Motif (literature) in the context of "The Great Gatsby"

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⭐ Core Definition: Motif (literature)

A motif (/moʊˈtiːf/ moh-TEEF) is any distinctive feature or idea that recurs across a story; often, it helps develop other narrative elements such as theme or mood.

A narrative motif can be created through the use of imagery, structural components, language, and other elements throughout literature. The flute in Arthur Miller's play Death of a Salesman is a recurrent sound motif that conveys rural and idyllic notions. Another example from modern American literature is the green light found in the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

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Motif (literature) in the context of Cosmic egg

The cosmic egg, world egg or mundane egg is a mythological motif found in the cosmogonies of many cultures and civilizations, including in Proto-Indo-European mythology. Typically, there is an egg which, upon "hatching", either gives rise to the universe itself or gives rise to a primordial being who, in turn, creates the universe. The egg is sometimes lain on the primordial waters of the Earth. Typically, the upper half of the egg, or its outer shell, becomes the heaven (firmament) and the lower half, or the inner yolk, becomes the Earth. The motif likely stems from simple elements of an egg, including its ability to offer nourishment and give rise to new life, as is reflected by the Latin proverb omne vivum ex ovo ('all life comes from an egg').

The term "cosmic egg" is also used in the modern study of cosmology in the context of emergent Universe scenarios.

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LINKED FROM (PARENTS)
← Cosmic egg
LINKS TO (CHILDREN)
Narrative → Theme (narrative) → Mood (literature) → Imagery → Language → Arthur Miller → Death of a Salesman → American literature → The Great Gatsby → F. Scott Fitzgerald →