Motif analysis- Zhongyi

Motif Analysis
– Cigarettes

1. Is the motif a noun, a verb or an adjective?
The motif is a noun.

2. How does it come up in the novel, and how does it impact what is going on? What happens immediately preceding or immediately following a mention or discussion of this motif?
The cigarette appears whenever something has gone wrong or is about to go wrong. It had the effect of providing Holden with temporary relief from unpleasant situations before something worse happens – the cigarette almost always appears between two stages in an unpleasant situation.

3. What mood/emotion would you associate this motif with? Is this mood consistent with every incidence of this motif?
The mood associated with this motif is one of desperation and uncertainty. This mood is very much consistent with every incidence of this motif – Holden asked Ackley for cigarettes after fighting with Stradlater over Jane, he smoked after being cheated by Sunny and Maurice and he smoked when making the disastrous date with Sally Hayes.

4. Is Holden alone when this motif occurs? With whom is he interacting? How would you characterise that interaction? Is there a connection to be made?
Holden is usually with other people when cigarettes appeared. Some people that he was interacting with when he smoked include Stradlater, Ackley, Mrs. Morrow, Sunny and Mr. Antolini. These people all had one common aspect: they provided Holden with a chance to relax for a short period of time before causing him to be in a worse situation.

5. What does this motif tell you about Holden in a “big picture” way? Does this suggest anything about his personality? His weaknesses or strength? His sense of himself?
This motif revealed that Holden was not as strong as he pretended to be – he needed rest in between episodes of misfortune. He sought relief from time to time, each time represented by mentioning or smoking cigarettes. His “sense of himself” is greatly weakened by this, as it is clear that he needed to resort to other people for comfort and support.

6. Did any pattern emerge? Write a single sentence that sums up what you’ve discovered. Write three or four sentences supporting your thesis sentence.
The cigarette symbolised temporary relief for Holden before a situation deteriorates. When Stradlater asked Holden for cigarettes to bring on his date, little did Holden know he was to destroy Jane’s innocence; Holden was able to talk with Sunny openly with a cigarette but he was to be cheated at the end; Mr. Antolini gave him cigarettes and provided him with shelter for the night but made him having to flee the house. All these events in which cigarettes appeared allowed Holden to escape from his everyday worries for a short time but were then followed by more problems that he had to face himself.