What is Setting?  

Setting is defined by: The physical location of a story  

 

The time frame of a story

 

The social context of a story

How Do Authors Create Setting? 

Through language:

• Details- Does the author include them? Why or why not?

• Imagery

Ask yourself...

1.Where does this story take place?–When does the story take place?–What clues (words, phrases, ideas)

show society, culture, beliefs, or values?

Here's an example:

"We come unnoticed from the barriosAnd the Suburbs of California.Some cruise in low-riders, Or migrate in pick-up trucks, Even caravan in minivansthrough Spanish named cities that mean nothing" ("A Place without Shame"). 

"We come unnoticed from the barriosAnd the Suburbs of California.Some cruise in low-riders, Or migrate in pick-up trucks, Even caravan in minivansthrough Spanish named cities that mean nothing" ("A Place without Shame"). 

Where can we find setting in our Lit Circle books?

Sunrise Over Fallujah

"Since Kuwait was right next to Iraq, I thought things would be tense here, but they're not. Our living quarters are in a warehouse area; the mess hall is really good and it even has a coffee shop. There are also fast food places, a theater, and a library that was built after the first Gulf War" (page 8). 

  Accidental Love

"During her first few days at Hamilton Magnet, Marisa felt like she was on audition among her classmates. They kept looking at her--the new girl with brown lipstick and teased hair--and some would smile and others would stare at her with flat, uninterested eyes...

'It's different,' she told her mother one morning as they drove up north through the suburbs.'What do you mean?' she asked.'It's so...white' " (page 47-48). 

  Behind the Eyes

"Colonel Taylor's impeccably neat office, complete with American flag, added to Hector's impression that he was entering boot camp. On his arrival Hector had learned that Furman was situated on an old air-force base. The dorms were long, aluminum sheds where the airmen used to live. Classes were held in a cinderblock building that used to be the bases' administrative headquarters. The gym was a converted airplane hangar" (page 17). 

Let's review...

What are the three parts of setting in a story?