The setting of a story is the place and time in which the story happens. The setting is described by the author so the reader can more clearly get a mental picture of the scene, and enter “the world” of the story.

Settings (when) can be specific or general: more specific: 1820 even more specific: Winter, 1820 still more specific: Dec. 20, 1820, 6:28 AM Setting can also include time of day.

Settings (where) can be specific or general: outside more specific: By a river even more specific: By the Mississippi River still more specific: By the Mississippi River, in a grassy meadow on a high bluff overlooking the river

Setting can include not just time and place, but also general locations, such as outside or inside, or in a specific room, such as a kitchen or an operating room. Also, weather, when mentioned, is a part of a story’s setting.

Certain aspects of setting are included to give the reader a clearer picture what the author has in mind. Seasons — spring, summer, fall (autumn), winter — often suggest, symbolically, how a reader should feel about the subject.

Spring: symbolizes birth or rebirth; when a story takes place in spring, it is supposed to seem optimistic (positive). Summer: symbolizes the vitality or excitement of life in full swing; again, this is optimistic symbolism. Fall (autumn): symbolizes withering or decaying—impending death. Usually pessimistic (negative). Winter: symbolic of death; usually pessimistic.

Notice that time of day is the same cyclical pattern as time of year and likewise has corresponding symbolic value. midnight = winter evening = fall dawn = spring noon = summer

Mood Setting can contribute to mood Mood is the feeling (or atmosphere) created by the story. It can suggest happiness, grief, fear, tension, or any other emotions.

Classwork: Get a copy of “The Pedestrian.” Look through the story and identify elements of setting.