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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—Flashbacks and PTSD:
Flashbacks occur frequently throughout in Slaughterhouse-Five. The Tralfamadorian-inspired structure of the novel is predicated on flashbacks: Billy Pilgrim literally flashes back (and forward) in time as he becomes unstuck from time's linear flow. Vonnegut intermixes time travel with more typical flashbacks as various memories prompt sudden recollection, but not time travel. For example, the optometrist barbershop quartet prompts a vivid memory of the war which is structurally similar to an instance of time travel in the story.
Related Themes:
Motifs
Explanation and Analysis—So It Goes:
The phrase "so it goes" is a motif that occurs every time death is mentioned in Slaughterhouse-Five. The phrase occurs dozens and dozens of times throughout the novel, all following the mention, discussion, or implication of death. Pilgrim describes why he started saying the phrase, explaining: “When a Tralfamadorian sees a corpse, all he thinks is that the dead person is in bad condition in that particular moment, but that the same person is just fine in plenty of other moments. Now, when I myself hear that somebody is dead, I simply shrug and say what the Tralfamadorians say about dead people, which is ‘So it goes.’ ”
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Related Themes:
