The setting of a novel addresses where the story takes place, location, but also the time period wherein the change of events occurs.
Setting and time period are important dimensions to a story. In many stories they act as additional characters.
The house wherein Sethe, of Toni Morrison’s novel, “Beloved“, lives is haunted. Setting here serves as a character, more specifically an antagonist along with Beloved, the ghost of Sethe’s dead child, whom Sethe murdered.
The house, like the ghost of Beloved is an obstacle to the protagonist, Sethe, achieving her goal–peace and freedom from the hauntings of the ghost of her her child, “Beloved“.
Using setting to its fullest potential requires that we do research. This may involve reading up on the city or neighborhood of the city wherein our novel takes place.
How a protagonist views her or his setting tells much about their perspective on others, her or himself, and life. The protagonist’s view on setting, how she or he sees her or his surrounding reveals specifics of identity and personality.
As with supporting characters setting provides one more angle through which for the reader to view your protagonist.
It also offers an additional dimension, as with dialogue, that elucidates not only the personality of your major character, but also tracks and reflects their development, the depth of change and transformation under which they go throughout the course of the novel.
And it is setting that along with dialogue, action, though and other elements of the novel that evidences the protagonist has survived and overcome the obstacles encountered in the struggle to obtain their desired goals.
What are some of the most memorable settings of novels you have read?
What engaged you about the setting(s)?