Prior to starting this assignment, be sure that the the "imagery column" in your scene breakdown is complete and that you have an expansive list of motifs for the play.

First, identify as many images and motifs as possible in your script. Using the affinity mapping techniques that we used in class, arrange them into as many affinity groups as you can. There may be multiple ways to arrange these groups of tropes—do what makes sense to you.

Once you have identified your affinity groups, develop several themes (at least four or five and more are preferrred) that are supported by these images and motifs. Any affinity group of motifs or images might support more than one theme. The idea here is to come up with your own organization of motifs and themes. You may also find that the comparison of two affinity groups of motifs supports a theme.

However your mind works (maybe you need to identify themes first and then find the images to support them?) is how you should proceed. You may need to work at this for a bit to figure it out.

Structure:          

Your paper should state a theme in a complete sentence (refer to handout and class discussion). This can be bold or italicized or numbered, but it is a "heading" for the discussion that follows. Beneath that theme, identify and discuss the motifs and imagery that supports it. Put the page number where the motifs or image is found in parenthesis (like an MLA citation).

Format:          

I'm assuming around three or four pages is about right. It could be longer, but I'm not looking for a term paper here!

Are there page numbers, 1” margins, 12 point font, staple in upper left corner, MLA style heading in the upper left?

Proof-reading:     

Are there spelling, continuity, or punctuation errors, or missing citations? Does the paper meet all requirements on the assignment sheet?

Example:    (From "Riders to the Sea" by J.M. Synge)

Theme 1:   The spare use of color to identify specific items or landmarks of importance supports the concept of an otherwise harsh, monochromatic environment in which the characters of Riders to the Sea live their lives.

The white rocks (pg.2)

The green head (pg. 3, 5, 10)

The white boards (pg. 3,12,14)

The pig with the black feet (pg. 4)

The red mare (pg.5)

The grey pony (pg. 5, 10, 11)

The black cliffs of the north, the black knot (pg. 7)

Red petticoats (pg. 12)

The red sail (pg. 12, 13)

On nearly every page of this spare, short play, some object of importance is identified not by a given name, but by a color. The inference here is both an unsentimental lack of personification—animals are for use, not pets—and the rarity of these items in an otherwise colorless environment—there is only one pig with black feet, one promontory that is green.

Against this spareness, the use of nameing with references to color are heightened in importance. Even the use of color is spare—most references are to black and white. The use of actual chroma is reserved for green and red. In this environment, how striking the red sails and petticoats must be, especially arranged around the table bier with it's body wrapped in sails dripping sea water. (The dripping of water is also mentiond several times, which has the effect of intensifying the color of the rocks and earth upon which it drips.)

Motif and Theme  Analysis