When you analyze literature, you're often asked to look at the pattern of ideas presented in the text. Sometimes, you're asked to identify or explain motif vs symbol. So what's the difference and why does it matter as a writer?

Years ago, I blitzed through Veronica Roth's Divergent in about a day. For as long as it was, it was a really quick read. If you've read Divergent, you may have noticed the symbols running throughout the book (e.g. ravens, Dauntless' flames, and so on). Or are they motifs?

What is the difference between a motif vs symbol? First, let's look at some definitions and examples.

What is a symbol?

A symbol is a usually something tangible or visible that represents something more abstract. Technically, a symbol is anything that communicates meaning visually. So a red octagonal metal sign means something to drivers, even if it doesn't have the actual word “STOP” on it.

In literature, symbols can take all kinds of forms. Birds and other animals, colors, weather, clothing, and even certain locations like the forest can work as symbols when they represent more abstract ideas.

For example, in the novel The Scarlet Letter, the forest is symbolic of freedom from the Puritanical restrictions so prevalent in Hester's small community. She even takes her hair down in the forest in front of Reverend Dimmesdale (gasp!). It might also represent danger or any number of additional meanings depending on the thematic elements you're unpacking.

Symbols as a narrative element deepen and enrich the experience for the reader even if they don't have to sit down and write an explication of the symbols in the novel. Why?

I think it's because it creates a kind of inside joke, a layer of meaning that the writer trusts the reader to catch.

What is a motif?

A motif is also something tangible, but it's anything repeated to signal deeper meaning directly related to the plot ands. an overarching theme. Motifs recur throughout a work as opposed to only appearing once, and they must hold significance to the plot.

Motifs typically are used in one of three ways:

  • a single object that appears multiple times throughout the work with most of the emphasis placed on the item
  • a collection of related objects that appear multiple times to emphasize the theme
  • a collection of seemingly unrelated items that serve to draw attention to the theme in a subtler manner.

With a motif in literature, the reader might need to work to find the connection, but motifs serve the larger theme of the novel.

As a reminder, a central theme is the overarching message or lesson that the story explores.

For example, colors are highly symbolic in The Great Gatsby, and used together, they form a motif–a way the author comments on the failure of the American Dream. The color green is symbolic of greed and impossible longing, the color white as a false purity, the color gray as a commentary on the lives of the working class.

When you are looking for a motif, watch for things that repeat or seem to touch on the same theme with different variations.

Motif vs. symbol: What's the difference?

They both communicate something beyond literal meaning, but a motif requires repetition, usually directly related to a major theme.

A writer might include a minor character who keeps doves to symbolize the peaceful nature of the character, but that would be a symbol if it doesn't repeat elsewhere or relate to the broader themes.

Symbol vs. Motif in Divergent

One of the main things I noticed early in the book is that the factions that define the citizens of the city each have their own designated wardrobe. Tris, the main character, is born in a faction that is defined by their selflessness, and all members of that faction wear the same shapeless gray clothes. When she chooses her new faction, she chooses the faction defined by bravery and fearlessness, and all members of that faction dress in black and display tattoos and piercings.

These dress codes pretty solidly symbolize the traits of each of the factions. But they only represent the faction personalities. With a symbol, there's no significance to the plot or major theme tied to the dress codes other than establishing the personalities of the factions. This is what distinguishes a symbol from its plot-focused cousin, the motif.

If you are writing your own book, don't worry too much about adding symbols and motifs, especially in a first draft. If they start showing up organically, great. In revision, if you want to amplify an idea by using a symbol or motif, you can easily think about how to subtly play up the major plot points and thematic patterns.

What are some symbols and motifs that you've noticed in books and movies? Share in the comments.

Need more grammar help? My favorite tool that helps find grammar problems and even generates reports to help improve my writing is ProWritingAid. Works with Word, Scrivener, Google Docs, and web browsers. Also, be sure to use my coupon code to get 20 percent off: WritePractice20

Coupon Code:WritePractice20 »

PRACTICE

Set the timer for fifteen minutes. Choose an object that could be a symbol, meaning it could stand for something beyond its literal self (an apple, a stop sign, a color, a river, etc). Once you've selected an object, either:

  1. Write about what the object might stand for in various scenarios or for different characters, or
  2. Write a scene that incorporates the object in a meaningful way. 
  3.  

When you're finished, post your practice in the Pro Practice Workshop. And if you post, be sure to comment on a few practices by other writers.

Have fun!

Liz Bureman has a more-than-healthy interest in proper grammatical structure, accurate spelling, and the underappreciated semicolon. When she's not diagramming sentences and reading blogs about how terribly written the Twilight series is, she edits for the Write Practice, causes trouble in Denver, and plays guitar very slowly and poorly. You can follow her on Twitter (@epbure), where she tweets more about music of the mid-90s than writing.

48
Share to...