CLEP® Humanities Book + Online

REA : THE LEADER IN CLEP TEST PREP

CLEP HUMANITIES

Jane Adas, Ph.D.

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

New Brunswick, NJ

Marguerite Barrett, M.A.

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

New Brunswick, NJ

Pauline Beard, Ph.D.

Pacific University

Forest Grove, OR

Jennifer Carpignano

Performing Arts Consultant

Scotch Plains, NJ

Robert Liftig, Ed.D.

Fairfield University

Fairfield, CT

Joshua Peters, M.A.

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

New Brunswick, NJ

G.A. Spangler, Ph.D.

California State University, Long Beach

Long Beach, CA

Gregory Suriano, M.A.

Art History Consultant

Union, NJ

Frenzella Elaine De Lancey, Ph.D.

Drexel University

Philadelphia, PA

Research & Education Association

61 Ethel Road West

Piscataway, New Jersey 08854

E-mail: [email protected]

CLEP Humanities

Copyright © 2012 by Research & Education Association, Inc.

Prior edition copyright © 2006. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission of the publisher.

Printed in the United States of America

Library of Congress Control Number 2011946213

eISBN-13: 978-0-7386-7105-5

All trademarks cited in this publication are the property of their respective owners.

LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: Publication of this work is for the purpose of test preparation and related use and subjects as set forth herein. While every effort has been made to achieve a work of high quality, neither Research & Education Association, Inc., nor the authors and other contributors of this work guarantee the accuracy or completeness of or assume any liability in connection with the information and opinions contained herein and in REA’s software and/or online materials. REA and the authors and other contributors shall in no event be liable for any personal injury, property or other damages of any nature whatsoever, whether special, indirect, consequential or compensatory, directly or indirectly resulting from the publication, use or reliance upon this work.

CLEP HUMANITIES

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CONTENTS

About Research & Education Association

Acknowledgments

CHAPTER 1

Passing the CLEP Humanities Exam

Getting Started

The REA Study Center

An Overview of the Exam

All About the CLEP Program

Options for Military Personnel and Veterans

SSD Accommodations for Candidates with Disabilities

6-Week Study Plan

Test-Taking Tips

The Day of the Exam

Online Diagnostic Test ...............................www.rea.com/studycenter

CHAPTER 2

Literature Review

Prose

Poetry

Drama and Theater

CHAPTER 3

Visual Arts and Architecture Review

Classical Period

Medieval and Renaissance Periods

The Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries

The Nineteenth Century

The Twentieth Century

CHAPTER 4

Philosophy Review

Ancient Philosophers

Philosophers of the First Millennium

CHAPTER 5

Music Review

Western Music

CHAPTER 6

Performing Arts Review

Theater Review

Dance Review

Film Review

Practice Test 1 (also available online at www.rea.com/studycenter )

Test 1

Answer Key

Detailed Explanations of Answers

Practice Test 2 (also available online at www.rea.com/studycenter )

Test 2

Answer Key

Detailed Explanations of Answers

Glossary

Index

ABOUT RESEARCH & EDUCATION ASSOCIATION

Founded in 1959, Research & Education Association (REA) is dedicated to publishing the finest and most effective educational materials—including software, study guides, and test preps—for students in middle school, high school, college, graduate school, and beyond.

Today, REA’s wide-ranging catalog is a leading resource for teachers, students, and professionals.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We would like to thank Pam Weston, Publisher, for setting the quality standards for production integrity and managing the publication to completion; John Paul Cording, Vice President, Technology, for coordinating the design and development of the REA Study Center; Larry B. Kling, Vice President, Editorial, for his supervision of revisions and overall direction; Diane Goldschmidt and Michael Reynolds, Managing Editors, for coordinating development of this edition; Transcend Creative Services for typesetting this edition; and Weymouth Design and Christine Saul for designing our cover. We also gratefully acknowledge Miriam Perkoff , M.M., for editing our Music review.

CHAPTER 1

Passing the CLEP Humanities Exam

CHAPTER 1

PASSING THE CLEP HUMANITIES EXAM

Congratulations! You’re joining the millions of people who have discovered the value and educational advantage offered by the College Board’s College-Level Examination Program, or CLEP. This test prep covers everything you need to know about the CLEP Humanities exam, and will help you earn the college credit you deserve while reducing your tuition costs.

GETTING STARTED

There are many different ways to prepare for a CLEP exam. What’s best for you depends on how much time you have to study and how comfortable you are with the subject matter. To score your highest, you need a system that can be customized to fit you: your schedule, your learning style, and your current level of knowledge.

