American Literature March 21 st and 24 th Catcher Reading Quiz #3 Add to the Character Chart Journal #5 Tracing Motifs Read Chapters (pages ) Standard 2 and 3

Reading Quiz #3 Ch What is one of the many lies that Holden tells Mrs. Morrow on the train? Ch The cab driver thinks Holden is crazy for asking what question? 3. How does Holden describe Faith Cavendish? Ch What evidence is there that shows us that Holden probably doesn’t look as old as he says he looks? Ch Why is Jane so special to Holden? Describe their past relationship.

Journal #5: Would you like to use your life line? Throughout the novel Holden attempts to call many people for help. Holden wants to call Jane several times, but never does. Why do you think this is so? Who else does Holden attempt to call? Write in your journal who your life line is. Who would you call for help when you needed it the most and why?

Motif object or idea that repeats itself throughout a literary work. Motif and Theme In a literary work, a motif can be seen as an image, sound, action or other figures that have a symbolic significance and contributes toward the development of theme. Motif and theme are linked in a literary work but there is a difference between them. In a literary piece, a motif is a recurrent image, idea or a symbol that develops or explains a theme while a theme is a central idea or message. Motif and Symbol Sometimes, examples of motif are mistakenly identified as examples of symbols. Symbols are images, ideas, sounds or words that represent something else and help to understand an idea or a thing. Motifs, on the other hand, are images, ideas, sounds or words that help to explain the central idea of a literary work i.e. theme. Moreover, a symbol may appear once or twice in a literary work, whereas a motif is a recurring element. Function of Motif Along with presenting a prevailing theme, writers include several motifs in their literary works as reinforcements. Motifs contribute in developing the major theme of a literary work and help readers to comprehend the underlying messages that writers intend to communicate to them.

Examples of Motifs in Literature Example #1: In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, we find a recurring motif of incest accompanied by incestuous desires of some characters. Laertes speaks to his sister Ophelia in a way that is sexually explicit. Hamlet shows obsession for Gertrude’s sexual life with Claudius has an underlying tone of an incestuous desire. Besides, there is a motif of hatred for women that Hamlet experiences in his relationship with Gertrude and Ophelia. Hamlet expresses his disgust for women in Scene 2 of Act I: “Frailty, thy name is woman” Example #2: In Mark Twain’s “The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn”, we see several motifs that support the central idea of the narrative. The motif of childhood gives the novel a lighter tone and makes it enjoyable to read despite its grave central idea i.e. slavery and racism. Both Huck and Tom are young and flexible enough to undergo a moral education and thus are more open-minded than adults. Another obvious motif in the narrative is superstitions. Jim appears silly to believe in all sorts of signs and omens but interestingly predicts the coming event. Example #3: Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness” has a motif of observation and eavesdropping. Marlow, the protagonist, gets information about the world either by observing his surroundings or listening to the conversation of others. Similarly, there is another evident motif of a comparison between the exterior and the interior. Initially, Marlow is a person who keenly observes things and people from the surface but as he continues his journey into the heart of darkness, he gains an insight into his deeper nature as well as that of others.

Motifs: 1. The red hunting cap 2. The ducks in Central Park 3. death/kill/die 4. blood 5. cigarettes 6. madness/madman/fiend 7. sex 8. moron 9. phony/pervert/screwball 10. games/sports 11. money In pairs, choose a motif from the list. (no more than two pairs of students may select a single motif.) Students need to briefly discuss which topic they would like and then raise their hand to request the topic.

Tracing Motifs You will spend 20 minutes tracing your motif through the novel, up to chapter 11. Note the page numbers, the context of the references, and write a sentence about each reference, noting what it means, and how it ties into other references on the chart that I give you.

Tracing Motifs continued… Work together to write a paragraph, or two, about any connections you found in the references. Use the guiding questions on the back of your chart to help you frame your findings. After you have worked on your paragraphs for fifteen to twenty minutes, you will turn in what you’ve written.