A motif is a clear element, them, or idea that goes throughout a work. Whether its art or literature, it’s something that can be consistently seen in the work. It often helps the creator of the work drive the point they are trying to make. Although, you may often find unintended motifs, whether it comes from the authors subconscious or a difference in thought from a historic piece.

A clear motif in Frankenstein is the idea of what it means to be human. It focuses greatly on attributes of Frankenstein’s creation and whether or not he can be considered a human being. He is originally portrayed to seem inhuman by the fact he is a creation of Dr. Frankenstein. They also further this by portraying him as quite ugly and grotesque. This continues as you find he is responsible for a brutal murder and build this idea that he is some monster with animalistic qualities. The question of his humanity come when you hear his side of the story. First of all, you find he is a sentient being, capable of speech and self-reflection. He has been able to teach himself language and has complex emotions. For the most part these are traits only found in humans. This leads you to question whether or not Frankenstein’s creation an be labeled as a human or not. The use of this motif leads you to wonder on a larger scale what we label other living beings as and whether those labels really have any worth.

Work Cited:

“Motif.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/motif.

Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft, 1797-1851. Frankenstein, Or, The Modern Prometheus : the 1818 Text. Oxford ; New York :Oxford University Press, 1998. Print.