One of the main elements of literature is the setting. It refers to the geographical location and time when the story is set. The setting answers the questions when and where the story is being set. It is thus important to understand the setting of a story as it provides important cues as to the authors perspective regarding the themes emerging in the story.
It is often the case that most writers leave the setting of their stories intentionally vague to create an urge in the reader that would make them want to connect the events in the story to the setting. It is this urge that makes the readers continue reading and also to make clever guesses as to where and when the story is set. Another reason why the setting of the story is intentionally left vague is to prevent the story from becoming too monotonous with boring descriptions. This gives the writer the literal license to write the story according to the length intended. It also gives the author the chance to explore different time frames and locations that will help to connect his themes. Some of the possibilities that show how setting can be left vague is like in the case of the story People are different by Allan Bloch where the he is able to navigate through events that happened in history with those that are currently happening according to the description of the character. The times have changed according to the narrator and the world is no longer in its shining days.
When the setting is non-descript or intentionally vague, readers must make educated guesses that will help them determine the time and place the story takes place. For instance in the story People are different, Allan Bloch presents cues such as the description of the narrator that he wonders if well ever really find out what made People different from us Robots. This shows that the story is set in an era where people have changed from what they used to be. According to the narrator, there was a time when people and robots were actually the same. The setting of the story is set in a different planet and not earth as shown where Bloch through the narrator states that we know that people came from a planet called Earth. Using the different cues help to know when and where the story is set.
The five setting basics in the story are the locale as the story is set in a different planet where only Robots inhabit. There is also the aspect of time as the narrator points that gone are the shining days of the world. There is an aspect of elapsed time as can be seen in the manner in which the narrator points at the use of records to show how People have changed. There is also the element of population as seen in the manner in which the narrator points meeting the last person. Population is important in helping one know the setting of the story. It is also evident that socio-cultural evidence in the story serves to influence the setting of this story as one can see the manner in which the mood of the narrator is influenced by the change that has happened to People.
The genre is dependent upon the setting of the story as the mood and themes revolve around the contrast in the period and place of the story. The narrator is explaining his story by juxtaposing the two eras: When People and Robots were the same and when differences arose.
The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin
After a careful analysis of the short story The Story of an hour by Kate Chopin, one gets to realize that Mrs. Mallard is upset as the story begins. The reason why she appears upset at the beginning of the story is the fact that no one was willing to share the news of her husbands death with her as they were all afraid of the way in which she would receive them. They were all afraid because she had a troubled heart and such sad news would only serve to pile the agony she was going through.
The use of pathetic fallacy is one of the most significant literary devices employed by most authors to enhance their work. For instance, in the story, Kate Chopin uses aspects of nature to harbor the emotions and mood of the character, Mrs. Mallard. For instance, when Chopin states that She could see in the open square before her house the tops of trees that were all aquiver with the new spring life shows that Mrs. Mallard had received the news differently. Her husbands death had leased her new breath of life and not caused grief in her as expected. The use of the statement there were patches of blue sky showing here and there through the clouds that had met and piled one above the other in the west facing her window also serves to show the emotional state that Mrs. Mallard was at that particular time. This shows that Chopins use of pathetic fallacy serves to make her story more figurative.
It is evident that the relationship between Mrs. Mallard and her husband Brently Mallard was not good. Despite the little love that Mrs. Mallard has for her husband, there are signs that there were problems in their marriage as can be seen in the manner in which she receives the news. The news do not appall her but only serve to increase her joy as she sees it as an opportunity to be free at last. The quote free! Body and soul free! serves to show that she was overjoyed by the death of her husband thus showing that they were not on good terms.
There is an emotional change of states on Mrs. Mallard when she emerges from her room and heads downstairs. When emerging from her room, she was overjoyed by the fact that she would all have to live for herself with all the days and nights on the long summer that were ahead of her. As soon as she descended the stairs Chopin presents her as having a feverish triumph in her eyes. This is evident in the manner in which she carried herself unwittingly like a goddess of Victory.
When Mrs. Mallard sees her husband, alive and well, walks in, she is taken by surprise as she had not expected it. It was evident that she had wished her husband was dead and thus the surprise in her face and this leads to her death.
According to the doctor, Mrs. Mallards death was caused by immense joy that had engulfed her upon seeing her husband was alive. This is ironic as the joy that is thought to have killed Mrs. Mallard was not that of seeing her husband alive but because of the manner in which it occurred. She died because of the shock that met her after seeing her husband alive yet she had already started planning of how life would be awesome without him. This serves to show the irony in the doctors diagnosis that joy had killed Mrs. Mallard.
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