Unit 2.

Setting of a story

Unit 2
Setting of a story

Part 1: LITERARY ANALYSIS Setting of a story

Setting is the time and place (or when and where) of the story. 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 can influence characters by

• determining the living conditions and jobs available to them
• shaping their personalities, their dreams, and their values

Setting can create conflicts by

• exposing the characters to dangerous weather, such as a storm or a drought
• making characters endure a difficult time period

Setting can serve as a symbol by

• representing an important idea
• representing a character’s hopes, future, or predicament

Activity 1
Read the examples below. Match the descriptions of setting with the examples.

Example 1
PROLOGUE: Two households, both alike in dignity,
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.
(Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare)
Unit 2. Setting of a story

Example 2
The Salinas Valley is in Northern California. It is a long narrow swale between two
ranges of mountains, and the Salinas River winds and twists up the center until it
falls at last into Monterey Bay. I remember my childhood names for grasses and
secret flowers. I remember where a toad may live and what time the birds awaken in
the summer—and what trees and seasons smelled like—how people looked and
walked and smelled even. The memory of odors is very rich.
(East of Eden by John Steinbeck)
Example 3
The hills across the valley of the Ebro were long and white. On this side there was
no shade and no trees and the station was between two lines of rails in the sun. Close
against the side of the station there was the warm shadow of the building and a
curtain, made of strings of bamboo beads, hung across the open door into the bar, to
keep out flies. The American and the girl with him sat at a table in the shade, outside
the building. It was very hot and the express from Barcelona would come in forty
minutes. It stopped at this junction for two minutes and went to Madrid.
(“Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway)
Example 4
Mr. Jones, of the Manor Farm, had locked the hen-houses for the night, but was too
drunk to remember to shut the pop-holes. With the ring of light from his lantern
dancing from side to side, he lurched across the yard, kicked off his boots at the back
door, drew himself a last glass of beer from the barrel in the scullery, and made his
way up to bed, where Mrs. Jones was already snoring.
(“Animal Farm” by George Orwell)

1 There is not much specificity about where exactly the place is.
2 The description contains the majority of the descriptive details of the piece.
3 Because of the high status of both the families, the characters are held to certain
standards, especially in the era and city they lived in.
4 The author focuses on the unique details of the place.
5 The setting is vague enough to be symbolic of something greater than just a
chosen place.
6 The author refers to the two households as being “both alike in dignity,” which
will greatly affect the way that the characters relate.
7 The place plays an important role in the novel.
8 It was important for the author to choose a setting that echoed the paradisiacal
nature of the Garden of Eden.
9 The author sets up both the city in which the action takes place as well as giving a
taste of the socioeconomic statuses of the characters.
10 The bleak conversation of two characters is mimicked in the setting that is hot,
white, and unforgiving.
Unit 2. Setting of a story

Activity 2
Choose one of the poems and analyse its setting. The questions below will help
you.

The Star
by Jane Taylor Does the poem take place in one
Twinkle, twinkle, little star, time (the present, the past, the
How I wonder what you are ! future) or does it move back and
Up above the world so high, forth between times?
Like a diamond in the sky.
When the blazing sun is gone,
When he nothing shines upon,
Then you show your little light, Does the poem present single
Twinkle, twinkle, all the night. actions in time or continuing
Then the trav'ller in the dark, actions?
Thanks you for your tiny spark,
He could not see which way to go,
If you did not twinkle so. Does the poem bring different
In the dark blue sky you keep, times together or set them apart
And often thro' my curtains peep, (e.g., then vs. now)?
For you never shut your eye,
Till the sun is in the sky.
'Tis your bright and tiny spark,
Lights the trav'ller in the dark : Is there a particular occasion for
Tho' I know not what you are, the poem (for example, an
Twinkle, twinkle, little star. incident, an event, a sight, a
thought, a realization)?
My Shadow
by Robert Louis Stevenson
I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me,
And what can be the use of him is more than I can see. Are different parts of the poem
He is very, very like me from the heels up to the head; located in different times?
And I see him jump before me, when I jump into my bed.

The funniest thing about him is the way he likes to grow--

What effect does this have?
Not at all like proper children, which is always very slow;
For he sometimes shoots up taller like an india-rubber ball,
And he sometimes goes so little that there's none of him at
all. Is the speaker of the poem
strongly situated at a certain
He hasn't got a notion of how children ought to play, point in time and purposely
And can only make a fool of me in every sort of way. looking at another point or points
He stays so close behind me, he's a coward you can see; in time (very often the past, but
I'd think shame to stick to nursie as that shadow sticks to me! sometimes, too, the future)—and
if so, what relationship does the
One morning, very early, before the sun was up, speaker have to those other
I rose and found the shining dew on every buttercup; times (these could be feelings or
But my lazy little shadow, like an arrant sleepy-head, thoughts of, for example, regret,
Had stayed at home behind me and was fast asleep in bed.
Unit 2. Setting of a story

