Footprints in the Sand

Sometimes, a walk through the beach can be a learning experience. Tracks in the sand might indicate who has recently been there, and perhaps, how many people have been through recently. The location of the sun and the tides of the ocean might suggest the time of day. You might recognize birds by the sounds they make or by their appearance. Still, you may get the sense that the beach is peaceful by the relative calm of the waters or other telltale clues. If you’re attentive to detail and thinking critically about those details, you can learn much about any kind of place.

In fiction, the use of setting works in a similar way. As literary elements go, setting seems not to matter so much as more active elements of a story such as character, conflict, or theme. While setting is passive in the sense that it exists and often serves only as a backdrop to the story, it often reflects the actions of the story. The details of setting can often help establish the background of the story and understand the forces that drive the story.

By decoding the elements of setting, a literary critic can create a larger understanding of a particular time and place and how it influences the course of a story. Remember that setting isn’t just where things happen; it can also include time periods, environments, as well as cultural elements.

Often, the morality and values of the characters are deeply shaped by setting. Hester Prynne’s behavior in The Scarlet Letter might be more acceptable in other societies, but in the Puritan society of Hawthorne’s novel, it was a sin punishable by public shame. This punishment, a scarlet letter, becomes the centerpiece of the book as well as its titular symbol. Ultimately, the societal beliefs of that time and place drive the central conflict of the story.

Similarly, many stories flow from the conflicts brewed through setting. For instance, modern readers might not be concerned with family reputation, but it would have mattered to one of Jane Austen’s heroines in 19^th Century England. This societal preoccupation with reputation contributes to Austen’s larger message about pride. So while setting appears to be a backdrop, it also contributes to the societal pressures that influence the story’s outcome.

Setting also contributes to other literary elements that you might be asked to explore. Setting can be a symbol that represents an idea, as with Kate Chopin’s short story “The Storm.” In some cases, setting can be treated as a character, or as a reflection of a person in the story. Setting can even be used to illustrate theme, provided that you can show how the setting ties into the author’s main idea.

Setting is arguably one of the more overlooked elements of literary analysis. However, setting is also a useful tool in the literary critic’s toolbox. When used effectively, setting can provide depth and context to your interpretation of the story.

See you next time the breeze is cool, the sun is up, and the waves roll into view! ‘Til then, hang ten!