Universal Motifs
Motif
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A reoccurring idea, image, theme, or
symbol that appears in literature, or other
works of art.
Journey
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Wizard of Oz
Harold and Kumar
Lord of the Rings
The Odyssey
You see a person at
one point in his or her
life and see how one
journey changed the
person.
Dante’s Inferno
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Italian
Dante travels through the
seven layers of hell, meeting a
variety of historical figures
along the way.
He is provided with examples
of people who will suffer for
eternity because of wrongdoings in their lifetime.
Dante’s journey through the
afterlife is a journey that leads
him from the brink of despair to
enlightened awareness
culminating in a direct vision of
God.
Examples in Course
Amir’s Journey in Kite Runner
 Tell me WHY?
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Duality
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The Nutty Professor
The Shining
Jekyll and Hyde
The concept of doubles has always had a hold on the collective
imagination of mankind. The good twin/evil twin scenario, Jekyll and
Hyde, Doppelgangers - there's something inherently disturbing and
fascinating about the idea that there can be duplicates of something,
or that one thing can be two conflicting entities at once.
Two-Face from Batman
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Harvey Dent was a District Attorney attacked by
crime boss which lead to his disfigured face.
Dent developed a separate, more violent
personality which drove him to embark on a life
of crime.
Two-Face is obsessed with duality,
and almost all of his crimes are
based around the number two.
Uses a coin to determine whether
he will perform an act of good or evil
in a given situation.
Examples from Course
Gregor’s duality in Metamorphosis
 How does Gregor fit the definition of
duality?
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Hero’s Quest (Search for Identity)
Star Wars
 Harry Potter
 Lion King
 Steps:
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Departure
 Initiation
 Return
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Perseus
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Greek Mythology
Departure:
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Initiation or Challenge
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King of Argos heard he would die at
the hands of his grandson. He locks
up his daughter to avoid fulfilling the
prophecy.
Zeus and the King’s daughter have a
child, Perseus.
They are shipped away.
King of Seriphos loves Perseus’s
mom and won’t leave her alone.
Perseus will do anything to make the
king go away and accepts his
challenge to kill Medusa.
With the help of the gods, Perseus
successfully kills Medusa.
Return
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Turns people to stone.
Accidentally kills his grandfather in
the quiot-throwing competition.
Examples from Course
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Amir’s search for identity in Kite Runner
Death and the Afterlife
All Dogs Go to Heaven
 Always
 What happens when we
die? Where do we go?
What do we do? Who is
in charge?
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Osiris
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One of the most ancient myths in
Egypt
Osiris was ruler of the living world
He kept order in the world
so people would honor the
god
Tricked and killed by the evil
Set
Egypt was lawless while
Set ruled
Osiris’s wife Iris bore a child,
Horus, to avenge her beloved
husband’s death
Desire to bring back Osiris, Iris and
Thoth create the Ritual of Life, that
which allows us to live forever when
we die
Osiris is brought back to life
Yet nothing that has died, not even a
god, may dwell in the land of the living
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God of the Dead gave up his throne for
Osiris: there he stands in judgment
over the souls
Horus watches over us
while we live, and gives
guidance to the Pharaoh
while he lives, and his father
Osiris watches over us in the
next life
 Eternal battle between Horus
and Set. Horus wins – world
is OK, Set wins – world is in
turmoil
Day of Awakening – Horus defeats Set
one last time and Osiris can return to
world of living and all sorrow shall pass
away forever
Examples from Course
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How could we make Metamorphosis fit the
definition of death and afterlife?
Fall from Innocence
Pandora’s Box
 Coming of Age Story
 Events that may bring
about pain or teach a
lesson
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Fall of Man
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Adam and Eve
Living in the Garden of Eden, everything was
beautiful and perfect
Eve gives in to temptation and also convinces
Adam to eat the apple as well
Adam and Eve,
and all of their
children, will
suffer forever
Examples from Course
Amir, Hassan, & Sohrab in Kite Runner
 Nora’s familial role in Doll’s House
 Grete’s transformation in Metamorphosis
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Birth and Rebirth
Pinocchio
 Death and resurrection
 Gods can die and be reborn, or rise from
the dead
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Birth of Bodhisatta
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Hindu
Prince Badfruit and Prince
Poorfruit
King Badfruit is killed by
Poorfruit
Badfruit’s wife was pregnant,
but this was not the baby’s first
birth
He was reborn in many lives –
sometimes as poor animals,
sometimes as long-living gods
and sometimes as human
beings
Birth and Rebirth
Hassan & Sohrab Kite Runner
 Gregor’s transformation in Metamorphosis
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Challenge to Authority
300
 Questioning the established beliefs/rulers
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Loki
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Norse (Viking or Scandinavian Mythology)
Balder had nightmares of death, but the gods
had vowed not to kill him. Instead they would
pretend to kill him.
Loki had the mistletoe (who had not sworn to
protect him) kill Balder
Examples from Course
Hassan challenges Assef
 Amir challenges Assef
and authorities
 Sohrab challenges Assef
 Nora challenges Torvald
and societal demands
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