5.3 Symbol, Allegory & Motif

Symbol

A symbol is a concrete thing that stands for something larger — a dove for peace, a road for choice. Unlike a simple sign, a literary symbol accrues meaning from its use in the work.

Motif

A motif is a recurring image, idea, or element that develops a theme. A repeated image of caged birds across a novel can build a motif of confinement that points toward its central meaning.

Allegory

An allegory is an extended narrative in which characters and events consistently stand for abstract ideas — a whole story that means something beyond its literal plot, like a fable teaching a moral.

Key terms

Symbol

A concrete thing that stands for a larger idea.

Motif

A recurring image or idea that develops a theme.

Allegory

An extended narrative in which elements represent abstract ideas.

Symbol vs. sign

A literary symbol gains meaning from its use in the work.

Theme

The central idea a work explores, often built through motifs and symbols.

Try an AP-style question

A symbol is…

1. a type of narrator who can't be trusted
2. an exaggeration made for effect
3. something concrete that stands for an idea
4. a sound repeated at the start of words