The Motif of horse in “Lethal White” by Robert Galbraith: Why has the author made it so unavoidable?

Abstract

Motifs function as recurring narrative elements, growing in impact as the story unfolds. The motif of the horse is central to the narrative of Lethal White, the fourth book in the crime series by Robert Galbraith (J. K. Rowling). This study aims at examining the contribution of the motif of the horse to the plot structure of the novel and to the development of its themes. In the article, the linguistic/figurative items that realize the motif of the horse in Lethal White are categorized in accordance with the system of text-world elements suggested by Text World Theory. As for the plot structure of the novel, the motif discussed is plot-intensive since it highlights all the nuclear action sequences. Moreover, when the three main plot lines (investigations of different yet connected crimes by a private detective duo, Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott) intersect, the motif centered on the horse recurs at the points of intersections. Cognitively, this motif underscores the themes of Lethal White that are related to some basic elements of British culture: historical heritage of the nation, social ranking, ethics of humanhorse relationship, aesthetic and commercial aspects of art, horse racing as a popular equestrian activity, a pastime, and a sports betting business. The motif of the horse is most ingeniously (through the use of paratextual/ intertextual/rhetorical devices, specific terms, factual descriptions) employed by the author to bring to the fore the theme of death, which is ubiquitous in all novels by Robert Galbraith / J. K. Rowling. In Lethal White, the death of animals equals to the death of humans. Overall, it can be claimed that, setting aside the issue of crime, the author addresses both universal and culturespecific problems, and presents a realistic picture of contemporary British society.