How is a motif different from a theme? a motif is a recurring element in a story, but it is not necessarily the main message. while the motif concerns the main message of a story, the theme is a reoccurring element. motif and theme are two terms that have the same definition. moral stories have motifs, while entertaining stories have themes.

The correct answer is A. A motif is a recurring element in a story, but it is not necessarily the main message.

Explanation:

In literature, both the theme and motif are important literary elements in novels, stories, and poems and in most cases can be related; however, they differ on their essence. A motif refers to the repetition or recurrence of an idea, object or similar which usually has some symbolic meaning the author wants the audience to understand. On the other hand, the theme refers to the main underlying idea of a literary work which is usually related to some critical belief about life, this idea is developed through the actions characters and in some cases but not always to the motif. This implies even when both the motif and the theme might appear multiple times in a literary work they are not necessarily connected, which means the motif does not necessarily support the theme but is just a symbolic idea. Considering this, it can be concluded the difference between motif and theme is that "A motif is a recurring element in a story, but it is not necessarily the main message".