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Theme vs. Motif

Theme vs. Motif . Take notes. You are responsible for knowing this information. What is a Theme?. A theme is the message of a piece of writing . It is the meaning that the reader takes away from a story. For example, let’s review the story of “Little Red Riding Hood”….

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Theme vs. Motif

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  1. Theme vs. Motif Take notes. You are responsible for knowing this information.

  2. What is a Theme? A theme is the message of a piece of writing. It is the meaning that the reader takes away from a story. For example, let’s review the story of “Little Red Riding Hood”…

  3. The story of Little Red Riding Hood (abridged!) Once upon a time there was a little girl who had a red riding hood (we’ll call her “Red”). One day, Red’s mother sent her to take some food to her grandmother, but warned her to “go straight to grandma’s house and to stay on the path!” Along the way, Red met a wolf (she didn’t realize he was dangerous) and got into a conversation. She told him where she was going and what she was bringing. The wolf decided that the food (and Red) sounded pretty darn delicious. He convinced her that she should leave the path and pick some flowers for grandma (after all, the day was still young!). So, little red riding hood left the path and began picking flowers for grandma.

  4. Meanwhile, the wolf runs ahead to the house and eats grandma, dresses in her clothes, and waits for red to show up with his food (meaning the basket, and Red too). Red, who doesn’t realize that this is the wolf and not grandma, has another conversation that goes something like… “my what big eyes you have…” “the better to see you with” “my what a big nose you have…” “the better to smell you with” “my what big teeth you have!” “the better to EAT you with!” Ultimately the wolf eats not only grandma, but Red and her basket too! Luckily, a huntsman (who’s been looking for this very wolf) happened to be passing by and figured out what was wrong. He cuts open the wolf’s stomach, saving Red and her grandma. The end.

  5. What is the theme? Based on this story, what message should the reader take away? Listen to your mother! (She warned Red not to stray from the path)

  6. A Common Mistake… Often, when asked to identify a theme, students want to come up with a one-word answer. Love Destiny Bravery Luck Insanity

  7. These one-word answers are not themes, they are motifs. A motif is a recurring idea or image that an author puts into a work to help the reader identify a theme. Love Destiny Bravery Luck Insanity

  8. Motif in “The Monkey’s Paw” In “The Monkey’s Paw” you may have noticed that the ideas of GREED or WISHES or FATE came up several times. These recurring ideas are supposed to help the reader identify the theme, or message, that the author is trying to get across. So what was the theme of “The Monkey’s Paw?”

  9. Review What is a theme? The message of a piece of writing. What is a motif? Recurring ideas or images. How are theme and motif related? Motifs are meant to lead the reader to understanding and identifying the theme.

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