In this excerpt, D

​ anticat​ weaves a rich setting that punctuates and deepens the story 
through an array of literary techniques. These skills range from impeccable word choice 
to vivid imagery and powerful symbolism. However, the most prevalent of these 
techniques is his use of contrast. It is this contrast that creates the most impactful 
sense of setting. 

At the beginning of the passage, ​Claire​ begins with "​her father and Madame Gaëlle... at 
the beach, trying not to look at each other.​" She takes advantage of their preoccupation 
to run away. She promptly "​runs through the alley that snaked between the shacks​." 
Already, the general setting is being described in animalistic terms. This area is also 
described as being ridden with creepers, and the walls of the trail are covered with 
vines, "​creating unintended canopies​." At this point, she has not ascended the heights of 
the hill, as she is navigating throughout the alleyways of the town. On top of the hill, 
however, the descriptions contrast directly with the descriptions of the lower lands. The 
higher up the hill she traveled, "​the brighter the stars were​," "​the moon seemed larger​," 
and "the air was much cooler." Not only is it described with imagery of light, but it also 
described in terms far less animalistic. There is an intense focus on the description of 
manmade objects, and even the dogs, literal animals, are talked to "​as though they were 
people​." These contrasting descriptions emphasize the impact and meaning of the 
setting, with the town representing the dark, obscuring, and inevitable path that the 
people around her are forcing her to travel. It fogs the clarity of C ​ laire​'s sight of the 
world, in a figurative way. Meanwhile, the hill represents the figurative light, clear, 
vantage point from which C ​ laire​ cannot lose sight of the world in a broader aspect. The 
hill is​ Claire​'s escape, a place that allows her to see things in a different light.