KEY LITERARY NOTION: SETTING
Where does the story take place? What kind of world do the characters live in? The term we use to
refer to the general locale and the historical time in which the story occurs is the s e t tin g. The term is also
used to refer to the particular physical location in which an episode or scene within the story takes place
The g en e r a l s e t tin g o f a novel may be, for example, a large city like London, while the s e t tin g of the
opening scene may be the kitchen of the main character.
Some settings are relatively unimportant. They serve simply as a decorative backdrop helping the
reader to visualize the action and adding authenticity to the story. Other settings are closely linked to the
meaning of the work; the author focuses on elements of setting to create the atmosphere or mood, or the
setting plays a major role in shaping the character's identity and destiny.
If the setting is sketched briefly, we can assume that it is of little importance, or the writer wishes
us to think that the action could take place anywhere and at any time. If, on the other hand, the passages
describing the setting are extensive and highly developed, or are written in poetic language, we can assume
that the setting is being used for more profound or symbolic purposes.
Some of the main functions of setting are:
• Setting as a mirror
The setting may reflect a prevailing mood or reinforce the emotions felt by a character; barren
landscapes may mirror despair and desperation; stormy weather may provide a suitable background for
emotional turmoil. However, the setting may also be ironic or comment on the characters' state of mind or
behaviour in an indirect way.
• Setting in time
The historical period, time of year and time of day are all important features of the setting. The fact, for
example, that most of the story’s action takes place at night may create an atmosphere of mystery,
violence and conspiracy. Authors often use the traditional associations with the seasons and the cycle of
the day to create appropriate time settings for their work, for example spring-morning-youth.
• Setting as a way of revealing character
The manner in which a character perceives the setting may tell the reader more about the character and his
or her state of mind than about the setting itself. When, for example, an urban landscape is described as
“desolate” and “ominous”, the writer may be telling us more about how the character is feeling rather than
accurately describing the setting. The writer is using the outer world setting to give us an insight into the
character’s inner world.
• Setting as means of reinforcing the message
The setting may also reinforce and clarify the theme o f a novel or short story. The physical setting in which
the action takes place may symbolically represent the central ideas of the work. A solitary house in bleak,
hostile surroundings may reinforce the theme of man’s struggle against nature. Many modem novels take
place in what are termed “alien settings", where even the familiar seems unfamiliar. The characters are
often exiles, tourists or expatriates, and the inhospitable setting reinforces the theme of loss of roots and
loss of home which is common to much modem fiction.
• Setting as an antagonist
The setting of the story often shapes the characters’ identities and destinies -- making people what they
are. Stories sometimes show us characters that are direct products of their environment, reflecting its
moods and values. Often, however, stories depict characters who rebel against their restrictive settings and
fight to break free of their stifling environment.
• Social setting
While the setting refers to time and place in which the action occurs, the term social setting is used to
indicate the social environment in which a story takes place. The social setting o f a novel or story may be
explicitly indicated by the author or it may be conveyed through the use of social or class markers, i.e. the
way the characters talk, where and how they live, the clothes they wear, how they eat and so on. Like the
physical and temporal setting, the social setting may be relatively unimportant or it may play a determining
role in a novel or story.
HELPFUL QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN ANALYSING THE SETTING
• What is the setting of the work in time and space?
• Is the setting briefly sketched or is it described in detail?
• Are the descriptions of setting based on visual images?
•Through whose eyes is the setting seen? Does the setting reveal the characters’ state of mind?
Does the setting
• contribute towards creating mood and atmosphere?
• influence the characters’ behaviour?
• reinforce the main theme of the work?
• At what time of day/year does most of the action take place? Is this relevant?