This book, and the online tools in the CLEP package, allow you to create a personalized study plan through three simple steps: assessment of your knowledge, targeted review of exam content, and reinforcement in the areas where you need the most help.

$1.99 unlocks the CLEP online tools at www.rea.com/studycenter

Let’s get started and see how this system works.

THE REA STUDY CENTER

The best way to personalize your study plan and focus on your weaknesses is to get feedback on what you know and what you don’t know. At the online REA Study Center, you can access two types of assessment: a diagnostic exam and full-length practice exams. Each of these tools provides true-to-format questions and delivers a detailed score report that follows the topics set by the College Board.

Diagnostic Exam

Before you begin your review with the book, take the online diagnostic exam. Use your score report to help evaluate your overall understanding of the subject, so you can focus your study on the topics where you need the most review.

Full-Length Practice Exams

These practice tests give you the most complete picture of your strengths and weaknesses. After you’ve finished reviewing with the book, test what you’ve learned by taking the first of the two online practice exams. Review your score report, then go back and study any topics you missed. Take the final practice test to ensure you have mastered the material and are ready for test day.

$1.99 unlocks the CLEP online tools at www.rea.com/studycenter

If you’re studying and don’t have Internet access, you can take the printed tests in the book. These are the same practice tests offered at the REA Study Center, but without the added benefits of timed testing conditions and diagnostic score reports. Because the actual exam is computer-based, we recommend you take at least one practice test online to simulate test-day conditions.

AN OVERVIEW OF THE EXAM

The CLEP Humanities exam tests general knowledge of literature, art, and music. The test covers all periods, from classical to contemporary and covers poetry, prose, philosophy, history of art, music, dance, and theater. The questions are drawn from the entire history of Western art and culture and are fairly evenly divided among the following periods: Classical, Medieval and Renaissance, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, nineteenth century and twentieth century. Some questions could be based on African and Asian cultures.

The exam consists of 140 multiple-choice questions, each with five possible answer choices, to be answered within 90 minutes.

The approximate breakdown of topics is as follows:

ALL ABOUT THE CLEP EXAMS

What is the CLEP?

CLEP is the most widely accepted credit-by-examination program in North America. CLEP exams test the material commonly required in an introductory-level college course. Examinees can earn from three to twelve credits at more than 2,900 colleges and universities in the U.S. and Canada. For a complete list of the CLEP subject examinations offered, visit the College Board website: www.collegeboard.org/clep.

Who takes CLEP exams?

CLEP exams are typically taken by people who have acquired knowledge outside the classroom and who wish to bypass certain college courses and earn college credit. The CLEP program is designed to reward examinees for learning—no matter where or how that knowledge was acquired.

Although most CLEP examinees are adults returning to college, many graduating high school seniors, enrolled college students, military personnel, veterans, and international students take CLEP exams to earn college credit or to demonstrate their ability to perform at the college level. There are no prerequisites, such as age or educational status, for taking CLEP examinations. However, because policies on granting credits vary among colleges, you should contact the particular institution from which you wish to receive CLEP credit.

Who administers the exam?

CLEP exams are developed by the College Board, administered by Educational Testing Service (ETS), and involve the assistance of educators from throughout the United States. The test development process is designed and implemented to ensure that the content and difficulty level of the test are appropriate.

When and where is the exam given?

CLEP exams are administered year-round at more than 1,200 test centers in the United States and can be arranged for candidates abroad on request. To find the test center nearest you and to register for the exam, contact the CLEP Program:

CLEP Services

P.O. Box 6600

Princeton, NJ 08541-6600

Phone: (800) 257-9558 (8 A.M. to 6 P.M. ET)

Fax: (609) 771-7088

Website: www.collegeboard.org/clep

OPTIONS FOR MILITARY PERSONNEL AND VETERANS

CLEP exams are available free of charge to eligible military personnel and eligible civilian employees. All the CLEP exams are available at test centers on college campuses and military bases. Contact your Educational Services Officer or Navy College Education Specialist for more information. Visit the DANTES or College Board websites for details about CLEP opportunities for military personnel.

Eligible U.S. veterans can claim reimbursement for CLEP exams and administration fees pursuant to provisions of the Veterans Benefits Improvement Act of 2004. For details on eligibility and submitting a claim for reimbursement, visit the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs website at www.gibill.va.gov/pamphlets/testing.htm.

