Setting When and where a story takes place Real or imaginary, concrete or symbolic, a moment or an eternity, setting is the dramatic backdrop for a story. As the place of fiction, setting is generally a physical locale that shapes a story's mood, its emotional aura or quality.

Setting is important because... prevailing atmosphere or mood setting reveals prevailing atmosphere or mood internal and external conflicts setting shows internal and external conflicts potential contrasts setting highlights potential contrasts between characters or ideas fate of the protagonist setting can determine the fate of the protagonist reflects characterembodies theme setting reflects character and often embodies theme. If the time or place setting of the story changes, consider how the changes alter the outcome of the story.

If Victor Frankenstein does all of his experiments in "a solitary chamber, or rather a cell, at the top of the house, and separated from all the other apartments by a staircase" we might conclude that there is something anti-social, isolated, and stale, maybe even unnatural, about his project and his way of learning.

Roles of Setting: as a mirror to reflect what is going on inside the characters as a mold to shape the characters into who they are

Setting may also act... as a challenge providing a test for the character to reveal his or her true selfas a challenge providing a test for the character to reveal his or her true self as an alien setting that creates a sense of exile and lossas an alien setting that creates a sense of exile and loss

escape The setting may be an escape which allows more whimsical and fantastic parts of the character to be expressed. external force conflict An external force may enter the setting and change it, causing conflict for the characters. antagonist The setting itself may be an antagonist

Two settings may also come into conflict with each other, causing conflict in the characters who must live in them and perhaps have to choose between them.

" Every story would be another story, and unrecognizable if it took up its characters and plot and happened somewhere else... Fiction depends for its life on place. Place is the crossroads of circumstance, the proving ground of, What happened? Who's here? Who's coming?..." --Eudora Welty

T ypes of S ettin g  Physical Setting  Geographical Setting  Cultural Setting  Historical Setting

Physical Setting Physical Setting:  Time of day  Season  Weather / Temperature  Type of room/building  Indoors/Outdoors  Objects  Colors  Imagery—5 senses A note about time: Clock time: Clock time: this can be used to provide suspense or create certain moods or feelings—time is also an important literary symbol. Seasonal time: Seasonal time: the seasons or a span of time associated with a particular activity may be important as a symbol.

Geographical Setting Location, including country (Japan, Mexico, Scotland)country (Japan, Mexico, Scotland) region (north/south, upper/lower end) region (north/south, upper/lower end) state/ city state/ city neighborhoodneighborhood streetstreet floor/level (basement, attic etc...)floor/level (basement, attic etc...) urban / rural / suburbanurban / rural / suburban

Cultural Setting: the values, ideals, and attitudes of a place educationsocial standing economic class, religious beliefThe nonphysical, cultural environment includes influences such as education, social standing, economic class, and religious belief. physical properties in the scene dialogue thoughtsstatements behaviorsThese may be revealed by physical properties in the scene or through the characters' dialogue, thoughts, statements, and behaviors.

Historical Setting Time period, year, reign of a leader, President, role of government, major recent events, transportation, crop yield, epidemics, wars, natural disasters, etc... can establish a psychological or sociological understanding of behaviors and attitudes.

How will your setting function? End of presentation.