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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
Key Examples in The Longest Memory
Motifs
Explanation and Analysis—Memory:
As the title of the novel suggests, memory is a motif throughout The Longest Memory. For one, Whitechapel is unable to forget events that he would otherwise like to. As he succinctly explains, "I don’t want to remember. Memory hurts." In a life full of cruelty at the hands of his enslavers, memory itself has become painful for Whitechapel. In particular, the memory of what he has lost—his original home of Africa, his wives, his son Chapel—causes tangible physical discomfort.
Related Themes:
