Setting
Literary term · say it SET-ing
Setting is the place, time, and social surroundings in which a story happens. It includes details such as landscape, weather, homes, and local customs, which can shape what characters do and how their world feels.
Three parts of setting
Place
The physical location of a story, from a whole country to a single room. Landscape, buildings, and weather can offer freedom or put obstacles in a character's way.
In Great Expectations, Pip meets an escaped convict in a lonely churchyard on the marshes. The bleak, exposed place adds to Pip's fear.
In Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
Time
When a story happens, including its historical period, season, or time of day. These details affect what is possible and what dangers characters face.
In A Christmas Carol, Scrooge leaves his office on a cold Christmas Eve. The holiday makes his refusal of kindness and company stand out.
In A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Social surroundings
The customs, expectations, and differences in wealth or status around the characters. These conditions influence how people treat one another and what choices they have.
In Pride and Prejudice, Mr Collins explains that Lady Catherine has advised him to marry. His attention to her wishes shows how rank and patronage shape his choices.
In Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
How to spot setting
- Look for clues about where and when events happen.
- Notice the weather, buildings, clothing, and local customs.
- Ask how these surroundings limit or help the characters.
What is the difference between setting and atmosphere?
Setting is where and when a story happens, while atmosphere is the feeling surrounding its events. A deserted house is part of the setting; the unease it creates is atmosphere. The same place can feel welcoming in one scene and threatening in another.
Why does setting matter in a story?
Setting matters because it shapes the characters' choices, the problems they face, and the reader's understanding of events. A journey across open countryside creates different difficulties from a journey through a crowded city. Social customs can also make an ordinary decision risky.
Related terms
Books where you can see Setting
200,000+ classics to read and hear, and printed books, large print included, at cost.
Try 3 months free