CLEP can be used in conjunction with the Post-9/11 GI Bill, which applies to veterans returning from the Iraq and Afghanistan theaters of operation. Because the GI Bill provides tuition for up to 36 months, earning college credits with CLEP exams expedites academic progress and degree completion within the funded timeframe.

SSD ACCOMMODATIONS FOR CANDIDATES WITH DISABILITIES

Many test candidates qualify for extra time to take the CLEP exams, but you must make these arrangements in advance. For information, contact:

College Board Services for Students with Disabilities

P.O. Box 6226

Princeton, NJ 08541-6226

Phone: (609) 771-7137 (Monday through Friday, 8 A.M. to 6 P.M. ET)

TTY: (609) 882-4118

Fax: (609) 771-7944

E-mail: [email protected]

6-WEEK STUDY PLAN

Although our study plan is designed to be used in the six weeks before your exam, it can be condensed to three weeks by combining each two-week period into one.

Be sure to set aside enough time—at least two hours each day—to study. The more time you spend studying, the more prepared and relaxed you will feel on the day of the exam.

$1.99 unlocks the CLEP online tools at www.rea.com/studycenter

TEST-TAKING TIPS

Know the format of the test. CLEP computer-based tests are fixed-length tests. This makes them similar to the paper-and-pencil type of exam because you have the flexibility to go back and review your work in each section.

Learn the test structure, the time allotted for each section of the test, and the directions for each section. By learning this, you will know what is expected of you on test day, and you’ll relieve your test anxiety.

Read all the questions—completely. Make sure you understand each question before looking for the right answer. Reread the question if it doesn’t make sense.

Annotate the questions. Highlighting the key words in the questions will help you find the right answer choice.

Read all of the answers to a question. Just because you think you found the correct response right away, do not assume that it’s the best answer. The last answer choice might be the correct answer.

Work quickly and steadily. You will have 90 minutes to answer 140 questions, so work quickly and steadily. Taking the timed practice tests online will help you learn how to budget your time.

Use the process of elimination. Stumped by a question? Don’t make a random guess. Eliminate as many of the answer choices as possible. By eliminating just two answer choices, you give yourself a better chance of getting the item correct, since there will only be three choices left from which to make your guess. Remember, your score is based only on the number of questions you answer correctly.

Don’t waste time! Don’t spend too much time on any one question. Remember, your time is limited and pacing yourself is very important. Work on the easier questions first. Skip the difficult questions and go back to them if you have the time.

Look for clues to answers in other questions. If you skip a question you don’t know the answer to, you might find a clue to the answer elsewhere on the test.

Acquaint yourself with the computer screen. Familiarize yourself with the CLEP computer screen beforehand by logging on to the College Board website. Waiting until test day to see what it looks like in the pretest tutorial risks injecting needless anxiety into your testing experience. Also, familiarizing yourself with the directions and format of the exam will save you valuable time on the day of the actual test.

Be sure that your answer registers before you go to the next item. Look at the screen to see that your mouse-click causes the pointer to darken the proper oval. If your answer doesn’t register, you won’t get credit for that question.

THE DAY OF THE EXAM

On test day, you should wake up early (after a good night’s rest, of course) and have breakfast. Dress comfortably, so you are not distracted by being too hot or too cold while taking the test. (Note that hoodies are not allowed.) Arrive at the test center early. This will allow you to collect your thoughts and relax before the test, and it will also spare you the anxiety that comes with being late. As an added incentive, keep in mind that no one will be allowed into the test session after the test has begun.

Before you leave for the test center, make sure you have your admission form and another form of identification, which must contain a recent photograph, your name, and signature (i.e., driver’s license, student identification card, or current alien registration card). You will not be admitted to the test center if you do not have proper identification.

You may wear a watch to the test center. However, you may not wear one that makes noise, because it may disturb the other test-takers. No cell phones, dictionaries, textbooks, notebooks, briefcases, or packages will be permitted, and drinking, smoking, and eating are prohibited.

Good luck on the CLEP Humanities exam!

CHAPTER 2

Literature Review

CHAPTER 2

LITERATURE REVIEW

PROSE

GENERAL RULES AND IDEAS

Why do people write prose? Certainly such a question has a built-in counter: As opposed to writing what, poetry? One possible answer is that the writer is a poor poet. The requirements and restrictions of the various genres make different demands upon a writer; most writers find their niche and stay there, secure in their private comfort zone. Shakespeare did not write essays; Hemingway did not write poetry. If either did venture outside of his literary domain, the world took little note.

