Tracing a Motif Through a Narrative

Follow a recurring image or idea through a text and explain how its meaning develops.

A motif is a recurring element, such as an image, object, phrase, or situation, that gathers meaning through repetition. A symbol can appear once; a motif returns. Tracking a motif is one of the most reliable ways to build an interpretation, because each appearance can be compared with the last. Consider an original novel in which a broken clock appears four times. First, the clock stops on the day the father leaves. Later, the daughter refuses to let anyone repair it. Halfway through, she winds it herself but it still will not run. In the final chapter, she gives it away.

The motif develops: from a marker of loss, to a refusal to move on, to a failed attempt at repair, to acceptance. When you write about a motif, do not simply list appearances. Show the change between them, and connect that change to the character's arc or the work's theme. Ask: what is different about this appearance?

• 1A motif recurs and gathers meaning.
• 2Compare each appearance with the previous one.
• 3Connect the motif's development to character or theme.