Excerpt from “John Redding Goes to Sea” by Zora Neale Hurston

Question

Use the passage to answer the question.

Which of the following functions as a motif in this passage?

spells
flowers
alligators
the barn
candy

Answer 1

The function that serves as a motif in this passage is alligators. This is because the passage repeatedly mentions that the boy, John Redding, is afraid of alligators and imagines encountering them in various situations, such as in the water or under his bed.