Students are sometimes confused as to what exactly is prose. Basically, prose is not poetry. Prose is what we write and speak most of the time in our everyday intercourse: unmetered, unrhymed language. Which is not to say that prose does not have its own rhythms—language, whether written or spoken, has cadence and balance. And certainly prose can have instances of rhyme or assonance, alliteration or onomatopoeia. Language is, after all, phonic.

Fiction and Non-fiction

Furthermore, prose may be either fiction or non-fiction. A novel (like a short story) is fiction; an autobiography is non-fiction. While a novel (or short story) may have autobiographical elements, an autobiography is presumed to be entirely factual. Essays are usually described in other terms: expository, argumentative, persuasive, critical, or narrative. Essays may have elements of either fiction or non-fiction, but are generally classed as a separate subgenre.

Satire, properly speaking, is not a genre at all, but rather a mode, elements of which can be found in any category of literature—from poetry and drama to novels and essays. Satire is a manifestation of authorial attitude (tone) and purpose. Our discussion of satire will be limited to its use in prose.

But we have not addressed the initial question: Why do people write prose? The answer depends, in part, on the writer’s intent. If he wishes to tell a rather long story, filled with many characters and subplots, interlaced with motifs, symbols, and themes, with time and space to develop interrelationships and to present descriptive passages, the writer generally chooses the novel as his medium. If he believes he can present his story more compactly and less complexly, he may choose the novella or the short story.

These subgenres require from the reader a different kind of involvement than does the essay. The essay, rather than presenting a story from which the reader may discern meaning through the skillful analysis of character, plot, symbol, and language, presents a relatively straightforward account of the writer’s opinion(s) on an endless array of topics. Depending upon the type of essay, the reader may become informed (expository), provoked (argumentative), persuaded, enlightened (critical), or, in the case of the narrative essay, better acquainted with the writer who wishes to illustrate a point with his story, whether it is autobiographical or fictitious.

Encountering satire in prose selections demands that the reader be sensitive to the nuances of language and form, that he detect the double-edged sword of irony, and that he correctly assess both the writer’s tone and his purpose.

Reading Prose

Readers of prose, like readers of poetry, seek aesthetic pleasure, entertainment, and knowledge, not necessarily in that order. Fiction offers worlds—real and imagined—in which characters and ideas, events and language, interact in ways familiar and unfamiliar. As readers, we take delight in the wisdom we fancy we have acquired from a novel or short story. Non-fiction offers viewpoints which we may find comforting or horrifying, amusing or sobering, presented by the author rather than by his once-removed persona. Thus, we are tempted to believe that somehow the truths presented in non-fiction are more real than the truths revealed by fiction. But we must resist! Truth is not genre-specific.

Reading prose for the CLEP Humanities exam is really no different from reading prose for your own purposes, except for the time constraints, of course! Becoming a competent reader is a result of practicing certain skills. Probably most important is acquiring a broad reading base. Read widely; read eclectically; read actively; read avidly. The idea is not that you might stumble onto a familiar prose selection on the CLEP and have an edge in writing about it. Instead , it’s about building your familiarity with many authors and works so you have a foundation upon which to build your understanding of whatever prose selection you encounter on the CLEP Humanities exam. So read, read, read!

READING NOVELS

Most literary handbooks will define a novel as an extended fictional prose narrative, derived from the Italian novella, meaning tale, piece of news. The term novelle, meaning short tales, was applied to works such as Boccaccio’s The Decameron, a collection of stories which had an impact on later works such as Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. In most European countries, the word for novel is roman, short for romance, which was applied to longer verse narratives (Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur), which were later written in prose. Early romances were associated with legendary, imaginative, and poetic material—tales of the long ago or the far away or the imaginatively improbable; novels, on the other hand, were felt to be bound by the facts of the actual world and the laws of probability (A Handbook to Literature, C. Hugh Holman, p. 354).

The novel has, over some 600 years, developed into many special forms which are classified by subject matter: detective novel, psychological novel, historical novel, regional novel, picaresque novel, Gothic novel, stream-of-consciousness novel, epistolary novel, and so on. These terms, of course, are not exhaustive nor mutually exclusive. Furthermore, depending on the conventions of the author’s time period, his style, and his outlook on life, his mode may be termed realism, romanticism, impressionism, expressionism, naturalism, or neo-classicism (Holman, p. 359).

