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
Sixth Entry
Explanation and Analysis—Light and Darkness:
The motif of light and darkness emphasizes Jane’s social isolation, helplessness, and lack of freedom. Jane observes that light has a profound impact on the wallpaper and the woman she hallucinates within it, as both behave differently depending on time of day:
There is one marked peculiarity about this paper, a thing nobody seem to notice but myself, and that is that it changes as the light changes […] At night in any kind of light, in twilight, candlelight, lamplight, and worst of all moonlight, it becomes bars.