What is an example of the use of motif in the nonfiction book, The Zookeeper’s Wife?

Ackerman centers the book around an animal motif, which is fitting since Antonina and Jan ran the Warsaw Zoo and animals were an integral part of their lives. Ackerman uses the motif to strengthen themes, explain human behavior, and show the passing of time.

The animal motif is used to strengthen the themes about family, home, and compassion. Several animals were members of the Zabinski family throughout the course of the book, including a badger, a rabbit, a chicken, a hamster, and a pig. Ackerman pays attention to the descriptions and stories of these animals in the same way she does the Guests who also become members of the family. The theme of home is strengthened through the animal motif when Ackerman explains that Antonina believed animals were essential to making a house a home because they brought a sense of curiosity and fun. They also provided an important distraction from the war, making it possible for people to focus on something other than their problems for a while. The theme of compassion is strengthened through the animal theme in that Antonina and Jan treated their animals with compassion. Antonina served as a midwife to pregnant zoo animals and cared for those that were sick or orphaned.