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Definition of Motif
A motif is an element or idea that recurs throughout a work of literature. Motifs, which are often collections of related symbols, help develop the central themes of a book... read full definition
A motif is an element or idea that recurs throughout a work of literature. Motifs, which are often collections of related symbols, help develop the... read full definition
A motif is an element or idea that recurs throughout a work of literature. Motifs, which are often collections of... read full definition
Chapter 10: The Road and the Common
Explanation and Analysis—Scent:
Throughout Watership Down, the importance of scent as a means of communing with the surrounding environment is a key motif. Often, when the narrator describes a scene, the smell of the woods (flowers, grasses, trees) and the smell of surrounding danger predominates the descriptors. This use of sensory imagery is appropriate, reflecting the hyperawareness rabbits have towards scents in their environment at all times.
Chapter 14: “Like Trees in November”
Explanation and Analysis—Oral Tradition:
The importance of poetry and oral tradition resonates throughout Watership Down, emerging as a motif in the text. Rabbits practice the art of storytelling and orate poetry, paralleling their human counterparts—though with their own religious beliefs and folk stories. Legend and myth play an important role in the novel, driving the central characters' sense of community and self-worth.
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Chapter 17: The Shining Wire
Explanation and Analysis—Religious Language:
Throughout Watership Down, the rabbits use religious phrasing and language, referring to their own canon of mythological figures. El-ahrairah and Lord Frith, the sun god, are often invoked in times of excitement or trouble. While this religious behavior is somewhat anthropomorphic, it is also distinctly different from human tradition, shaped by rabbits' own behaviors and societal customs.
Note the following example of this motif from Chapter 17. In this passage, Fiver responds to the group's suggestion that they return to Cowslip's warren to get revenge:
Unlock with LitCharts A+"O embleer Frith!" cried a squealing voice in the long grass.
At this shocking impiety, the tumult died away. They looked about them, wondering who could have spoken. There was silence. Then, from between two great tussocks of hair grass came Fiver, his eyes blazing with a frantic urgency.
