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Mood
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 1
Explanation and Analysis—Fog:
Throughout the novel, fog is a motif that represents immersion in the present moment. It also represents an orientation toward doing things rather than just thinking about them.
In Chapter 1, Humphrey expresses his gratitude that he isn’t the one sailing the Martinez, but rather a passenger, free to appreciate the aesthetic qualities of the fog rather than worry about its effects on the ferry’s passage:
I remember thinking how comfortable it was, this division of labor which made it unnecessary for me to study fogs, winds, tides, and navigation in order to visit my friend […] It was good that men should be specialists, I mused […] I concentrated on a few particular things, such as, for instance, the analysis of Poe’s place in American literature.
Related Themes:
Chapter 8
Explanation and Analysis—Primitive vs. Civilized:
Throughout the novel, Jack London uses the contrast between the primitive and the civilized as a motif to explore questions about human nature. Wolf Larsen represents the primitive side of human nature, while Maud and Humphrey represent the civilized. For example, in Chapter 8, Humphrey describes Wolf in the following terms:
Unlock with LitCharts A+Sometimes I think Wolf Larsen is mad, or half-mad at least, what of his strange moods and vagaries. Other times I take him for a great man, a genius who has never arrived. And finally, I am convinced that he is the perfect type of the primitive man, born a thousand years or generations too late and an anachronism in this culminating century of civilization. He is certainly an individualist of the most pronounced type.
Related Themes:
Chapter 22
Explanation and Analysis—The Speech of Eyes:
Throughout the novel, eyes are a motif that represent the characters’ unconscious, instinctual selves. Eyes are used to communicate nonverbally, a language that both Maud and Wolf are adept in. Humphrey refers to this as “the speech of eyes.”
In Chapter 22, Humphrey points out to Maud that she has a habit of speaking through her eyes:
Unlock with LitCharts A+"I know,—I can see it—you have, among other ways, been used to managing people with your eyes, letting your moral courage speak out through them, as it were. You have already managed me with your eyes, commanded me with them.”
Chapter 23
Explanation and Analysis—The Speech of Eyes:
Throughout the novel, eyes are a motif that represent the characters’ unconscious, instinctual selves. Eyes are used to communicate nonverbally, a language that both Maud and Wolf are adept in. Humphrey refers to this as “the speech of eyes.”
In Chapter 22, Humphrey points out to Maud that she has a habit of speaking through her eyes:
Unlock with LitCharts A+"I know,—I can see it—you have, among other ways, been used to managing people with your eyes, letting your moral courage speak out through them, as it were. You have already managed me with your eyes, commanded me with them.”
Chapter 25
Explanation and Analysis—Fog:
Throughout the novel, fog is a motif that represents immersion in the present moment. It also represents an orientation toward doing things rather than just thinking about them.
In Chapter 1, Humphrey expresses his gratitude that he isn’t the one sailing the Martinez, but rather a passenger, free to appreciate the aesthetic qualities of the fog rather than worry about its effects on the ferry’s passage:
Unlock with LitCharts A+I remember thinking how comfortable it was, this division of labor which made it unnecessary for me to study fogs, winds, tides, and navigation in order to visit my friend […] It was good that men should be specialists, I mused […] I concentrated on a few particular things, such as, for instance, the analysis of Poe’s place in American literature.
Related Themes:
Chapter 27
Explanation and Analysis—Fog:
Throughout the novel, fog is a motif that represents immersion in the present moment. It also represents an orientation toward doing things rather than just thinking about them.
In Chapter 1, Humphrey expresses his gratitude that he isn’t the one sailing the Martinez, but rather a passenger, free to appreciate the aesthetic qualities of the fog rather than worry about its effects on the ferry’s passage:
Unlock with LitCharts A+I remember thinking how comfortable it was, this division of labor which made it unnecessary for me to study fogs, winds, tides, and navigation in order to visit my friend […] It was good that men should be specialists, I mused […] I concentrated on a few particular things, such as, for instance, the analysis of Poe’s place in American literature.
Related Themes:
Explanation and Analysis—Primitive vs. Civilized:
Throughout the novel, Jack London uses the contrast between the primitive and the civilized as a motif to explore questions about human nature. Wolf Larsen represents the primitive side of human nature, while Maud and Humphrey represent the civilized. For example, in Chapter 8, Humphrey describes Wolf in the following terms:
Unlock with LitCharts A+Sometimes I think Wolf Larsen is mad, or half-mad at least, what of his strange moods and vagaries. Other times I take him for a great man, a genius who has never arrived. And finally, I am convinced that he is the perfect type of the primitive man, born a thousand years or generations too late and an anachronism in this culminating century of civilization. He is certainly an individualist of the most pronounced type.
Related Themes:
Chapter 35
Explanation and Analysis—The Speech of Eyes:
Throughout the novel, eyes are a motif that represent the characters’ unconscious, instinctual selves. Eyes are used to communicate nonverbally, a language that both Maud and Wolf are adept in. Humphrey refers to this as “the speech of eyes.”
In Chapter 22, Humphrey points out to Maud that she has a habit of speaking through her eyes:
Unlock with LitCharts A+"I know,—I can see it—you have, among other ways, been used to managing people with your eyes, letting your moral courage speak out through them, as it were. You have already managed me with your eyes, commanded me with them.”
