Symbols: Symbols can be things, places, events, even characters that have a larger meaning than the thing itself and and thus help readers figure out the meaning of a piece of literature as a whole. Symbols give writers the ability to suggest big ideas with a single "thing." For example, a bald eagle can be a symbol of America's proud, fighting spirit. But it might also be a symbol of the environmental movement in America. In short, symbols can be complex, even contradictory.
Motif: a recurring object, idea, or structure in a work of literature. A motif may also be two contrasting elements in a work, such as good and evil. A motif is important because it allows one to see main points and themes the author is trying to express.
Theme: The theme of a literary work is a central truth about life or human nature that the writer presents to the reader. Although some works are written purely for entertainment and do no have a clear-cut theme, in more serious works, the writer has at least one theme. Since the theme is not usually stated directly, the reader has to figure it out. One way to discover the theme is to consider what happens to the main character. The importance of that event, stated in general terms, is often the theme. A theme sentence is a statement that makes a statement about an idea. For example, “lost innocence” is only an idea. The following sentence is a theme statement: “Losing one’s innocence is an inevitable part of human development.”
A theme may be deep, overarching, difficult to understand, or even moralistic. In many pieces of literature, the author intertwines the theme throughout the work and the full impact is slowly realized as the reader processes the text. The ability to recognize a theme allows the reader to understand part of the author’s purpose in writing the book. Exercise: Directions: go through the list below and label the items gathered from To Kill a Mockingbird as either Theme Statements (T) or Motifs (M)
1. Images of wealth
2. Wealth does not have to bring out the worst in people
3. Prejudice hurts and divides communities
4. Racist behavior
5. Parents and children
6. Narrow minded adults can damage the children they care for
7. Contrasting relationship between fathers and sons
8. Fathers should try to nurture their boys
9. Weakness of character
10. A person putting his principles before his family betrays his family.