resolve, possible clarity,

The Shell uncertainty)?
by James Stephens
And then I pressed the shell
Close to my ear
And listened well, Does the poem focus on
And straightway like a bell indicative states (I am, I will be)
Came low and clear or conditional states (I could be, I
The slow, sad murmur of the distant seas, would be)?
Whipped by an icy breeze
Upon a shore
Wind-swept and desolate.
Does the poem seem certain of
It was a sunless strand that never bore
things?
The footprint of a man,
Nor felt the weight
Since time began
Of any human quality or stir How does time move?
Save what the dreary winds and waves incur.
And in the hush of waters was the sound
Of pebbles rolling round,
For ever rolling with a hollow sound. Smoothly?
And bubbling sea-weeds as the waters go
Swish to and fro
Their long, cold tentacles of slimy grey.
There was no day, Abruptly?
Nor ever came a night
Setting the stars alight
To wonder at the moon: In an uncertain way?
Was twilight only and the frightened croon,
Smitten to whimpers, of the dreary wind
And waves that journeyed blind
And then I lost my ear ... O, it was sweet Are different states of being, or
To hear a cart go jolting down the street. different ways of thinking,
associated with different times?
City Rain (I used to think ‘X’, but now I
by Rachel Field think ‘Y’)?
Rain in the city!
I love to see it fall
Slantwise where the buildings crowd
Red brick and all. Is a sense of place clear (urban,
Streets of shiny wetness pastoral, forest, desert, beach,
Where the taxies go, etc.), or does the poem seem to
With people and umbrellas all occupy an abstract time and
Bobbing to and fro. place (such as mental or
Rain in the city! emotional state—or an imagined
I love to hear it drip place, like circles of hell)?
When I am cosy in my room
Snug as any ship,
With toys spread on the table,
With a picture book or two, Where is the speaker?
And the rain like a rumbling tomb that sings
Through everything I do
Unit 2. Setting of a story

Fog In the scene or setting of the

by Carl Sandburg poem?
The fog comes
on little cat feet.
It sits looking
over harbor and city Looking at the scene?
on silent haunches
and then moves on.
What relationship with the setting
How grey the rain does the speaker seem to have
by Elizabeth Coatsworth (close, distant, uncertain)?
How grey the rain
And grey the world
And grey the rain clouds overhead,
When suddenly Does the setting itself suggest or
Some cloud is furled create feelings or mood—in what
And there is gleaming sun instead! way is this achieved?
The raindrops drip
Prismatic light,
And trees and meadows burn in green,
And arched in air Does the poem invoke these
Serene and bright associations or challenge them?
The rainbow all at once is seen.
Serene and bright
The rainbow stands
That was not anywhere before,
And so may joy
Fill empty hands
When someone enters through a door.

Part 2: SUMMARIZE THE Ruth Rendell “Portobello”

CONTENT OF THE CHAPTER Chapter 2

Write the summary of the 2nd chapter. Write 100-120 words.

Unit 2. Setting of a story

Part 3: TEST Ruth Rendell “Portobello”

Chapter 2

1 Which of the following doesn’t describe Joel Roseman’s behaviour?

A. He never had a goal or destination in mind as he went.
B. He was grateful to Pa for the support he provided.
C. He had long since discovered that living in the shadows was preferable.
D. He was sporting a unique pair of sunglasses featuring darker lenses than
usual.

2 Joel Roseman wandered anywhere in a sort of circle from his flat in a mansion
block at the eastern end of Notting Hill Gate and back again because
A. he was afraid of getting lost.
B. he just didn't have any purposes.
C. he had to drop in Campden Hill.
D. he attempted to find an office on Bayswater road.

3 Joel wore a special pair of sunglasses in which the lenses were darker than usual
because
A. he had problems with his eyesight.
B. he dreaded summer.
C. he couldn't stand daylight.
D. he wanted other people did not recognize him.

4 Thinking about his father Joel wondered why

A. Pa gave him too little money and Joel could not make ends meet.
B. Pa was so strict and nervous and did not speak to him.
C. Pa had that painting of a mermaid swimming inside a glass vase in his
house.
D. Pa's child had drowned and Pa did not suffer that tragedy.

5 What thoughts made Joel tick?

A. Thoughts about Pa’s allowance.
B. Thoughts about the painting in his house.
C. Thoughts about Pa’s insensibility.
D. Thoughts about Pa’s inexplicable behaviour.

6 Why did Joel go outdoors?

A. He wanted to draw the allowance form a cash dispenser.
B. He wanted to visit Portobello market.
C. He had to meet his father to get money.
D. He wondered aimlessly.
Unit 2. Setting of a story

7 Withdrawing the money from the cash dispenser, Joel

A. divide the money into three parts.
B. took some precautions to hide the money.
C. put the money into an envelope.
D. transferred the money to another account.