Our earlier description of a novel (…a rather long story, filled with many characters and subplots, interlaced with motifs, symbols, and themes, with time and space to develop interrelationships and to present descriptive passages) is satisfactory for our purposes here. The works generally included on the CLEP are those which have stood the test of time in significance, literary merit, and reader popularity. New works are incorporated into the canon, which is a reflection of what works are being taught in literature classes. And teachers begin to teach those works which are included frequently among the test questions you will encounter on the CLEP. So the process is circular, but the standards remain high for inclusion on the exam.

Plots

Analyzing novels is a bit like asking the journalist’s five questions: what? who? why? where? and how? The what is the story, the narrative, the plot and subplots. Most students are familiar with Freytag’s Pyramid, originally designed to describe the structure of a five-act drama but now widely used to analyze fiction as well. The stages generally specified are introduction or exposition, complication, rising action, climax, falling action, and denouement or conclusion. As the novel’s events are charted, the change which structures the story should emerge. There are many events in a long narrative; but generally only one set of events comprises the real or significant story.

However, subplots often parallel or serve as counterpoints to the main plot line, serving to enhance the central story. Minor characters sometimes have essentially the same conflicts and goals as the major characters, but the consequences of the outcome seem less important. Sometimes the parallels involve reversals of characters and situations, creating similar yet distinct differences in the outcomes. Nevertheless, seeing the parallels makes understanding the major plot line less difficult.

Sometimes an author divides the novel into chapters—named or unnamed, perhaps just numbered. Or he might divide the novel into books or parts, with chapters as subsections. Readers should take their cue from these divisions; the author must have had some reason for them. Take note of what happens in each larger section, as well as within the smaller chapters. Whose progress is being followed? What event or occurrence is being foreshadowed or prepared for? What causal or other relationships are there between sections and events? Some writers, such as Steinbeck in The Grapes of Wrath, use intercalary chapters, alternating between the real story (the Joads) and peripheral or parallel stories (the Okies and migrants in general). Look for the pattern of such organization; try to see the interrelationships of these alternating chapters.

Characters

Of course, plots cannot happen in isolation from characters, the who element of a story. Not only are there major and minor characters to consider; we need to note whether the various characters are static or dynamic. Static characters do not change in significant ways—that is, in ways which relate to the story which is structuring the novel. A character may die, i.e., change from alive to dead, and still be static, unless his death is central to the narrative. For instance, in Golding’s Lord of the Flies, the boy with the mulberry birthmark apparently dies in a fire early in the novel. Momentous as any person’s death is, this boy’s death is not what the novel is about. However, when Simon is killed, and later Piggy, the narrative is directly impacted because the reason for their deaths is central to the novel’s theme regarding man’s innate evil. A dynamic character may change only slightly in his attitudes, but those changes may be the very ones upon which the narrative rests. For instance, Siddhartha begins as a very pure and devout Hindu but is unfulfilled spiritually. He eventually does achieve spiritual contentment, but his change is more a matter of degree than of substance. He is not an evil man who attains salvation, nor a pious man who becomes corrupt. It is the process of his search, the stages in his pilgrimage, which structure the novel Siddhartha.

We describe major characters or actors in novels as protagonists or antagonists. Built into those two terms is the Greek word agon, meaning struggle. The protagonist struggles toward or for someone or something; the ant(i)agonist struggles against someone or something. The possible conflicts are usually cited as man against himself, man against man, man against society, or man against nature. Sometimes more than one of these conflicts appears in a story, but usually one is dominant and is the structuring device.

A character can be referred to as stock, meaning that he exists because the plot demands it. For instance, a Western with a gunman who robs the bank will require a number of stock characters: the banker’s lovely daughter, the tough but kindhearted barmaid, the cowardly white-shirted citizen who sells out the hero to save his own skin, and the young freckle-faced lad who shoots the bad guy from a second-story hotel window.

Or a character can be a stereotype, without individuating characteristics. For instance, a sheriff in a small Southern town; a football player who is all brawn; a librarian clucking over her prized books; the cruel commandant of a POW camp.

Characters often serve as foils for other characters, enabling us to see one or more of them better. A classic example is Tom Sawyer, the romantic foil for Huck Finn’s realism. Or, in Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout as the naive observer of events which her brother Jem, four years older, comes to understand from the perspective of the adult world.

Sometimes characters are allegorical, standing for qualities or concepts rather than for actual personages. For instance, Jim Casey (initials J. C.) in The Grapes of Wrath is often regarded as a Christ figure, pure and self-sacrificing in his aims for the migrant workers. Or Kamala, Siddhartha’s teacher in the art of love, whose name comes from the tree whose bark is used as a purgative; she purges him of his ascetic ways on his road to self-hood and spiritual fulfillment.

