English Literature GCSE
Motif
What Motif means in English Literature GCSE, as defined for Eduqas, OCR, Pearson Edexcel.
Definitions of Motif
Exam boards and our study guides word this term in slightly different ways. Learn the version your board uses.
A recurring image, symbol, or idea that develops a theme. Key motifs in *Never Let Me Go* include the cassette tape, the boat, and the Norfolk landscape.
A recurring image, idea, or symbol that develops or explains a theme. Key motifs in the play include bonds, rings, and music.
A recurring image, idea, or symbol that develops or reinforces a theme throughout a text.
A recurring image, idea, or symbol that develops or explains a theme.
A dominant or recurring idea, image, or symbol in an artistic work.
A recurring image, word, or phrase that develops a theme.
Topics that use Motif
- Blood Brothers (Eduqas GCSE)
- Reading comprehension and reading critically (Eduqas GCSE)
- Never Let Me Go (OCR GCSE)
- Telling Tales Anthology (OCR GCSE)
- The Merchant of Venice (OCR GCSE)
- Critical Reading (Pearson Edexcel GCSE)
Related terms
- Foreshadowing
- Juxtaposition
- Symbolism
- Unreliable Narrator
- Antagonist
- Brechtian Techniques
- Connotation
- Context
Using Motif in the exam
Definition questions usually carry one or two marks, and examiners look for the precise wording. Write the definition from memory, check it against the version above, and then use the term in a longer answer on the same topic so it sticks.
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