THEMATOLOGY IN COMPARATIVE LITERATURE

Introduction

v  Thematology or study of themes is a new area in the field of comparative literature. It was introduced by the famous American comparatist, Harry Levin. It was he who coined the term ‘Thematics’ or ‘Thematology’

v  Thematology is a comparative study of literary works as they relate to other literary works as far as the themes are concerned

Themes and Motifs

Thematology involves the study of ‘themes’ and ‘motifs’ . Both are basically different but modern literary critics use them as interchangeable terms. A motif is a recurring element in a work of art. It may be an incident or a device or a formula. For example, folklores have a common motif of a ugly woman becoming a charming princess. Another common motif is bemoaning of the bygone past in lyrics. The ‘theme’ is a recurrent element but it is related to the subject-matter to both form and content

Motif vs Theme

The theme is the central idea or message where as the motif constitutes the unit from which the theme is built. The motif could be an image, a sound, an action, an object, a character, a literary device, a word, a phrase… with a symbolic significance that helps constructing and consolidating the central idea or the theme. It contributes towards the development of the theme. A motif is a recurrent idea or symbol or image that develops and explains the theme

Motif vs Theme

The theme of "the corruption of the American dream" in The Great Gatsby is built up and consolidated by the succession of certain motifs like the green light at the end of Daisy's Dock. Green the color of the American shores as first observed by the Dutch sailors who came to America to fulfill their dreams is also the color of dollars (materialism). Another motif is the movement east instead of west. Most characters moved east to fulfill their dreams as young people. It is the opposite direction of the American dream. This explains why the narrator Nick Caraway decided to return to the midwest at the end of the novel. The contradiction east/west is a recurrent motif in the novel that serves the purpose of consolidating the theme of "the corruption of the American dream"

Themes and Thesis

The term ‘theme’ is equated with ‘thesis’, which is an argument forwarded by an literary work. Theme is a more concrete term than thesis and it effects the structure of works. A thesis of a literary works can be paraphrased and is international in character. For example, we can speak of the Marxian ideas suggested in the novels of Dickens. A theme can be localized or personalized. For example, a novelist can deliberately pattern a novel on  musical theme if he is interested in it. E.g. Marcel Proust’s Fiction

Theme vs Subject Matter 

The subject matter is larger and wider in scope in comparison to the theme. The theme is more specific. For instance, "love" is the subject matter in Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. The theme is more precise. It is love in the age of materialism  

Symbol vs Motif

There is a difference between a symbol and a motif in that the symbol is an image, idea, sound, or words that represent something else and help understanding a given idea or a thing where as a motif is an image, idea, sound, or word that help understand the central idea in the literary work. Another difference is that the motif is recurrent where as the symbol may appear once or twice in a literary work

Contributors to Thematology

The chief contributors of thematology are Raymond Trousson from Belgium, Elizabeth Frenzel from France and Harry Levin and Ulrich Weisstein from the US. Trousson has done his study on the Prometheus theme in European literature. Frenzel studied the themes in world literature. Harry Levin and Weisstein have contributed to the theory of thematology. Frenzel’s book Themes in World Literature is a major contribution in this field

Development of Thematology

        The development of thematology is an interesting study. This study was neglected for various reasons. Goethe regarded subject-matter as insignificant as it is given by the world whereas form is shaped by the poet. Baldensperger opposed thematology on the grounds that it slides continuity. In spite of indifference and antagonism, thematology became an important study. Elizabeth Frenzel’s post-war publication, A Dictionary of literary Themes is a pioneering work in thematology

Later the German scholars took interest in the study of themes, motifs, topos, etc. Raymond Trousson’s  two-volume monograph on the Prometheus theme is a French attempt to correlate theme with myths and legends on the one hand and life on the other. In America, Cleath Brooks made a thematic study of Faulkner. Later comparatists like Weisstein , Prawer and Trousson widened the scope of thematology and defined the major categories

Uses of Thematology

 Thematology is useful to the comparatists for the following reasons : 

      (i)            It enables a comparatist to find out what type of writer chooses what kind of themes

    (ii)            It helps us to find out how a chosen material is dealt within different periods

   (iii)            We can also study how peculiar problems of a period /group / society influenced a personality and thinking of writers.

  (iv)            It helps us to find out how different themes may call for different stylistic patterns

    (v)            Also it tells us how different themes have affinity to certain genres. For example, city theme is linked with a novel genre

 

Concept of ‘Meaning’ in Thematology

Weisstein explains the concept of ‘meaning’. Meaning points to those aspects of a work of art which relate to problems or ideas , that is , the ethical or moral aspects. The relationship between content and meaning is well-explicated, by juxtaposing the differences, like image and symbol, motif and problem, theme and idea

Five Kinds of Thematic Investigation

   S.S.Prawer discusses five kinds of investigation, which however overlap :

(i)   a) The literary representation natural occurrences and man’s reaction to them in different languages, at different times.(e.g.) the mountain, the ocean , the forest , etc.

      b) The external facts of human existence.(e.g.) dreams , birth , death.

      c) The permanent human problems and patterns of behavior such as the conflict between illusion and reality, the power of fate, the obstacles to true love etc.

 

(ii)  Recurring motifs in literature and folklore such as the three wishes, three tasks, three gifts and so on.

(iii)  a) Recurrent situations and their treatment by different writers – the eternal triangle, the conflict between father and son etc.

         b) Literary reflection of the same historical events like the French revolution, the World Wars and so on.

(iv) The literary representation of types-professional groupings, social classes like the Jews etc.

(v) The literary representation of named personages from mythology, legend and history like Prometheus, Gandhi , Hamlet.

It is interesting to note that Trousson favours the fifth and Prawer prefers the fourth item.

 

Important Terminologies Connected with Thematology

      Weisstein explains a few important terminologies connected with thematology, like ‘icon’, ‘leit motif’ , ‘topos’ , etc.

(i) An ‘icon’ is a special kind of motif, an image associated with some ethical quality, historical character, super natural being, etc. For example, the ‘strawberry’ is an icon for fidelity in medieval and renaissance literature. That is why, in Shakespeare’s Othello, Desdemona's kerchief is embroidered with strawberry’s and its loss brought death on the character

(ii) ‘Leit motif’ is a motif associated with a particular person, thing , feeling , idea , scene , etc. The bird motif associated with Stephen in James Joyce’s A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man can be cited as a good example

(iii) A ‘topos’ is a literary common place. It is an image in form but its function is entirely different. It may be a warning or it may convey a moral.(e.g.) a poisoned gift is a topos in fairy tales. The gift may be a dagger or an apple. Its function may be to put the hero in danger or suggest that evil is attractive. The same topos may be found in different sources

(iv) A ‘situation’ , according Weisstein points to divergent feelings or thoughts reflected in or giving rise to an action or conflict. It also pre-supposes two or more persons engaged in conflict. It serves as a link between ‘motif’ and ‘action’

(v) ‘Types’ are characters in a formative stage. While characters are identified with themes, types are identified with motifs. For example, if the motif is avarice, the type will be a miser. A type of character may be known by the type name or generalized as universals

(vi) The ‘trait’ is an incidental attribute. Though insignificant, it can be raised to the level of the motif

(vii) An ‘image’ is a verbal imitation of a sensory in reality. It may acquire thematological significance through recurrence in a work or in a number of works. Otherwise, it may not be used to the comparatists

       Thematology , thus , offers a vast scope for the comparatists to study themes, subject matter , motifs , situations , etc.