Other characters are fully three-dimensional, rounded, mimetic of humans in all their virtue, vice, hope, despair, strength, and weakness. This verisimilitude aids the author in creating characters who are credible and plausible, without being dully predictable and mundane.

Themes

The interplay of plot and characters determines in large part the theme of a work, the why of the story. First of all, we must distinguish between a mere topic and a genuine theme or thesis; and then between a theme and contributing motifs. A topic is a phrase, such as man’s inhumanity to man; or the fickle nature of fate. A theme, however, turns a phrase into a statement: Man’s inhumanity to man is barely concealed by ‘civilization,’ or Man is a helpless pawn, at the mercy of fickle fate. Many writers may deal with the same topic, such as the complex nature of true love; but their themes may vary widely, from True love will always win out in the end, to Not even true love can survive the cruel ironies of fate.

To illustrate the relationship between plot, character, and theme, let’s examine two familiar fairy tales. In The Ugly Duckling, the structuring story line is Once upon a time there was an ugly duckling, who in turn became a beautiful swan. In this case, the duckling did nothing to merit either his ugliness nor his eventual transformation; but he did not curse fate. He only wept and waited, lonely and outcast. And when he became beautiful, he did not gloat; he eagerly joined the other members of his flock, who greatly admired him. The theme here essentially is: Good things come to him who waits, or Life is unfair—you don’t get what you deserve, nor deserve what you get. What happens to the theme if the ugly duckling remains an ugly duckling: Some guys just never get a break?

Especially rewarding to examine for the interdependence of plot and theme is Cinderella: Once upon a time, a lovely, sweet-natured young girl was forced to labor for and serve her ugly and ungrateful stepmother and two stepsisters. But thanks to her fairy godmother, Cinderella and the Prince marry, and live happily ever after.

We could change events (plot elements) at any point, but let’s take the penultimate scene where the Prince’s men come to the door with the single glass slipper. Cinderella has been shut away so that she is not present when the other women in the house try on the slipper. Suppose that the stepmother or either of the two stepsisters tries on the slipper—and it fits! Cinderella is in the back room doing the laundry, and her family waltzes out the door to the palace and she doesn’t even get an invitation to the wedding. And imagine the Prince’s dismay when the ugly, one-slippered lady lifts her wedding veil for the consummating kiss! Theme: There is no justice in the world, for those of low or high station or Virtue is not its own reward.

Or let’s say that during the slipper-test scene, the stepsisters, stepmother, and finally Cinderella all try on the shoe, but to no avail. And then in sashays the fairy godmother, who gives them all a knowing smirk, puts out her slipper-sized foot and cackles hysterically, like the mechanical witch in the penny arcade. Theme: You can’t trust anybody these days or, a favorite statement of theme, Appearances can be deceiving. The link between plot and theme is very strong, indeed.

Motifs

Skilled writers often employ motifs to help unify their works. A motif is a detail or element of the story which is repeated throughout, and which may even become symbolic. Television shows are ready examples of the use of motifs. A medical show, with many scenes alternately set in the hospital waiting room and operating room, uses elements such as the pacing, anxious parent or loved one, the gradually filling ashtray, the large wall clock whose hands melt from one hour to another. And in the operating room, the half-masked surgeon whose brow is frequently mopped by the nurse; the gloved hand open-palmed to receive scalpel, sponge, and so on; the various oscilloscopes giving read-outs of the patient’s very fragile condition; the expanding and collapsing bladder manifesting that the patient is indeed breathing; and, again, the wall clock, assuring us that this procedure is taking forever. These are all motifs, details which in concert help convince the reader that this story occurs in a hospital, and that the mood is pretty tense, that the medical team is doing all it can, and that Mom and Dad will be there when Junior or Sissy wakes up.

But motifs can become symbolic. The oscilloscope line quits blipping, levels out, and gives off the ominous hum. And the doctor’s gloved hand sets down the scalpel and shuts off the oscilloscope. In the waiting room, Dad crushes the empty cigarette pack; Mom quits pacing and sinks into the sofa. The door to the waiting room swings shut silently behind the retreating doctor. All these elements signal It’s over, finished.

This example is very crude and mechanical, but motifs in the hands of a skillful writer are valuable devices. And in isolation, and often magnified, a single motif can become a controlling image with great significance. For instance, Emma Bovary’s shoes signify her obsession with material things; and when her delicate slippers become soiled as