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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
Book 1, Chapter 1
Explanation and Analysis—Relative Sizes:
One of the most prominent motifs in Gulliver's Travels is the theme of relative perspective, with Jonathan Swift consistently demonstrating how different physical and social circumstances can lead to different perspectives on reality. In order to advance this argument, Gulliver undergoes literal changes in perspective as well as more theoretical ones. He goes from being a giant in Lilliput to being smaller than a dwarf in Brobdingnag, and his perspective on the relative size of objects changes accordingly.
In order to illustrate these changes in visual perspective, Swift frequently uses simile to describe the size of particularly small or large objects. In Book 1, Chapter 1, for example, he uses several similes to describe Lilliputian food:
There were Shoulders, Legs, and Loins, shaped like those of Mutton, and very well dressed, but smaller than the Wings of a Lark. I eat them by two or three at a mouthful, and took three Loaves at a time, about the bigness of Musket Bullets.
Related Themes:
Book 1, Chapter 2
Explanation and Analysis—Unfamiliarity:
Throughout Gulliver's Travels, Jonathan Swift uses a motif that spotlights the fact that even the most seemingly straightforward cultural customs can seem wildly unfamiliar and strange to people from other places. At multiple points in the novel, for instance, aspects of European culture are presented in ways that make them seem foreign and unusual. In doing so, Swift attempts to make readers question aspects of their culture that they take for granted.
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Related Themes:
Book 2, Chapter 8
Explanation and Analysis—Relative Sizes:
One of the most prominent motifs in Gulliver's Travels is the theme of relative perspective, with Jonathan Swift consistently demonstrating how different physical and social circumstances can lead to different perspectives on reality. In order to advance this argument, Gulliver undergoes literal changes in perspective as well as more theoretical ones. He goes from being a giant in Lilliput to being smaller than a dwarf in Brobdingnag, and his perspective on the relative size of objects changes accordingly.
In order to illustrate these changes in visual perspective, Swift frequently uses simile to describe the size of particularly small or large objects. In Book 1, Chapter 1, for example, he uses several similes to describe Lilliputian food:
Unlock with LitCharts A+There were Shoulders, Legs, and Loins, shaped like those of Mutton, and very well dressed, but smaller than the Wings of a Lark. I eat them by two or three at a mouthful, and took three Loaves at a time, about the bigness of Musket Bullets.
Related Themes:
