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Motifs are recurring structures, contrasts, or literary devices that can help to develop and inform the text’s major themes.

Excellence and Exceeding Expectations

Throughout Hidden Figures, the protagonists have to be twice as good to get half as far, which influences everything they do—from the superior quality of their work to the strength of their work ethic to the impeccable way they dress for the office. This idea is universally understood among the Black women computers; they supervise each other to make sure there was no tardiness, no sloppy appearance, and no perception of loose morals within their group, because they know they are scrutinized by others in a way their white peers are not. Black women workers face discrimination just by virtue of being Black and being women, so they must work even harder than Black men or white women. The women of Langley are constantly described as being over-prepared—they have to be in order to succeed in a world where everything is stacked against them. 

The Space Race

The Space Race provides a backdrop for the scenes related to the West Computers. Along with World War II, the Cold War, and the Civil Rights Movement, the Space Race connects the reader to the time and setting of the story. The fact that the work the women are doing impacts such a momentous, historic time builds tension and raises the stakes. In addition, their success takes on more importance and value because the work they are doing is so crucial and so historically relevant. The reality that most people never knew about the Black individuals and especially the Black women that worked at NACA and NASA takes on more significance since much of the history there is so well known and documented. Many of the figures of the Space Race, like John Glenn, are historical heroes and household names. This is a sharp contrast to the many people who worked at NASA whose stories were never documented or shared. 

Supportive Spouses

The men married to the protagonists are, without exception, supportive of their wives and of their career aspirations. The time that Dorothy and Howard spend apart places strain on their relationship, but they continue to place equal focus on both of their careers because it is best for their family and for Dorothy personally. Katherine’s pregnancy temporarily sidelines her educational goals, but Jimmy Goble is gracious about Katherine replacing him when he becomes too unwell to teach and is willing to move when an opportunity arises for her. Katherine has already received significant professional success by the time she meets her second husband, and he is not cowed by her achievements or her remarkable intellectual prowess. All of these men display a level of self-confidence that was rare during a time when society placed value on the notion that men were the breadwinners while women stayed at home. This unwavering support contributed greatly to their wives’ success.  

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