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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
Motifs
Explanation and Analysis—Games:
Throughout the novel, Jem, Scout, Dill, and other young characters frequently play games, with the central characters of these games often being real adults in the world around them. "Play" takes on an additional meaning through this motif in the novel, representing a disconnect between the world of children and the world of adulthood. Take, for instance, the drama that Jem, Scout, and Dill enact about Boo Radley over the course of several chapters. Their intent with this play is not malicious; rather, they are handling the heavy subjects of mental health, abuse, and neglect through one of the only mediums they have available to them.
Children often find it helpful to use play as a means of processing the irrational or unjust actions of adults. The entire Boo Radley situation exemplifies this: Boo is clearly someone who struggled with his mental health as a child and was raised in an environment of religious abuse. Scout, Jem, and Dill have trouble understanding this at first, leading to them acting out Boo's life story as a drama. Fictional stories featuring Boo as some kind of ghost or phantom provide scaffolding upon which these children build their understanding of the adult world.
Related Themes:
Chapter 1
Explanation and Analysis—Animal Comparisons:
Throughout the novel, both people of color (i.e., Tom Robinson) and people with mental illness (i.e., Boo Radley) are often compared through figurative language or description to animals. This motif is used instructively to demonstrate to the reader that people tend to dehumanize those they view as different and that they will justify this dehumanization by portraying the "other" as inherently animalistic or violent.
In one example from Chapter 1, Jem employs this motif, describing Boo Radley as a turtle:
“Dill, you have to think about these things,” Jem said. “Lemme think a minute . . . it’s sort of like making a turtle come out . . .”
“How’s that?” asked Dill.
“Strike a match under him.”
I told Jem if he set fire to the Radley house I was going to tell Atticus on him. Dill said striking a match under a turtle was hateful. “Ain’t hateful, just persuades him—’s not like you’d chunk him in the fire,” Jem growled.
“How do you know a match don’t hurt him?”
“Turtles can’t feel, stupid,” said Jem.
Through their dialogue, Jem and Dill make it clear to the reader that they view Boo Radley as subhuman—in fact, he is so subhuman that he cannot feel pain. This dangerous assumption was often used by doctors to justify medical experimentation on Black people. More broadly, this assumption reflects a callousness toward the suffering of those more vulnerable—an attitude the novel goes on to challenge.
Related Themes:
