When we discuss setting we are describing the time and place in which the story takes place. Setting may seem like just the background against which the characters exist and the plot unfolds; however, understanding setting can be integral to the story and the production of meaning. Also, determining time and place, or even what we mean by those terms, can be more complicated than it seems at first glance.
We might first consider the historical time and place of a story: In what year, decade, or century does the story take place; in what country, province, city; and what does this information tell us about the events of the story? Identifying a certain time and place in history can be very important to understanding the story. For example, it is crucial to know that “Desiree’s Baby” is set in the antebellum American south where the institution of slavery was in place and society had very strict racial codes governing who was granted full personhood. Without that historical knowledge, Chopin’s story would seem unintelligible.
Another way to understand setting in the short story is to think about the more immediate sense of time and place. For example, what time of day is it when the story occurs? We expect different things to happen in the morning than we do at midnight. Where, specifically, do the events unfold? Are we at the zoo, at a residence, or in the wilderness? These are all places that introduce very different circumstances. We also need to think about the duration of the story. In other words, how much time passes between the story’s beginning and end? Does the story consist of two incidents that happen a week apart, or does the entirety of the story take place in an afternoon?
Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado” makes an interesting case regarding the problem of time and place. The historical time is quite vague. We learn early on that the story is set in Italy in some bygone era, likely during the medieval or Renaissance periods, but can we even determine the century in which the story takes place? It seems the immediate setting is more important to understanding the story. The story takes place at night in Montresor’s catacombs, an excellent place for a murder. Next, we might consider the duration of the story, which seems to take place over a few hours. At the end of the story, however, we learn that fifty years has passed between the events and their relation, exploding our sense of duration and perhaps changing the way we see the story.
We should also note that while setting is often considered merely the backdrop of the story, there are stories in which setting, a description of the time and place of the story, is the primary element. In Sarah Orne Jewett’s “A White Heron” (1886), for example, the description of the New England wilderness, its flora and fauna, defines the story. Sylvia’s relationship to the place is her primary characteristic and shapes her relationship with the hunter/ornithologist, whom she sees as an outsider. The setting of this story is almost a character itself.
"Key Components of Short Stories" by Travis Rozier and Margaret Sullivan from Beyond the Pages: An Introduction to Literature Copyright © 2024 by Claire Carly-Miles, Sarah LeMire, Kathy Christie Anders, Nicole Hagstrom-Schmidt, R. Paul Cooper, and Matt McKinney is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.
"What is a Setting?": A Literary Guide for English Students and Teachers. Authored by: OSU School of Writing, Literature and Film. Located at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omsbv-hbXiM. License: Other. License Terms: Standard YouTube License