What is the term for a recurring object or image with symbolic meaning in a novel?

Motif is correct because it’s a recurring element—an image, object, phrase, or situation—that carries symbolic meaning and reinforces a novel’s themes. Unlike a single symbol (one object standing for an idea) or a theme (the overarching message), a motif repeats throughout the work to build and echo that message. It also differs from an archetype, which is a universal pattern or character type found across many stories. Easy memory hook: motif comes from music, where a motif is a repeated musical idea. In literature, it’s the repeated “note” of meaning. Think of repeated blood and washing imagery in Macbeth or light and darkness in Romeo and Juliet—these motifs accumulate significance and guide readers toward the work’s deeper themes.