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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
Chapter 3: The Strange Face
Explanation and Analysis—Anti-Blackness:
Anti-Blackness, and paranoia about racial categories, is a motif throughout the novel, showing the prevalence of theories of scientific racism when Wells wrote. An early instance of anti-Blackness occurs in Chapter 3, when Prendick meets M'ling:
The black face thus flashed upon me startled me profoundly. It was a singularly deformed one. The facial part projected, forming something dimly suggestive of a muzzle, and the huge half-open mouth showed as big white teeth as I had ever seen in a human mouth. His eyes were bloodshot at the edges, with scarcely a rim of white round the hazel pupils. There was a curious glow of excitement in his face.
Related Themes:
Chapter 14: Dr. Moreau Explains
Explanation and Analysis—Anti-Blackness:
Anti-Blackness, and paranoia about racial categories, is a motif throughout the novel, showing the prevalence of theories of scientific racism when Wells wrote. An early instance of anti-Blackness occurs in Chapter 3, when Prendick meets M'ling:
Unlock with LitCharts A+The black face thus flashed upon me startled me profoundly. It was a singularly deformed one. The facial part projected, forming something dimly suggestive of a muzzle, and the huge half-open mouth showed as big white teeth as I had ever seen in a human mouth. His eyes were bloodshot at the edges, with scarcely a rim of white round the hazel pupils. There was a curious glow of excitement in his face.
Related Themes:
Chapter 21: The Reversion of the Beast Folk
Explanation and Analysis—Cannibalism:
Cannibalism, and the threat of cannibalism, is a motif throughout the novel, used to distinguish between the ideas of civilized and animalistic behavior. It first appears in Chapter 1, when Prendick nearly must resort to cannibalism to survive after the Lady Vain's shipwreck. He is reluctant. The only thing that saves him is that the two other men get in a fight over who will be eaten, and both of them fall overboard. This fate nearly leaves Prendick to die of starvation—he is only saved by Montgomery. Despite his close brush with death, Prendick also conveys a sense of relief that he doesn't have to eat another human.
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Related Themes:
