One flew over the cuckoo's nest, motif.?

Question

I'm not really sure what a motif is, reading stuff from online and stuff but could McMurphy be a motif? He symbolizes bravery and courage to the ward.

Answer 1

A motif can be similar to a symbol, but more specifically, a motif is a reoccurring...anything - imagery, action, feeling - that is used throughout the whole book to support the theme. McMurphy himself would not be a motif. Some examples of strong motifs I remember in Cuckoo's Nest are the hand motif and the laughter motif.



For the hand motif, notice how Chief describes McMurphy's hands when he first comes to the ward. Hand descriptions are all throughout the novel and can give insight into different characters. For the laughter motif, notice where laughter is present (it rarely is, comfortably, until after McMurphy emboldens the patients) and where laughter is not. The scene that always comes to my mind is when McMurphy takes everyone fishing and for once, they are all free to laugh, without hesitation or nervousness, as if they suddenly gain their humanity back.

Answer 2

McMurphy is a character and as such not a motif. Motifs recur and tend to represent something other than themself. They have added symbolism and significance. They are similar to themes but whereas a theme of 'One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest' could be 'the nature of insanity'; a motif from the book would be invisibility. It sits at a lower level than the theme.

As Spark Notes say: Motifs are recurring structures, contrasts, and literary devices that can help to develop and inform the text’s major themes.

Other motifs are 'real vs imagined size' and 'the power of laughter'.

The motifs recur throughout the book and help draw the reader's attention to important events and conversations. You can find out more detail about the motifs on the Spark Notes website.

Answer 3

I think that machinery is the motif. The story is from the Chief's POV and he describes machines and fog. Look into those.