"'Oh, rot,' said Brett. 'Maybe it works for some people, though you don't look very religious, Jake.'" pg. 213
Ooh, here's a doozie lit term. Motif. Just a few I've noticed are Brett's catchphrase "oh, rot." It's kind of her multi-purpose saying to mean just about whatever she wants, which illustrates her "change-at-the-drop-of-a-hat/I-do-what-I-want-because-I'm-an-independent-woman" personality. In addition, religion was made to be an ordeal, especially this whole Robert Cohn being Jewish. There were many times when insulting phrases were used and even classified being Jewish as a race in itself. Also, the Catholic Church and her "power" were mentioned several times. Even Jake was asked by Bill if he was really a Catholic. Bill, too, poked at a priest on the train ride filled with American Catholics hogging the dining cars by asking "When do us Protestants get a chance to eat, father?" Brett's character also deals with having a lack of organized religion. Another motif I felt to be prevalent was bathing. Brett always wanted to take a bath and Jake bathed often. This might be another religious reference as a kind of "trying to wash away their sins" type of thing, but then again, motifs are weird and I never seem to pick up on them.
Enjoy this nice, straightforward reptile motif!
the reptiles confuse me.
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