Friday, Feb 10, 2012

Setting -

this is where you get your “rules” for the story
the laws of the world of the story must be clear, logical and obvious
established early or played for the surprise
Harry Potter - the rules of this story world allow for all kinds of magic - this can be negative for the ease of solving plot problems - nice for wish fulfillment, but not so good for realism and a true sense of character and human life
eg Superman - a great hero, but dumb in terms of story - because ANYTHING is possible - this spoils good plot situations

therefore, settings that impose rules and RESTRICTIONS actually increase the potential for good stories and character growth

why did this story take place here? there is probably some reason - it could be that the writer is writing from his/her experience -
maybe that setting is meaningful; by what the rules allow or disallow
milieu - there is theory of writing that suggests that some writers write from the setting first, or spend time developing setting in a very specific and detailed way
British detective novels have much more of this detailed setting writing
learn some of the milieu and you know more about the story and characters
eg - L.A. detective fiction - the setting is a character in a way - has more value

Atmosphere - this is the emotional content and value of a setting - certain places bring out, or evoke, certain emotions in people without us having to think about it

This can be used to manipulate the reader - the writer can take advantage of descriptive words and phrases to effect something in the reader - to make a feeling - helps the story
This enhances the power of a story because it stimulates our own memories and engages us in the story - when you hit my feelings, my senses, my memories, you put me right where YOU want me to be

How do we comment on this?

Effectiveness of this “transporting the reader” - did the writer make you feel the place?
The skill of creating a place in your head - you SEE it, you HEAR it, you KNOW it
Does it ADD something to the story? layers, meaning, value? some settings are LOADED with meaning - eg The Boy with The Striped Payamas - the Holocaust - Auschwitz - WWII and it’s a real, living, powerful history
Symbolically - the setting could be largely FIGURATIVE instead of LITERAL - this is LEVEL 4 country

Literal - the actual, denotative meaning - “You are a pig.”, you might say to a pig and that is literally true

Figurative - You say to Lobb at the Greasebucket Buffet - “You, sir, are a pig!” and that is figuratively true because Lobb is covered in chicken grease and bits of skin and feathers and is wearing greasy overalls with no shirt. The meaning here is not actual, but SYMBOLIC - the connotation is all in the connection between Mr. Lobb and the pig - ie the similarities of their habits, supposedly. Note: Pigs are not that gross. I am, however.

Some settings are designed by writers to have a deep symbolic value - ie Mean Girls when Cady first goes to the high school - she compares it to the jungle - she observes the wildlife and the tribal behaviours and the animal behaviours, etc.