1. Setting, Imagery, and Mood
Mrs. Axel~Grade 9

2. Setting: The time and place of the action of a story.
Setting can influence characters
Setting can create conflicts
Setting can serve as a symbol:
A person, place, object, or idea that stands for something beyond itself.

3. Setting can influence characters by:
Determining the living conditions and jobs available to them
Shaping their personalities, dreams, and values
Example setting:
A poor, drought-stricken Midwestern farm town in the 1930’s.
How might a character be affected by this setting?

4. Setting can create conflicts by:
Exposing the characters to dangerous weather, such as a storm or drought
Making characters endure a difficult time period, such as the Great Depression

5. Example of a setting creating conflict:
The drought has lasted seven years, and most of the farms are failing. People have begun to sell their most prized possessions because they need money. Recently, Mrs. Wilkes sold her wedding band to buy shoes for her daughter.

6. Setting can serve as a symbol by:
Representing an important idea
Representing a character's hopes, future, or predicament.
Example setting:
Some people have planted a small flower garden in the town square. The garden is a symbol of their hope that their community can still thrive.

7. Read the model texts on page 331
Nervous Conditions
Setting and Character: How does Nhamo’s setting affect him?
1984
Setting and Conflict: In what kind of world does this story take place?
Setting and Conflict: What conflicts might this society create for Winston and other citizens?

8. Imagery and Mood
Imagery: descriptive words and phrases that recreate sensory experiences for readers.
Mood: the feeling or atmosphere the writer creates for the reader.

9. How do the sensory details in 1984 create the mood of terror and fear?
Sight: “Flashes of lightning illuminated the blackened sky.”
Sound: “Her heart thumped wildly when she heard an ominous scratching at the door.”
Touch: “Another cobweb stuck to her cold, clammy skin.”
Taste: “She could not get the metallic taste of fear out of her mouth.”
Smell: “The foul smell of dead mice hung in the air.”

10. Read the model texts on page 333
The Music of Erich Zann
Imagery: What sensory details are in this text?
What mood does this setting create?
Their Eyes Were Watching God
Describe the mood of this text.
What details help convey that mood?