Estimated Time: 3 hours

Read:

• Chapters 1-9

Write:

• As you are reading, write down any sentences or paragraphs that you like or have special meaning to you in your journal.
• Pay attention to any words or phrases that you don't understand and write them in your journal. Look up the meanings of these words.

Learn:

• Read the definition of motif and add it to your notebook. As you are reading begin looking for motif. It may not be noticeable until next week.
• Read the definitions of simile and metaphor below. Add them to your notebook. As you are reading this week, look for examples from the text. Make a list of each one, including page numbers.

Motif

A motif is a recurring idea, image, or element in a story that helps develop and explain the theme. It is a thread that runs through the story, connecting important moments or ideas. A motif shows up multiple times to emphasize a specific point or mood.

How Motif Differs From Theme and Symbol

• Theme: The central message or main idea of the story. A theme is the big idea the author wants you to think about.
  • Example: The theme of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is about justice and morality.
• Symbol: An object, character, or event that represents something beyond itself.
  • Example: The mockingbird in To Kill a Mockingbird symbolizes innocence and the unjust harm of the innocent.
• Motif: A recurring element that supports the theme.
  • Example: In To Kill a Mockingbird, the motif of "mockingbirds" (through direct mention and symbolic references) supports the theme of protecting innocence.

Examples of Motifs in Classic Literature

Light and Darkness (Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare)

• Motif: Light and darkness are used to describe love, danger, and secrecy.
• Example: Juliet is often referred to as a source of light ("It is the east, and Juliet is the sun"), while the lovers meet under the cover of night.
• Theme: The power of love and the conflict between love and societal expectations.

Dreams (Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck)

• Motif: The dream of owning a piece of land is a recurring motif that represents hope and a better future.
• Example: George and Lennie often talk about "living off the fatta the land," symbolizing their dream of independence.
• Theme: The impossibility of the American Dream.

Guilt and Blood (Macbeth by William Shakespeare)

• Motif: Blood represents guilt and the consequences of violent actions.
• Example: Lady Macbeth’s obsession with washing imagined blood from her hands: "Out, damned spot!"
• Theme: Ambition and the moral consequences of unchecked power.

Quick Summary

• Theme: What the story is about at its core.
• Symbol: A specific thing that represents a deeper meaning.
• Motif: A repeated element that helps build the theme.

Motifs make stories richer and help you notice patterns in the writing, connecting the dots between symbols and the theme.

Simile

A simile is a way of comparing two things using the words like or as. It's used to show how one thing is similar to another. Think of it as painting a picture with words to make your writing more vivid and interesting.

Example:

• Her smile is as bright as the sun. (This compares her smile to the brightness of the sun.)
• He ran like a cheetah chasing its prey. (This shows how fast he was running by comparing him to a cheetah.)

Metaphor

A metaphor also compares two things, but it does so *without using like or as. Instead, it says that one thing is another to show a deeper connection or meaning. Metaphors make your writing more impactful and creative.

Example:

• The world is a stage, and we are merely players. (This compares the world to a stage, suggesting that life is like a performance.)
• Her laughter was music to my ears. (This compares her laughter to music, emphasizing how pleasant it was to hear.)

Quick Comparison

• A simile says something is like something else: Her voice is like honey.
• A metaphor says something is something else: Her voice is honey.

Both add color and meaning to your writing, so they’re great tools to use in essays, stories, or poetry.