Questions tagged [motif]
Questions about a motif, i.e. a recurring element, such as a specific phrase or formulation, a character type, a type of incident or a device, which, through repetition, may contribute to a specific literary aspect, such as theme or mood. Motif should not be confused with "theme" (see the tag [theme]), which is a central idea or message that unifies a work of literature. However, the repetition of a motif can contribute to the identification of a theme.
14
questions
15
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Why is the hero's journey so ubiquitous across world literature?
In The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949), Joseph Campbell argues that many myths follow a typical pattern involving the hero's departure from familiar surroundings to a unfamiliar setting, ultimately ...
- 274
15
votes
4
answers
582
views
Is it a common motif in (western) storytelling that the antagonists are located to the east?
I'm not sure if this is the correct place for this question. I was reading some Lord of the Rings-lore the other day and it got me thinking about the location of "evil" in storytelling. In ...
- 151
9
votes
3
answers
694
views
Earliest work of fiction in which characters using telepathy can't lie
In Liu Cixin's novel The Three-Body Problem (2006/2008),
the inhabitants of the planet Trisolaris communicate with each other using telepathy and are unable to lie. In Ursula Le Guin's novel The Left ...
- 44.6k
5
votes
1
answer
222
views
What is the oldest mention of a unicorn in English literature?
Since Stack Overflow thought it would be fun to use a 1990s style featuring a unicorn to celebrate this First of April, let me post a question that fits the theme:
What is the oldest mention of a ...
- 44.6k
4
votes
1
answer
131
views
Are romantic relationships where one character has fair skin and the other dark a motif of Ismat Chughtai's stories?
I've been reading some short stories by Ismat Chughtai, where I've noticed a repeating motif of romantic relationships in which one person has light skin and the other has dark.
The Veil: "At ...
- 2,743
4
votes
0
answers
613
views
The motif of Tom O' Bedlam
The 17th-century motif of Tom O' Bedlam has always been one that I hold much affection and wonder for (as can be assumed by the choice of username on my part.)
The motif most famously makes an ...
- 790
3
votes
1
answer
156
views
Crime and Punishment - what's with the smiles?
In Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment, there is always this repeating motif of "smiling", a facial practice that Raskolnikov does a lot of.
"poisonous smile"
"sardonic smile&...
3
votes
0
answers
167
views
What is the purpose of the motif of the Chinaman in Fontane's novel Effi Briest?
One of the recurring elements or motifs in Theodor Fontane's novel Effi Briest is that of the Chinaman. The Chinaman is a source of fear for Effi, something like a phantom. References to him are ...
- 44.6k
2
votes
0
answers
82
views
Are birds a theme of Enrique Villasis's poetry, and why?
Enrique Villasis is a Filipino poet, and every poem of his that I've found is something to do with birds:
Birds in Flight, 1965
Birds of Paradise, 1965
Birdman, 1973, and White Bird Dark Shadow, 1962
...
- 72.6k
2
votes
0
answers
100
views
Earliest work of English literature featuring “human hunting”
George R. R. Martin's first novel, Dying of the Light (1977) contains a manhunt. This is not a manhunt in the context of law enforcement or a military operation, but refers to a “hunting party” in ...
- 44.6k
2
votes
0
answers
61
views
What is the literary origin of the ability to sense somebody else's powers or "force"?
"The force is strong with this one" is apparently a trope and its meaning has already been discussed in Science Fiction & Fantasy SE. The Star Wars franchise started in 1977, but the ability to ...
- 44.6k
1
vote
0
answers
252
views
Repeated mentions of eggs in poems by Allen Ginsberg
I've been listening to Allen Ginsberg reading his own poetry, and I've noticed a repeated mention of eggs in them. For examples:
who plunged themselves under meat trucks looking for an egg
"...
- 11
0
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Why is the painful deflowering of a virgin motif in romance novels so common?
While experiencing pain during the first sexual encounter is a common concern among women, I have read that a woman's first sexual encounter is actually not painful at all, if she is experiencing ...
- 269
0
votes
1
answer
99
views
First "female Death" [closed]
We all love Aunt Teleute, but she's probably not the first female anthropomorphic personification of Death (methinks "The Death of Captain Marvel" came long before Vertigo, and an obscure &...
- 331