Motifs (and leitmotifs)

Leitmotif (Leading Motif)

• is a short, constantly reoccuring musical phrase associated with a particular person, place, or idea

Identifying Leitmotifs can

• give audible cues to future plot points
• show the audience a journey of a character
• draw thematic links between situations
• give a listener greater insight into the narrative

Practice with leitmotif

• Get out a piece of paper and number it 1-10
• For each leitmotif you hear try to identify the person/story connected to it
• Also, try to figure out if this has a positive or negative connotation

Guided Practice

• While the clip plays, listen to the change in the motif
• What do we learn about the wicked witch through the leitmotif?
• How does this connect to the abstract idea of "power"

Motif

Literary motifs (like their musical counterparts) help establish character and theme in a story.

Motif

Motif

Motif

A motif is a recurring object, idea, structure, or image found in the details of a work.

Often, an author will use repetition or synonyms to elicit a particular motif.

Several motifs may be used in a single work.

When looked at as a whole, motifs help to reveal the subject of a work and lead to understanding the work’s theme.

To find motifs in a work, look for repeated or significant objects, ideas, or images.

Examples

Common Motifs

• Light and Dark
• Seasons
• Weather
• Eyes
• Color
• Animals
• Flowers/Plants
• Dreams

Hunger Games          Flowers

Reflections/Mirrors                                              Beauty and the Beast

Fire and Water

Motif helps the reader identify themes through the significance of the repeated item

Still Confused?

• a symbol is an image representing a larger idea
• A symbol can become a motif if repeated throughout a work.
• motif includes anything that is repeated in a novel to reinforce the main idea of the piece
• a theme is the life lesson or the point of the story

Identify Motifs in The Book Thief

Motif

• Identify 1-2 motifs you are interested in tracking from The Book Thief
• Find 1 example per part of this motif