Name: ______Period: ______Date: ______

Setting

The setting of a piece of literature is the time and place in which the story takes place. The definition of setting can also include social statuses, weather, historical period, and details about immediate surroundings. Setting is usually the first thing in an introduction of a story and often changes throughout a story.

In the beginning of stories, the author aims to engage, orient, and familiarize the reader with important details of the story. The setting is one of the most important parts. The setting provides the context to help the reader make sense of what is happening.

Here are some examples of setting. Underline or highlight the information that contributes to setting. Then put the information in the table under “Time”, “Place”, or “Other Details”.

“The Monkey’s Paw” by W. W. Jacobs

Without, the night was cold and wet, but in the small parlour of Laburnum villa the blinds were drawn and the fire burned brightly. Father and son were at chess; the former, who possessed ideas about the game involving radical chances, putting his king into such sharp and unnecessary perils that it even provoked comment from the white-haired old lady knitting placidly by the fire.

Time / Place / Other Details

The Hobbit by J. R.R. Tolkien

They had begun to feel that danger was not far away on either side. They camped under the stars, and their horses had more to eat than they had; for there was plenty of grass, but there was not much in their bags, even with what they had got from the trolls. One morning they forded a river at a wide shallow place full of the noise of stones and foam. The far bank was steep and slippery. When they got to the top of it, leading their ponies, they saw that the great mountains had marched down very near to them. Already they seemed only a day’s easy journey from the feet of the nearest. Dark and drear it looked, though there were patches of sunlight on its brown sides, and behind its shoulders the tips of snow-peaks gleamed.

Time / Place / Other Details

Test Your Knowledge of Setting

1. Which of the following statements is the best setting definition?
A. The environment and context in which a story takes place.
B. The time of day in which actions occur in a novel.
C. The weather that characters experience in a narrative.

2. Consider the following paragraph:

As the sun set in the evening sky, Malcolm slowly turned and walked toward his home. All was silent and still. Through the window, he could see his older brother James watching a football game on the TV. James was home from his first year of college in the city. It was lonely at times, but Malcolm felt it was rather nice to not be in James’ shadow during his senior year of high school.

Which of the following contributes to the setting?
A. evening, silent, window, football, lonely, nice
B. evening, silent, older brother, first year college, lonely
C. evening, slowly, older brother, TV, city, shadow

3. Consider the following from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling:

October arrived, spreading a damp chill over the grounds and into the castle. Madam Pomfrey, the nurse, was kept busy by a sudden spate of colds among the staff and students. Her Pepperup potion worked instantly, though it left the drinker smoking at the ears for several hours afterward. Ginny Weasley, who had been looking pale, was bullied into taking some by Percy. The steam pouring from under her vivid hair gave the impression that her whole head was on fire (Rowling 1999). Chaimber of secrets

Which of the following contributes to the setting?
A. October, colds, potion, Ginny, Percy
B. Damp chill, Madam Pmfrey, smoking, looking pale
C. October, several hours, looking pale, bullied, vivid hair