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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 1: Of Our Spiritual Strivings
Explanation and Analysis—Heredity and Race:
W.E.B. Du Bois joined with prominent political thinkers, activists, and intellectuals of his time in being one of the many individuals (across the political spectrum) to incorporate eugenic ideas into their work. Eugenic conceptions of heredity and race emerge as a motif in The Souls of Black Folk, as emblematized in the following passage from Chapter 1:
The red stain of bastardy, which two centuries of systematic legal defilement of Negro women had stamped upon his race, meant not only the loss of ancient African chastity, but also the hereditary weight of a mass of corruption from white adulterers, threatening almost the obliteration of the Negro home.
Related Themes:
Chapter 2: Of the Dawn of Freedom
Explanation and Analysis—Hordes:
Even as he argues in (what he considers to be) the best interests of his fellow Black Americans, Du Bois often falls into the trap of generalization, assigning characteristics to large populations or groups of people without a second thought. This evolves into a motif over the course of the text, with Du Bois often using the term "horde"—or other unsavory terms for describing large populations—to refer to enslaved or formerly enslaved Black Americans. At the beginning of Chapter 2, Du Bois uses this terminology to describe Black people who fled the South during the war:
Unlock with LitCharts A+They came at night . . . . a horde of starving vagabonds, homeless, helpless, and pitiable, in their dark distress.
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Chapter 5: Of the Wings of Atlanta
Explanation and Analysis—Serfdom:
Throughout the book, Du Bois draws deliberate parallels between Black Americans and serfs. In medieval Europe, serfs were typically peasant farmers who rented land from their noble overlords for the purposes of living and producing food. The lords presiding over the land extorted those living there, demanding crops and payment, often leaving their serfs penniless or hungry.
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Related Themes:
