Motif and Theme

There are as many themes to any work of literature as there are readers, so it is often left up to the reader to interpret and decipher the theme from the clues left by the author. Using recurrent elements such as motifs, the reader can piece together the message or lesson that the author wants to portray in the literary work.

In this topic, you will learn about themes and motifs and how to determine the theme of a piece of literature by identifying the motifs.

Essential Question

• How do motifs relate to the theme of a literary work?