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Definition of Motif
A motif is an element or idea that recurs throughout a work of literature. Motifs, which are often collections of related symbols, help develop the central themes of a book... read full definition
A motif is an element or idea that recurs throughout a work of literature. Motifs, which are often collections of related symbols, help develop the... read full definition
A motif is an element or idea that recurs throughout a work of literature. Motifs, which are often collections of... read full definition
Motifs
Explanation and Analysis—Food:
Throughout Franny and Zooey, repeated references to food illustrate how characters interact with and take in the world around them. This motif begins with Franny and Lane’s lunch at Sickler’s, an upscale restaurant frequented by “the intellectual fringe of students” at Lane’s university.
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Motifs
Explanation and Analysis—Letters:
Both “Franny” and “Zooey” begin with the rereading of a letter, a motif that provides crucial context to each narrative.
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Franny
Explanation and Analysis—Smoking:
Salinger devotes a remarkable amount of space to describing the act of smoking. This motif paces and punctuates the novel. Franny, Zooey, Lane, and Mrs. Glass are all habitual smokers, and their complex philosophical conversations with one another are often interrupted by the physical activity of smoking: lighting a cigarette, ashing, gesturing with a cigar. In this way, smoking becomes a prop that allows characters to express emotions they don’t necessarily vocalize.
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Zooey
Explanation and Analysis—The Painters:
Throughout “Zooey,” Salinger repeatedly references the painters who are currently working to re-paint the entirety of the Glass family’s apartment. This motif first appears near the beginning of the novella, when Mrs. Glass is encouraging Zooey to talk to Franny. Her sense of urgency is motivated by the fact that the painters will soon need access to the living room, where Franny is camped out on the couch in the midst of a spiritual crisis. Franny’s breakdown threatens to interrupt the painters’ progress, showing how mysticism can sometimes feel at odds with the demands of everyday life.
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Explanation and Analysis—Smoking:
Salinger devotes a remarkable amount of space to describing the act of smoking. This motif paces and punctuates the novel. Franny, Zooey, Lane, and Mrs. Glass are all habitual smokers, and their complex philosophical conversations with one another are often interrupted by the physical activity of smoking: lighting a cigarette, ashing, gesturing with a cigar. In this way, smoking becomes a prop that allows characters to express emotions they don’t necessarily vocalize.
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Related Themes:
