After defining the term "motif", we examined the first chapters of the novel wherein I highlighted motifs that will recur throughout the novel such as references to "mules" as a metaphor for a burdened life and allusions to a " pear tree" as a metaphor for romance and sexuality.. I directed Olivia to portions of the novel that employed literary devices we previously studied such as figurative language and the use of a change of clothing as a metaphor for wearing a new and perhaps more evolved identity. Olivia ,in class discussion , provided examples of the author's use of figurative language and elaborated on the poetic comparisons offered by the author. We noted the novel's reference to the African -American tradition of oral story telling, as well as the novel's feminist focus which portrays the struggle of a woman to discover her own identity outside of the relationship with a man. For homework, I assigned reading chapter 4. The "Huck Finn " take-home test is due on Friday.