The Importance of Setting

How Culture Impacts Theme

by Ms. Brooks

​Setting

​Remember that setting is the time and place in which a story happens

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Setting is important to theme -- setting is a piece of what events happen in the story, and it impacts how the character reacts to what happens around them

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​Setting also impacts how a character behaves. The character is influenced by their surroundings

Multiple Choice

Culture is 

• The customs, arts, behaviors, language, and achievements of a particular group of people 

• Where someone is from 

• What's important to someone 

• Someone's beliefs 

Open Ended

What customs/beliefs are important in your family? This can be religion, values, etc.

​Just like real people, characters have culture

​Characters have values and beliefs.

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​Sometimes, those values and beliefs are because of where they live.

Multiple Choice

Excerpt from Young Goodman Brown (excerpt) Nathaniel Hawthorne

Young Goodman Brown came forth at sunset into the street at Salem village; but put his head back, after crossing the threshold, to exchange a parting kiss with his young wife. And Faith, as the wife was aptly named, thrust her own pretty head into the street, letting the wind play with the pink ribbons of her cap while she called to Goodman Brown."Dearest heart," whispered she, softly and rather sadly, when her lips were close to his ear, "prithee put off your journey until sunrise and sleep in your own bed to-night. A lone woman is troubled with such dreams and such thoughts that she's afeard of herself sometimes. Pray tarry with me this night, dear husband, of all nights in the year.""My love and my Faith," replied young Goodman Brown, "of all nights in the year, this one night must I tarry away from thee. My journey, as thou callest it, forth and back again, must needs be done 'twixt now and sunrise. What, my sweet, pretty wife, dost thou doubt me already, and we but three months married?""Then God bless you!" said Faith, with the pink ribbons; "and may you find all well when you come back."

This passage is set in Salem during the Puritan era. Knowing this, the reader can infer that --

• Young Goodman Brown and Faith must be in love

• Young Goodman Brown must be leaving Faith behind

• Young Goodman Brown and Faith must not trust their neighbors

• Young Goodman Brown and Faith must hold to strict moral and religious doctrines 

​The answer is . . .

​Young Goodman Brown and Faith must hold to strict moral and religious doctrines.

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​They are Puritans, a Christian group that has strict codes on chastity and morality. They have grown up in this Puritan setting; it has impacted how they behave.

Setting influences what characters want

All characters have motivations; this is something they want and strive for throughout the story.

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​Motivations can also be impacted by the setting.

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​A character that grew up as an only child may be motivated to make lots of friends.

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​Let's look at Ariel

​Ariel lives underwater, but she loves

​humans and human artifacts.

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​The fact she can't interact with them

​as a mermaid strengthens her motivation

​to become human

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Shrek takes place in a fantasy land where fairy tale creatures are real.

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​This impacts the characters Shrek comes across and the villains he faces (an evil king, a fairy godmother)

​Let's look at Mulan

​The movie "Mulan" takes place in Ancient China

​during the time of the Hun invasion -- a time of war.

​This is why all the men are being conscripted at the

​beginning of the movie.

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In Chinese culture, family is extremely important.

​When Mulan takes her father's place in the war,

​she is demonstrating that importance.

Open Ended

What does this clip reveal about the setting of Mulan?

Multiple Choice

Excerpt from The Necklace Guy de Maupassant

1 When she sat down to dinner at her round table with its three-day-old cloth, and watched her husband opposite her lift the lid of the soup tureen and exclaim, delighted: "Ah, a good homemade beef stew! There's nothing better..." she would visualize elegant dinners with gleaming silver amid tapestried walls peopled by knights and ladies and exotic birds in a fairy forest; she would think of exquisite dishes served on gorgeous china worth thousands of francs, and of gallantries whispered and received with sphinx-like smiles while eating the pink flesh of trout or wings of grouse.2 She had no proper wardrobe, no jewels, nothing. And those were the only things that she loved--she felt she was made for them. She would have so loved to charm, to be envied, to be admired and sought after.She had a rich friend, an old school friend whom she refused to visit, because she suffered so keenly when she returned home. She would weep whole days, with grief, regret, despair, and misery.

Which BEST analyzes the influence of the setting in this excerpt? 

• The setting highlights differences between the two characters and foreshadows a conflict that will arise between them

• The author provides a detailed setting to help readers understand how completely the husband has failed his kind and loving wife 

• The setting highlights similarities between the two characters and explains the strengthening bond that will grow between them 

• the author creates a fanciful setting filled with knights, ladies, and exotic birds to show readers the life the characters enjoy 

​The answer is . . .

​The setting highlights differences between the two characters and foreshadows a conflict that will arise between them

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​The setting shows that the characters are poor.

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​Evidence: "She had no proper wardrobe, no jewels, nothing. And those were the only things that she loved."

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​The woman is vain and materialistic, however her husband is content with what they have.

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​Evidence: "Ah, good old homemade beef stew! There's nothing better."

​"The Necklace" cont.

​Growing up poor has made the woman resentful. She is jealous of her rich friend. This is how the setting has impacted this character.

Multiple Choice

TRUE or FALSE: Setting isn't just WHEN a story takes place; it's also WHEN

• TRUE

• FALSE

Multiple Choice

TRUE or FALSE: A character born in Japan will have a different culture than a character born in Texas.

• TRUE

• FALSE

​You're Done!

​You're now ready to take USA TP #4, which focuses on setting and character motivation!

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Remember that you have 3 attempts. Review your prior attempts before re-taking.

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​If you have any questions, please reach out to your English teacher.