Setting

What is setting?

 Setting is a literary device that allows the writer of a narrative to establish the time,
location, and environment in which it takes place.

 This is an important element in a story, as the setting indicates to the reader when
and where the action takes place.

 As a result, the setting of a narrative or story helps the reader picture clear and
relevant details.

 In addition, setting enhances the development of a story’s plot and characters by

providing a distinct background.
Additional key details about setting:

• Setting is sometimes also called "the scene" or "sense of place.“

• Far from being just a "backdrop" for the story, the setting of a piece of literature often
shapes the story's main events and motivates the characters to act as they do.

• Many works of literature have multiple settings—whether that means moving between the
interior and exterior of the same house, different countries, or different centuries. It is
important to note how plot developments and character developments correspond to
changes in the setting.
Aspects of setting (physical and Non Physical)

• The physical location: The physical realities of where the story takes place, including
 climate
 landscape
 other factors (urban or rural; domestic or wild; inside or out; on earth or in space).

• Time: When does the story take place

 In the past, the future, the present
 What are the particular details of that time (e.g time of day)
Aspects continued

• The social milieu: Setting is not just about the physical aspects. It's also about the social
world.
 Is the setting wealthy or poor
 Homogenous or diverse
 Are things improving or getting worse

• Change: Setting can also be affected by how the plot changes.

• Either over time (the changing seasons or the construction of a house or town or city), or
suddenly (a terrible storm).
Aspects continued

 The more specific an author can be with their setting, the more real the story will feel and
the more the setting will start to "reach out" and affect the characters and their actions, in
the same way the world around living people affects how they act and think
Why is setting important

• helps establish mood and/or tone of a story

• provides context for other story elements such as plot, characters, and theme

• reinforces the narrative as it can explain what inspired the story’s main conflict and
why

• enhances individual scenes within a story’s plot

How to determine setting

• The narrator may tell you exactly when and where the story are taking place.​

• Sometimes you may have to determine the setting based on clues.​They are usually
revealed, for example, through:
 Imagery
 Observations of characters through dialogue

• If the exact date isn’t listed, it is good enough to say something like modern times, in
the recent past, in the distant past, in the distant future, etc.
Example

 Jake hopped on his horse and trotted around the stables. He looked around the range
from his mount and considered going on a ride through the prairie. He decided against it.
Then he heard a train whistle in the distance. This was it. More settlers had arrived. Now
Jake would take some of the weaker horses to the station and sell them to the new folks,
who were horseless.​

 When and where is this story taking place?​

Explain your answer.
Answer garden

 https://answergarden.ch/2223592
Suggested answer

• This story is taking place in the past, perhaps the late 1800s, on a ranch near a train
station. ​

 Explanation​
 I believe this because there is a train whistling. There are no cars and Jake is selling
horses.
Example

October arrived, spreading a damp chill over the grounds and into the castle. Madam
Pomfrey, the nurse, was kept busy by a sudden spate of colds among the staff and students.
Her Pepperup potion worked instantly, though it left the drinker smoking at the ears for
several hours afterward. Ginny Weasley, who had been looking pale, was bullied into taking
some by Percy. The steam pouring from under her vivid hair gave the impression that her
whole head was on fire

When and where is this story taking place?​

Explain your answer.
Answer garden

 https://answergarden.ch/2224537
Suggested answer

 It’s October (fall) (time).

 They are in a school dormitory, which is in a castle (place).
 Since the season is fall, we know that the students are getting sick
because of the cold.
 The idea that they are using a “potion” hints that the time period is long
ago in the past or some fantasy time period.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYQOql_Gm88
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 Code: 6382 9089