The motif is a recurring narrative element with symbolic significance. If you spot a symbol, concept, or plot structure that surfaces repeatedly in the text, you’re probably dealing with a motif. Motifs must be related to the central idea of the work and they always end up reinforcing the author’s overall message.
Since they’re repeated throughout a text, motifs are also traceable. It might be useful to think of them as a trail of clues that the author purposefully leaves behind. The author plants these breadcrumbs so that the reader can better work out the ideas behind the work — and its overarching point
