Subject, Theme, Symbols, and Motifs. Subject… what is it? Subject can have many meanings but in the context of an essay it is the topic you are writing.

Subject, Theme, Symbols, and Motifs

Subject… what is it?

Subject can have many meanings but in the context of an essay it is the topic you are writing about. This use has the same meaning as subject matter.

Example:

The subject of my essay is The Civil War.

The subject matter of my essay is The Civil War.

These sentancese mean the same thing.

Theme is generally more broad. It is the overall feeling you present. It is the dominate idea presented.

Example:

The subject of my essay is The Civil War. The theme is the need for unification and world peace.

So, the subject (or subject matter) is the specific person, place, or thing you are talking about. The theme is the overall idea that you are trying to convey.

Theme…What is it?

Themes can be found everywhere: literature, art, stories, movies, etc…

The theme of a fable is moral.

The theme of a parable is teaching.

The theme of a piece of literature is its view about life and how people behave.

Theme

The main idea or message of a literary work.A universal truthA significant statement a story is making about society, human nature, or the human condition.

Theme is not the subject of the work but instead is an insight about life or human nature.

THEME = IDEA

Theme

Stated Theme- expressed directly

Implied Theme- revealed gradually through other literary elements such as plot, character, setting, point of view, imagery, figures of speech, or symbolism.

Example

“‘Simply this: hunting had ceased to bewhat you call ‘a sporting proposition.’ Ithad become too easy. I always got myquarry. Always. There is no greater borethan perfection’”(74, The Most Dangerous Game)

Through Zaroff’s comments about hunting, the author implies that hunting animals is not sportsmanlike. With only speed and instinct, they are not fairly matched against man’s intellect and reason.

Theme…purpose?

An understanding of theme is dependent upon one’s experience of life and literature… yet…

Theme in literature can enlarge one’s understanding of life.

The theme will never completely explain the story, but rather supports all of the other elements in the story.

Common themes in literature

The quest for immortalityThe individual’s relationship with and obligation to society… character vs. societyIndividual’s journey to understanding him/herself… character vs. selfIndividual’s relationship with and obligation to nature… character vs. nature

Common themes in literature

How justice and injustice are decided

What it means to be a hero or antihero

What it means to be a survivor

An individual’s experience with alienation or despair

What the future holds

Love and hate and effects of

Symbolism

The practice of representing things by means of symbols or of attributing symbolic meanings or significance to objects, events, or relationships.

a person, place, thing, or idea that stands for something else. They are used deliberately to reinforce meaning.

For example, a sword may be a sword and also symbolize justice. A symbol may be said to embody an idea.

SymbolismA symbol may have more than one meaning, or its meaning may change from the beginning to the end of a literary work.

Personal: a meaning uniquely associated with our experiencesContextual: a private meaning created by an authorCultural: a meaning uniquely influenced by our culture (ex/ dogs represent faithfulness in China, but impurity in Indian/South Asian culturesUniversal: a meaning that is given to a thing by most people and cultures (ex/ lions represent deity, power and courage in many cultures)

How many symbols can you associate these images with? (Don’t limit yourself to just objects. Think about shapes, colors, and parts of each image as well)

Motifs

A recurring image, word, phrase, or action that tend to create unity within a literary work.Sometimes the motif helps to create the theme in literatureA motif differs from a theme in that it can be expressed as a single word or fragmentary phrase, while a theme usually must be expressed as a complete sentence.

Motif Examples

A recurring motif in George Orwell's "1984" is urban decay. Winston Smith's run-down home, London's crumbling buildings, and the overall disintigration of the city all support Orwell's theme of the miserable results of total government control.

Below is a short list of common literary motifs…there are sooo many more! Clothing Seasons Colors

Death Supernatural Adversaries Extraordinary Animals Wishes

Magical ObjectsMagical Powers Deep Sleeps

Witches Trickery Illness

Consequences of Greed Flowers/plants

Beautiful Princess  Foolish or Dimwitted Hero