Influence of setting

INFLUENCE OF SETTING

By Alma Fowler, Alma

INFLUENCE OF SETTING

Our beliefs, values, and actions are affected by the time and place in which we live, by the people with whom we interact, and by historical and everyday events. The same is true of characters in stories. The story’s setting often affects the story’s conflict and the way characters develop. As you read, note details that refer to the setting, such as these:

 time, including a historical or future period, season, or even time of day

 place, including elements of nature (such as the type of environment or weather) and areas (such as a specific country, city, or building, or a farmland, a wilderness, an ocean, or another planet)

 cultural values, including the attitudes, beliefs, and customs of a society, town, country, or community

Some text here about the topic of discussion

​DIRECTIONS: Read the following memoir excerpt. Then, answer the questions below.

Despite the July heat, we all crowded around the TV. “You’re going to remember this for the rest of your lives,” Dad said. My sister, Lisa, zoomed her toy rocket across the TV screen. “I can’t see!” I hissed, clutching my own Apollo 11 model. Holding our breath, we watched as the Lunar Module hovered above the moon and prepared for landing. “They’re starting descent!” Dad cried excitedly. “Do you think they’ll find Martians?” Lisa asked. I laughed. “Martians are on Mars, not on the moon!” I said. Two minutes until landing. Dad aimed his reel-to-reel video recorder at the TV. “Houston, the Eagle has landed,” the astronaut’s voice crackled over the radio. “Hey, we live in Houston!” Lisa shouted. The newscasters on TV, Mom, and Dad wiped tears from their eyes. Lisa and I went outside to play astronauts while Mom and Dad kept their eyes on the grainy TV images. When the sun set, Mom called us inside to watch TV while we ate dinner (something we never did). I looked out of the window at the moon, thinking of the men who had just landed there. It’s so late, I thought. Why are Mom and Dad letting us stay up? Then, on the TV, I saw an astronaut boot stepping off a ladder. The newscaster announced, “Neil Armstrong is standing on the surface of the moon on this, July 20, 1969.” Mom and Dad clapped and cheered, and we could hear whoops of excitement next door. We all hugged each other and watched the rest of the newscast. We were watching history in the making!

Multiple Choice

1. Select two details that reveal the setting in the passage

• The first moon landing was on July 20, 1969, and the family is watching the moon landing on TV as it was happening; it could not have taken place at any other time.

•   “July heat,” “we live in Houston,” “July 20, 1969”

• People all over the world watched the moon landing on TV, so the story could have taken place in different locations.

• The kids get to stay up late; they are watching an important moment in history; they have an interest in space.

Multiple Choice

2. Why the story could not have taken place at another time?

• The first moon landing was on July 20, 1969, and the family is watching the moon landing on TV as it was happening; it could not have taken place at any other time.

•   “July heat,” “we live in Houston,” “July 20, 1969”

• People all over the world watched the moon landing on TV, so the story could have taken place in different locations.

• The kids get to stay up late; they are watching an important moment in history; they have an interest in space.

Multiple Choice

3.why the story could have taken place at the same time but in different locations?

• The first moon landing was on July 20, 1969, and the family is watching the moon landing on TV as it was happening; it could not have taken place at any other time.

•   “July heat,” “we live in Houston,” “July 20, 1969”

• People all over the world watched the moon landing on TV, so the story could have taken place in different locations.

• The kids get to stay up late; they are watching an important moment in history; they have an interest in space.

Multiple Choice

4. How does the setting affects the narrator, his sister, and his parents?

• The first moon landing was on July 20, 1969, and the family is watching the moon landing on TV as it was happening; it could not have taken place at any other time.

•   “July heat,” “we live in Houston,” “July 20, 1969”

• People all over the world watched the moon landing on TV, so the story could have taken place in different locations.

• The kids get to stay up late; they are watching an important moment in history; they have an interest in space.

Dropdown

The definition of plot is

Select answer

Multiple Choice

In a story set in a post-apocalyptic world where resources are scarce, how does the setting most likely affect the characters?

• The setting has no effect on the characters.
• The setting provides an abundance of resources for the characters.
• The setting affects the characters by creating a constant struggle for survival.
• The setting allows the characters to live in luxury and comfort.

Multiple Choice

In a play set in a gloomy, haunted mansion, how might the setting influence the plot?

• The setting can make the characters more relatable and realistic.
• The setting can create a sense of joy and happiness in the play.
• The setting has no influence on the plot.
• The setting can create a sense of mystery, fear, and suspense and affect the mood and atmosphere of the play.

Multiple Choice

In a novel that takes place in a bustling, crowded city, how does the setting likely impact the characters?

