Post Eleven: Setting

Setting:

After discussing setting in class, I have a better understanding why it is so important in a story. The setting is what gives the readers a better sense of the story, because it helps the better visualize what is going on and better understand the characters. Not only does it help readers understand but also can set the mood of the story, and ties the whole story together. The setting doesn’t always have to just emphasize on the time and date the story took place, it can easily tie in the uniqueness of the circumstances and environment where the story took place. Without the setting the story would not make sense and be a bunch of nonsense written down. When writing a short story it is a necessity to have a setting.

Between the two stories we read this past week, both have setting that is easy to understand and made it easier for me to follow along. The story that I decided to go into more detail about the setting is “Bears Discover Fire,” by Terry Bisson. This short story goes into great detail about the surrounding areas, locations, landscapes, and time. It lets us know that Bobby’s house over looks the interstate, and how they are so close to I-65, “that at night sometimes the traffic sounds like a waterfall” (Bisson 378). Although the time is short within the story it still helps with the perception. Development of the characters is another big part in this story. It portrays the grandma to be crazy. Also describes Wallace Jr., and how he may be young but still understands what is going on with his mom. All throughout the story it goes into great detail about the physical location and adjectives; smell, slow, seldom, sad, sound, weather, etc. You never feel like you don’t know where or what is going on in this story.

This story did a great job with the setting and definitely made me feel as the reader more connected to the story. I felt like I knew exactly what was happening and could picture everything they were doing, and seeing. I never really thought much or paid attention to how important the setting was. Once I had to sit down and write about it and actually think about it, I now see why it is so important!