What is a motif in literature?

In literature, a motif is a pattern of symbols or ideas that repeats throughout a work. A motif serves to express part of the work's overall theme.

A motif is often a collection of closely related symbols that appear within a work. For example, a story focusing on the theme of a family's fragmentation may contain various images related to shattering or breaking, such as a cracked window, a broken plate or a smashed car windshield. All of the images work together to express a unified theme of brokenness and fragmentation. A motif that indicates the contrast of light and dark may use imagery that is quite varied but still related to the theme, such as a light at the end of a tunnel, a candle in a dark room or sunshine emerging through clouds. A motif differs from a symbol in that it is repeated throughout a work in different forms, whereas a symbol may be used only once.

In William Faulkner's "The Sound and the Fury," clocks and watches occur as a motif to indicate the protagonist Quentin's inability to escape the past. A motif may also occur through character interactions rather than overt symbols or images. The "Harry Potter" series, for example, contains a motif of dual or multiple parents. Harry, whose parents are dead, has many relationships that provide surrogate family experiences, including the Dursleys, the Weasleys and his relationship with Sirius Black.