Glossary
Changing Settings
A shift in the physical environment within a narrative, often signaling significant developments in plot, character, or theme.
Example:
In The Odyssey, Odysseus's journey through various islands and kingdoms represents his long and arduous path home, with each new changing setting presenting a fresh challenge or temptation.
Character Interaction with Settings
The dynamic relationship between a character and their environment, where characters actively engage with, shape, or are shaped by their surroundings.
Example:
In Robinson Crusoe, Crusoe's efforts to build a shelter, cultivate land, and establish a life on the deserted island exemplify his profound character interaction with settings.
Character Transformation
The evolution or change a character undergoes, often mirrored or influenced by a new or altered setting.
Example:
When Jane Eyre leaves the oppressive Lowood Institution for the relative freedom of Thornfield Hall, the new environment facilitates her growth and independence, illustrating character transformation linked to setting.
Contrasting Settings
The deliberate juxtaposition of two distinct settings to highlight differences, create conflict, or emphasize thematic ideas.
Example:
The stark difference between the opulent West Egg and the old-money East Egg in The Great Gatsby serves as a powerful contrasting setting, exposing the social and moral divides of the Jazz Age.
Guardians or Destroyers (of setting)
Characters who either protect and preserve their environment or actively seek to damage or dismantle it, revealing their motivations and moral alignment.
Example:
In The Lorax, the Once-ler acts as a destroyer of the Truffula Tree forest, driven by greed, while the Lorax attempts to be its guardian, advocating for environmental preservation.
Lack of Change (in setting)
A static or unchanging setting that can symbolize stagnation, resistance to progress, or a character's inability to evolve.
Example:
The unchanging, suffocating atmosphere of the small town in Ethan Frome underscores the characters' trapped existence and their inability to escape their circumstances, highlighting the significance of a lack of change in the environment.
Making Their Mark (on setting)
A character's act of altering or shaping their environment, demonstrating their agency, values, or desire for control.
Example:
The meticulous way Gatsby curates his mansion and grounds for Daisy's potential arrival shows him making his mark on the setting, reflecting his obsessive pursuit of the past.
Passage of Time
The representation of elapsed time within a story, often indicated by alterations or developments in the setting.
Example:
The gradual decay of Miss Havisham's Satis House in Great Expectations vividly illustrates the passage of time and her prolonged emotional stagnation.
Personal Attachments (to setting)
The emotional connections characters form with specific locations, which can influence their actions, memories, and sense of identity.
Example:
The deep affection and nostalgia a character feels for their childhood home, despite its current dilapidated state, illustrates their strong personal attachments to the setting.
Personal Definitions (of setting)
How a character describes or perceives a setting, revealing their individual biases, beliefs, and worldview.
Example:
One character might describe a bustling city as 'vibrant and full of opportunity,' while another calls it 'chaotic and overwhelming,' showcasing their differing personal definitions of the same urban environment.
Seeking a Place (setting)
A character's pursuit or desire to acquire a specific location, often symbolizing their aspirations, search for belonging, or pursuit of a particular lifestyle.
Example:
The Joad family's arduous journey to California in The Grapes of Wrath is a desperate act of seeking a place where they can find work and a better life, symbolizing their hope amidst hardship.
Symbolic Feelings (about setting)
A character's emotional responses to a setting that represent their deeper attitudes towards the values, ideas, or societal norms associated with that place.
Example:
A character's intense disdain for a grand, opulent mansion might reflect their symbolic feelings of rebellion against materialism and class hierarchy.