Symbols - Motifs - Themes

How they are connected

• Symbols are concrete things in a story that represent motifs.

• Motifs are abstract things or ideas.

All of those mix into what the theme is.
There can be more than one theme in a story.

• The theme is what the reader takes away from the story as a life lesson. It is the story's message.

Symbol and Motif

Symbol Examples: sometimes used only once

●Heart

●Mazes

●Dove

●Light

●Dark

●Like emojis

Motif Examples: repeated

●Love

●Mercy

●Family

●Friendship

●War

●Ideas

More

Symbols

Motifs

Find one symbol and one motif in the story.

1.“Quote” it

2.Include page number

3.Explain that it is a symbol or motif

4.Talk about what it means in the story

Page started/stopped

Time started/stopped

from “Popularity”
by Adam Bagdasarian
short fictional story

Symbol

1.“Somewhere inside me I knew that ten-year-old boys were not
supposed to spend their recess circling oak trees in search of
four-leaf clovers.”

2.(34)

3.A four-leaf clover is a symbol of luck.

4.In the story the main character hopes to find one so he can
make a wish to be popular.

Motif

1.“...I wanted, I needed, to be popular.”

2.(35)

3.Popularity is a recurring motif in the story. It is the wish to be
liked and admired.

4.Popularity is the thing the main character wants above
everything else.

Looking for a theme

Check for symbols, motifs, lessons characters
learn and the outcome of the story to try to figure out the theme.

Start with a topic

example : family

What does the story tell about the meaning of that topic?

Friends are the family that you get to choose, so choose wisely.

Here are some themes in literature

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Themes in Literature

If you've heard an expression a million times, chances are it's a cliche.

Cliche, also spelled cliché, is a 19th century borrowed word from the French which refers to a saying or expression that has been so overused that it has become boring and unoriginal.
Think about the expressions "easy as pie," or "don't play with fire," or "beauty is skin deep."
These are all cliches.
A plot or action sequence in a film or novel can also be called a cliche if it has become dull and predictable through overuse.

​

Cliches

TIP: Themes are always
expressed in more than
one word.

●

Sometimes people....but instead,
people should....

●

I learned from (the character, the
event) that in life, it is important to…

●

The characters teach us…

●

The story teaches us..

●

When people_____ they can ____

●

If… then…

What kind of thinking do I

need to do to create a
statement of theme?

Sample Question: What big lessons do characters learn about jealousy?

What are the big lessons learned about
________?

What are overarching messages about
________?

What are the big lessons taught to us
by the author about ________?

Are there any hidden messages about
_________?

How to find theme

1. Start with a big idea. It should be a one word topic

–Courage, friendship, love, death, forgiveness, youth
2. Assert/define what the idea means in the context of the
book, this is like your claim.
How does the story define/explain this topic?

–Courage allows people to attempt difficult tasks
3. Qualify it (even, so that, if, when, because, whether,
especially,) answers the question why?

–Even when the possibility of failure is very high.
•Final:

–Courage allows people to attempt difficult tasks even when the
possibility of failure is very high.

–People should not judged be by their wealth or where they live, but by
what their actions are.
–Fighting is useless because it doesn’t change who people are.