8 Why did he put the money into different places?

A. He was wary.
B. He was sensitive.
C. He was indecisive.
D. He was frugal.

9 What does the description of Joel’s clothes show?

A. He had no money to buy clothes.
B. He wanted to look inconspicuous.
C. He feared bad weather.
D. He didn't care what to wear

10 Joel decided to go to the Portobello because

A. he was interested in visiting it.
B. he wanted to find his stolen silver there.
C. he had to buy something there.
D. he had to meet his ma there.

11 Which of the following doesn’t refer to his relationship with his mother?
A. She took care of him as much as possible.
B. Even when Pa stopped communicating with him, she continued talking to
his son.
C. Only his mother took took any notice of him.
D. His mother followed his father in calling him a mole and sometimes an
earthworm.

12 What could Joel notice on the market and not notice in his ordinary life?
A. People's activity.
B. People's enthusiasm.
C. People's wellbeing.
D. People's happiness.

13 According to the author, Joel could always spot happiness because …

A. because he was attentive and insightful.
B. since he was surrounded with cheerful individuals.
C. it was lacking in everyone he knew well.
D. because he hoped to understand what happiness was.
Unit 2. Setting of a story

14 It was still a relief for Joel when

A. he shopped for nothing else.
B. he could always spot happiness.
C. he left the Portobello.
D. he saw people with bags and packages, satisfied or excited.

15 Two men Joel saw on an opposite corner

A. attacked him.
B. helped him.
C. didn’t pay much attention to him.
D. thought his pockets were full of money.

16 The author mentions the Empress Elisabeth of Austria to show that

A. Joel had the same accident.
B. Joel thought about the story he had read.
C. Joel recalled that story afterwards.
D. Joel was injured like the Empress.

17 Who helped Joel?

A. The neighbours.
B. The occupants of the house.
C. Nobody.
D. Two boys.

Part 4: CLOSE READING Ruth Rendell “Portobello”

DISCUSSION Chapter 2

1. Choose three adjectives that describe Joel Roseman. Comment your choice.
2. The chapter is based on different kinds of contrasts. Find and describe them.
Explain how they help to reveal Joel’s character traits.
3. Comment Joel’s relationship with his parents. Try to explain Joel’s character
traits and behaviour through his relationships with his mother and Pa.
4. Why does the author take his character to Portobello Market? What does it help
to reveal?
5. What happened to Joel in the final paragraphs of the chapter? Why does the
author mention the Empress Elisabeth of Austria?
Unit 2. Setting of a story

Part 5: VOCABULARY IN Ruth Rendell “Portobello”

CONTEXT Chapter 2

Read the words and find their definitions.

attempt wonder burgle dawdle

clockwise in despair blaze stroll
widdershins drown flourish menacingly
wander cash dispenser blink exaggerate
dread envelope mole relief
smoky possess earthworm genteel
allowance sign knitwear gracious
brood precaution in abundance strident
loiter plunge pillar clatter
hood consciousness in a temper crashes
ragged stare occupant deafen
sleeve shabby chime shriek
stain spreadeagled slumped burgeon
assassination pavement squat bloom
jostle grip uncanny reminded

Part 6: EXPRESSING IDEAS IN Ruth Rendell “Portobello”

WRITING Chapter 2

Prepare an analysis of Joel Roseman as a literary character.

Analyse thoroughly the means used by the author to present the character in order to
find out what is special about him.

Find and highlight the information about the character. Pay attention to the
character’s features, e.g.
- name, gender, age, ethnicity, origin, religion
- family and social status, profession, general situation
- outward appearance, behaviour, way of speaking/thinking, attitudes, values
- character traits
- interests, ambitions, aims
- relationships and conflicts.

Do not forget to note down evidence from the text (quotes and line numbers) and the
means of characterization used by the author, e.g.
- narrative technique (first-/third-person (un)reliable narrator), (un)limited point of
view
- scenic/panoramic presentation
- flashback, foreshadowing
Unit 2. Setting of a story

- detailed description (of behaviour and feelings)

- (in)direct speech, dialogue, reported thought, interior monologue
- stylistic devices/language.

Put your notes in a convincing order. Begin with general information / descriptions
before you elaborate on details that are relevant for the character.

Make sure your notes are relevant to the task.

POINTS TO REMEMBER
Write clear sentences. Use linking words, but be careful with lengthy sentences.
Remember that English tends to use shorter sentences and active verbs.
Follow a clear and logical structure and use paragraphs.
Use the present tense and a wide variety of precise adjectives to describe the
character.
Write in a way that helps the reader gain a better understanding of what is special
about the character.
Make sure everything you write is based on a thorough analysis of the text and
supported by evidence.
Do not merely list devices of characterization but always explain how they convey
what is special about the character.