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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
Motifs
Explanation and Analysis—Plato and Demosthenes:
Alternately adored and feared, dogs serve a complex function in the novel. They are endearing reminders of human domestication efforts: Old Randall’s dogs—Plato and Demosthenes—earn the love of all the plantation’s residents. In a subtle sense, the treatment of these canine pets is a foil for the treatment of the enslaved. In most instances, Cora and the others under Terrance Randall are treated worse than domesticated animals—beaten by cat-o’-nine-tails, canes, and whips—if not violated or killed.
Chapter 2: Georgia
Explanation and Analysis—Shackles and Chains:
Chains—one of the most identifiable symbols of slavery—are a central fixture in the novel. They appear from the moment of Ajarry’s capture to Cora’s arrival at the entrance of the underground railroad:
Unlock with LitCharts A+She saw the chains first. Thousands of them dangled off the wall on nails in a morbid inventory of manacles and fetters, of shackles for ankles and wrists and necks in all varieties and combinations. Shackles to prevent a person from absconding, from moving their hands, or to suspend a body in the air for a beating.
Related Themes:
Explanation and Analysis—Music:
Like the plants in Cora’s garden, music is one of the only outlets of expression provided to the enslaved people. It offers a source of entertainment and defiance, helping Cora and the others endure the Randall plantation’s trials. Jockey’s birthday celebrations are an excuse to celebrate and make music:
Unlock with LitCharts A+There are instruments and human players but sometimes a fiddle or a drum makes instruments of those who play them, and all are put in servitude to the song. So it was when George and Wesley picked up their fiddle and banjo on days of carousing. Jockey sat in his maple chair, tapping his bare feet on the dirt. The slaves moved forward and danced.
Related Themes:
Explanation and Analysis—Trees:
Trees take root throughout the novel, representing a source of organic strength that gets subjugated by white civilization. In many instances it celebrates the raw power of Black labor, as when the narrator recounts Blake’s physical abilities:
Unlock with LitCharts A+Blake was a big oak, a double-ration man who quickly proved a testament to Terrance Randall’s investment acumen.
Related Themes:
Chapter 4: South Carolina
Explanation and Analysis—Shackles and Chains:
Chains—one of the most identifiable symbols of slavery—are a central fixture in the novel. They appear from the moment of Ajarry’s capture to Cora’s arrival at the entrance of the underground railroad:
Unlock with LitCharts A+She saw the chains first. Thousands of them dangled off the wall on nails in a morbid inventory of manacles and fetters, of shackles for ankles and wrists and necks in all varieties and combinations. Shackles to prevent a person from absconding, from moving their hands, or to suspend a body in the air for a beating.
Related Themes:
Explanation and Analysis—Clothing:
Like all the novel’s instances of myth, clothing allows characters to physically manipulate their realities. Early in Cora’s journey, they represent forms of escape and autonomy. When Cora arrives at the South Carolina station, Sam offers her a generous change of clothes that helps her enter society:
Unlock with LitCharts A+The new clothes were not stiff negro cloth but a cotton so supple it made her body feel clean, as if she had actually scrubbed with soap. The dress was simple, light blue with plain lines, like nothing she had worn before. Cotton went in one way, came out another.
Related Themes:
Chapter 6: North Carolina
Explanation and Analysis—Trees:
Trees take root throughout the novel, representing a source of organic strength that gets subjugated by white civilization. In many instances it celebrates the raw power of Black labor, as when the narrator recounts Blake’s physical abilities:
Unlock with LitCharts A+Blake was a big oak, a double-ration man who quickly proved a testament to Terrance Randall’s investment acumen.
Related Themes:
