What is the difference between Motif And Theme?

Theme and motif are literary notions that people will often get confused. A theme is the main idea or the central message communicated through a literary work. A motif is a recurrent idea, image, or element which has symbolic value. The main difference between a theme and a motif is that the theme is abstract, and the motif is concrete. The theme is quite often not directly expressed within the text. The theme is more often implied. The reader must read the book and understand the message that the author is trying to convey.

Themes are also generally universal, such as the love theme in “Romeo and Juliet,” or the cruel nature of humankind in “Lord of the flies.” A motif is a repeated element, idea, or concept that holds symbolic value in a text. The motif is often explicitly stated within the document using repetition.