• The bustling and crowded city setting has no impact on the characters.
• The bustling and crowded city setting makes the characters feel safe and secure.
• The bustling and crowded city setting has a calming effect on the characters.
• The bustling and crowded city setting creates a sense of chaos, competition, limited personal space, and influences the characters' behavior, relationships, and opportunities.

Multiple Choice

In a drama taking place in a quiet, suburban neighborhood, how might the setting influence the characters' relationships?

• The quiet, suburban neighborhood setting can lead to conflicts and tensions among the characters.
• The quiet, suburban neighborhood setting can create a sense of isolation and loneliness among the characters.
• The quiet, suburban neighborhood setting can have no influence on the characters' relationships.
• The quiet, suburban neighborhood setting can foster a sense of familiarity, community, and conformity among the characters.

Multiple Choice

In a play set during a futuristic, technologically advanced society, how does the setting most likely impact the characters' interactions?

• The setting impacts the characters' interactions by influencing their behavior, communication methods, and social dynamics.
• The setting causes the characters to lose their sense of identity.
• The setting only impacts the characters' physical appearance.
• The setting has no impact on the characters' interactions.

Multiple Choice

In a story set in a small, close-knit village, how might the setting shape the characters' behavior?

• The setting of a small, close-knit village can shape the characters' behavior by fostering a sense of community and interdependence.
• The setting of a small, close-knit village can make the characters more isolated and distrustful of outsiders.
• The setting of a small, close-knit village can make the characters more independent and self-reliant.
• The setting of a small, close-knit village has no impact on the characters' behavior.

Multiple Choice

In a drama set on a desert island, what impact might the setting have on the characters?

• The setting of a desert island can impact the characters by creating a sense of survival, leading to conflicts and challenges, causing a breakdown of social order, and evoking feelings of loneliness and introspection.
• The setting of a desert island will make the characters feel happy and content.
• The setting of a desert island will make the characters feel bored and uninterested.
• The setting of a desert island will have no impact on the characters.

Multiple Choice

How do the characters' actions and decisions influence the plot of a story?

• The characters' actions and decisions drive the plot of a story.

• The characters' actions and decisions only influence minor details of the plot, not the overall story.

• The plot of a story is solely determined by the author, not the characters' actions and decisions.

• The characters' actions and decisions have no impact on the plot of a story.

Drag and Drop

the time, place, and circumstances in which something occurs or develops is the

Placeholder

Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

plot

setting

characters

climaz

Multiple Choice

Which is important to setting?

• WHERE a story takes place

• WHEN a story takes place

• Both where AND when

Multiple Choice

Which is NOT important to setting?

• Time period

• Events that happen

• Describing the location

​Read the following passage:

​It was my first day walking the tightrope at the circus. As I stood on the platform, high above the audience's heads, I felt a slight, cold breeze from the open flap of the circus tent. Up that high, I could only faintly smell the popcorn and cotton candy for sale down below. I heard the crowd chanting for me to begin, and I stuck one toe out to feel the thin tightrope wire. I swallowed-- if felt like I could almost taste my nervousness. I took a deep breath and let the air fill my lungs. I stepped out on to the wire.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following details contains a description of the story's setting?

• "I swallowed..."

• "...like I could almost taste my nervousness."

• "...on the platform, high above the audience's heads..."

• "...let the air fill my lungs..."

​Conflict

• ​A conflict is a problem in a story.

• ​There are the things that the main character wants or needs to do, and then there are the things that get in the way of what he or she wants to do. That's usually the conflict.

​Read the following passage:

Sylvia found her Aunt Caroline especially aggravating. So when Sylvia was told she would have to spend Thursday afternoon with her aunt, she was peeved. She had wanted to go skating. Sylvia had been looking forward to it all week, yearning to glide and spin around the rink, hearing only the sound of the blades of her skates over the ice.

“But Aunt Caroline never has visitors,” Sylvia’s mother reminded her, and Sylvia supposed this was true. Aunt Caroline’s house was large and drafty with a big, overgrown garden at the edge of town.

“She doesn’t have any visitors because she doesn’t want them,” Sylvia told her mother.

“Sylvia, don’t be rude,” her mother said.

But it was true: Caroline discouraged most visitors. Besides Sylvia and her mother, the only person who visited Aunt Caroline was the mailman. 

Multiple Choice

Which os the following best describes the conflict in this passage?

• Aunt Caroline is often lonely

• Sylvia's mother wants to visit her Aunt Caroline

• Sylvia would like to go skating but has to visit Aunt Caroline

• The mailman often forgets to stop at Aunt Caroline's house