {{Lit-stub}} Category:Literary criticism