Narratives may include multiple motifs of varying types. In Shakespeare's play Macbeth, he uses a variety of narrative elements to create many different motifs. Imagistic references to blood and water are continually repeated. The phrase "fair is foul, and foul is fair" is echoed at many points in the play, a combination that mixes the concepts of good and evil. The play also features the central motif of the washing of hands, one that combines both verbal images and the movement of the actors.
In a narrative, a motif establishes a pattern of ideas that may serve different conceptual purposes in different works. Kurt Vonnegut, for example, in his non-linear narratives such as Slaughterhouse-Five and Cat's Cradle makes frequent use of motif to connect different moments that might seem otherwise separated by time and space.[3] In the American science fictioncult classic Blade Runner, director Ridley Scott uses motifs to not only establish a dark and shadowy film noir atmosphere,[4] but also to weave together the thematic complexities of the plot. Throughout the film, the recurring motif of "eyes" is connected to a constantly changing flow of images, and sometimes violent manipulations, in order to call into question our ability, and the narrator's own, to accurately perceive and understand reality.[5][6][7]
Narrative motifs can be ironic. For example, in Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park novel, control is a recurring motif via chapter title and topic of discussion; it's an ironic motif that is instantiated in the constant creation of the unknown and the belief that it can be controlled and contained. The irony is explained through the articulation of Dr. Ian Malcolm's dialogue.
Any number of narrative elements with symbolic significance can be classified as motifs—whether they are images, spoken or written phrases, structural or stylistic devices, or other elements like sound, physical movement, or visual components in dramatic narratives. While it may appear interchangeable with the related concept, theme,[8] a general rule is that a theme is abstract and a motif is concrete.[9] A theme is usually defined as a message, statement, or idea, while a motif is simply a detail repeated for larger symbolic meaning.
In other words, a narrative motif—a detail repeated in a pattern of meaning—can produce a theme; but it can also create other narrative aspects. Nevertheless, the distinction between the two terms remains difficult to pinpoint. For instance, the term "thematic patterning" has been used to describe the way in which "recurrent thematic concepts" are patterned to produce meaning, such as the "moralistic motifs" found throughout the stories of One Thousand and One Nights.[10]
^James H. Grayson. Myths and Legends from Korea: An Annotated Compendium of Ancient and Modern Materials (p. 9). New York and Abingdon: Routledge Curzon, 2000. ISBN0-7007-1241-0.
^Silver, Alain; Ursini, James (1996). Film Noir Reader. Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN978-0-87910-197-8.
^"Kurt Vonnegut, Jr." Encyclopedia of World Biography. Thomson Gale. 2004. HighBeam Research. 26 August 2010
^"About Film.Com - The Web Site All AboutFilm!". www.aboutfilm.com. Retrieved 2023-01-25.
^Saini, Tinku (1996), , Tinku Saini, University of Washington, archived from the original on 2007-12-27, retrieved 2008-01-31
^McCoy, John (1995), , University of Texas at Austin, archived from the original on 2013-09-16, retrieved 2008-02-01
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For other uses see Motif disambiguation and Motive disambiguation In narrative a motif m oʊ ˈ t iː f listen moh TEEF is a distinctive repeating feature or idea often it helps develop other narrative or literary aspects such as theme or mood 1 2 A narrative motif can be created through the use of imagery structural components language and other elements throughout literature The flute in Arthur Miller s play Death of a Salesman is a recurrent sound motif that conveys rural and idyllic notions Another example from modern American literature is the green light found in the novel The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald Narratives may include multiple motifs of varying types In Shakespeare s play Macbeth he uses a variety of narrative elements to create many different motifs Imagistic references to blood and water are continually repeated The phrase fair is foul and foul is fair is echoed at many points in the play a combination that mixes the concepts of good and evil The play also features the central motif of the washing of hands one that combines both verbal images and the movement of the actors In a narrative a motif establishes a pattern of ideas that may serve different conceptual purposes in different works Kurt Vonnegut for example in his non linear narratives such as Slaughterhouse Five and Cat s Cradle makes frequent use of motif to connect different moments that might seem otherwise separated by time and space 3 In the American science fiction cult classic Blade Runner director Ridley Scott uses motifs to not only establish a dark and shadowy film noir atmosphere 4 but also to weave together the thematic complexities of the plot Throughout the film the recurring motif of eyes is connected to a constantly changing flow of images and sometimes violent manipulations in order to call into question our ability and the narrator s own to accurately perceive and understand reality 5 6 7 Narrative motifs can be ironic For example in Michael Crichton s Jurassic Park novel control is a recurring motif via chapter title and topic of discussion it s an ironic motif that is instantiated in the constant creation of the unknown and the belief that it can be controlled and contained The irony is explained through the articulation of Dr Ian Malcolm s dialogue Contents 1 Usage 2 See also 3 References 4 External linksUsage EditAny number of narrative elements with symbolic significance can be classified as motifs whether they are images spoken or written phrases structural or stylistic devices or other elements like sound physical movement or visual components in dramatic narratives While it may appear interchangeable with the related concept theme 8 a general rule is that a theme is abstract and a motif is concrete 9 A theme is usually defined as a message statement or idea while a motif is simply a detail repeated for larger symbolic meaning In other words a narrative motif a detail repeated in a pattern of meaning can produce a theme but it can also create other narrative aspects Nevertheless the distinction between the two terms remains difficult to pinpoint For instance the term thematic patterning has been used to describe the way in which recurrent thematic concepts are patterned to produce meaning such as the moralistic motifs found throughout the stories of One Thousand and One Nights 10 See also EditMotif folkloristics Motif music Motif visual arts Trope literature References Edit James H Grayson Myths and Legends from Korea An Annotated Compendium of Ancient and Modern Materials p 9 New York and Abingdon Routledge Curzon 2000 ISBN 0 7007 1241 0 Silver Alain Ursini James 1996 Film Noir Reader Hal Leonard Corporation ISBN 978 0 87910 197 8 Kurt Vonnegut Jr Encyclopedia of World Biography Thomson Gale 2004 HighBeam Research 26 August 2010 About Film Com The Web Site All AboutFilm www aboutfilm com Retrieved 2023 01 25 Saini Tinku 1996 Eye disbelieve Tinku Saini University of Washington archived from the original on 2007 12 27 retrieved 2008 01 31 McCoy John 1995 The Eyes Tell All University of Texas at Austin archived from the original on 2013 09 16 retrieved 2008 02 01 Bukatman pp 9 11 WordNet 3 0 Princeton University 2006 Retrieved 2010 08 26 Abbott H Porter 2008 The Cambridge Introduction to Narrative Cambridge Cambridge University Press p 95 ISBN 978 0 521 88719 9 Heath Peter May 1994 Reviewed work s Story Telling Techniques in the Arabian Nights by David Pinault International Journal of Middle East Studies Cambridge University Press 26 2 358 360 359 60 doi 10 1017 s0020743800060633 S2CID 162223060External links Edit The dictionary definition of motif at Wiktionary Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Motif narrative amp oldid 1135516167, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
