Motifs in Literature

 

Below is a short list of common literary motifs.  This does not even remotely cover the literary motifs that are out there.  Use this list as a guide only, if you would like to use a motif on this list, by all means go ahead, but feel free to venture out on your own.

 

Clothing

Seasons

Colors

Paradise

Apparent death

Supernatural Adversaries

Supernatural Helpers

Extraordinary Animals

Magical Objects

Magical Powers

Magical Transformations Deep Sleeps

Witches

Wishes

Trickery

Consequences of Greed

Beautiful Princess

 

Foolish or Dimwitted Hero

Importance of Threes

Illness

Flowers/plants

The Beauty and the Beast

The Temptation

The Returning Soldier

The (Victorious) Underdog

The Bewitching Woman

The Damsel in Distress

The Wicked Ogre

Struggle of the Poor/Rich

The Journey of Escape

The Lost

The Miracle

Journey from Innocence to   Awareness

Sacrificial Friend/ Savior

The Inward Struggle

The Quest

The Faithful Friend

The Love Triangle

The Betrayal

Revenge

Meeting the Supernatural

The Search for Identity

Justice for All

Born Again/Recalled to Life

The Corruption of Power

Oppression of the Poor

Big Brother is Watching

The Wild Woman

Madness

Separation

 

 

Definition & History of Motif

 

Databases
 

Definition & History
Gale Virtual Reference Library from Thomson/Gale

        * Contains Dictionary of Literary Symbols & Archetypes and Motifs in Folklore and

            Literature

Oxford Reference Online from Oxford University Press
World Folklore and Folklife from Greenwood
 

      Critical Essays

       Bloom's Literary Reference Online from Facts on File
 Gale Virtual Reference Library from Thomson/Gale

       Literature Resource Center from Thomson/Gale

       Literary Reference Center from Ebsco

 

 

 

Book Sources

The following book sources are a great place to begin your search for definitions:

R 133.03 MAN           Man, Myth & Magic: The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Mythology, Religion, and the Unknown

302.2 BRU                  The Illustrated Book of Signs & Symbols

398 ARC                     Archetypes and Motifs in Folklore and Literature: A Handbook

R 803.21 QUI             A Dictionary of Literary and Thematic Terms

808.8 MYT                  Myths and Motifs in Literature

R 809.933 DIC            Dictionary of Literary Themes and Motifs

 

**When looking for early examples conduct a Power Search for your motif in WebCollection Plus or browse the stacks in the following sections.  Remember to use the Index and Table of Contents of each book.

 

Bible/ Religious Stories: 220s

 

Mythology: 200s & 290s

 

Folklore & Fairy Tales: 390s

 

 

 

Examples

      Use the following databases to locate examples of the motif in literature, art, and film and to search for critical essays.

            Contemporary Novel             Novelist from Ebsco

 

            Art                                        Grove's Art Online from Oxford Reference

                                                            **Click Images then Art Resource to search

            Film                                       Internet Movie Database

 

Internet Sources

Bible Gateway   Online Bible searchable by keyword, phrases, or scripture reference.

Bartleby.com  Electronic and searchable version of Bulfinch's Mythology-

 The Age of Fable

The Catholic Encyclopedia  More than 11,000 articles on Catholic topics

Encyclopedia Mythica   Internet encyclopedia of mythology, folklore, and religion.

Folklore and Mythology Electronic Texts  Contains a list of electronic text organized by theme.

2. 

MLA Guide