A motif is an idea or object that recurs in a text. The definition is not limited to writing and narrative; in visual arts, a motif might be a pattern that recurs throughout a given work or an artist's collection, and in music, a motif is a short musical idea that has thematic identity and recurs and may be transformed throughout a piece. Perhaps the most important thing to remember about motifs is that they recur, or return, often in ways that expand upon thematic ideas and connect (apparently dissimilar) material. The other options do not describe motifs.
