152. IDC 101- Setting
The setting in literature refers to the time, place, and environment in which a story occurs. Through its use, authors can develop their characters and enhance the conflict.
The setting establishes the atmosphere, or mood, of a story or a specific scene.
It’s a literary element of literature used in novels, short stories, plays, films, etc and usually introduced during the exposition (beginning) of the story, along with the characters.
The setting may also include the environment of the story, which can be made up of the physical location, climate, weather, or social and cultural surroundings.
There are various ways that time and place indicate setting. Time can cover many areas, such as the character’s time of life, the time of day, time of year, time period such as the past, present, or future, etc. Place also covers a lot of areas, such as a certain building, room in a building, country, city, beach, in a mode of transport such as a car, bus, boat, indoors or out, etc.
The setting of a story can change throughout the plot. The environment includes geographical location such as beach or mountains, the climate and weather, and the social or cultural aspects such as a school, theatre, meeting, club, etc.
Setting gives context to the characters’ actions in a story line.
All forms of literature will have some form of setting, even backdrop settings have an age range of the characters, which is part of time, and a location.
No story can exist without an element of time or place.
Another key element of a strong setting is using descriptive details, pulling on the reader’s sense.