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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 Nightingale
Chapter 4
Explanation and Analysis—Edith Cavell:
In the beginning of The Nightingale, readers learn that Isabelle’s personal hero is Edith Cavell, a real historical figure and British nurse, who saved and aided hundreds of soldiers on both sides during World War I. Isabelle aspires to be like Cavell, and Cavell’s bravery and resistance live within Isabelle as she fights within her family unit to escape and help the French Resistance cause during World War II. Edith Cavell thus becomes a motif: a repeated symbol of female resistance, bravery, and ultimate sacrifice.
Related Themes:
Chapter 5
Explanation and Analysis—Edith Cavell:
In the beginning of The Nightingale, readers learn that Isabelle’s personal hero is Edith Cavell, a real historical figure and British nurse, who saved and aided hundreds of soldiers on both sides during World War I. Isabelle aspires to be like Cavell, and Cavell’s bravery and resistance live within Isabelle as she fights within her family unit to escape and help the French Resistance cause during World War II. Edith Cavell thus becomes a motif: a repeated symbol of female resistance, bravery, and ultimate sacrifice.
Related Themes:
Chapter 8
Explanation and Analysis—Pearls:
Throughout The Nightingale, pearls regularly appear as a motif, representing the past and the familial ties which bond Isabelle, Vianne, and their family together. In the beginning of the novel, readers learn that Vianne inherited a string of her grandmother's pearls on her wedding day, which Isabelle attempts to sell for money and food rations in Chapter 8:
Unlock with LitCharts A+"You may need to sell them someday,” Isabelle said. Vianne clamped the box shut. “They are heirlooms, Isabelle. For Sophie’s wedding day—and yours. I would never sell them.”
Related Themes:
Chapter 18
Explanation and Analysis—Edith Cavell:
In the beginning of The Nightingale, readers learn that Isabelle’s personal hero is Edith Cavell, a real historical figure and British nurse, who saved and aided hundreds of soldiers on both sides during World War I. Isabelle aspires to be like Cavell, and Cavell’s bravery and resistance live within Isabelle as she fights within her family unit to escape and help the French Resistance cause during World War II. Edith Cavell thus becomes a motif: a repeated symbol of female resistance, bravery, and ultimate sacrifice.
Related Themes:
Chapter 20
Explanation and Analysis—Pearls:
Throughout The Nightingale, pearls regularly appear as a motif, representing the past and the familial ties which bond Isabelle, Vianne, and their family together. In the beginning of the novel, readers learn that Vianne inherited a string of her grandmother's pearls on her wedding day, which Isabelle attempts to sell for money and food rations in Chapter 8:
Unlock with LitCharts A+"You may need to sell them someday,” Isabelle said. Vianne clamped the box shut. “They are heirlooms, Isabelle. For Sophie’s wedding day—and yours. I would never sell them.”
Related Themes:
Chapter 29
Explanation and Analysis—Memorial Tree:
In The Nightingale, as Vianne’s loved ones begin to die around her—either from sickness, murder, or other war-related injuries—she resorts to tying a scrap of fabric around her apple tree in memory of those she has lost. Each color of fabric represents a different person who once stood in Vianne's life, now memorialized on the tree as seasons change and time passes:
Unlock with LitCharts A+"Not a good day for that. Jews are being collected for deportation." He walked toward her, his boots tamping down the wet grass. Beside him, the apple tree was barren of leaves; bits of fabric fluttered from the empty branches. Red. Pink. White. A new one for Beck—in black.
Related Themes:
