Question
What can I write for a thesis statement for an essay about how the settings influence a story's characters? I don't know how to take a stand on this type of essay.
Answers
Ms. Sue
Make a list of half a dozen or so characters you've read about. What is the setting for each character? Can you imagine them in a different time or place?
For instance, I'm reading a mystery novel set in the Pacific Northwest in the present. The three main characters tend to be loners and are very familiar with the outdoors. One lives in a primitive cabin and eats rabbits and other game. They've adapted to their environment.
On the other hand, one of my favorite series of mysteries features a medieval monk in medieval England. If he lived in a different time and place, he would have been a different person.
For instance, I'm reading a mystery novel set in the Pacific Northwest in the present. The three main characters tend to be loners and are very familiar with the outdoors. One lives in a primitive cabin and eats rabbits and other game. They've adapted to their environment.
On the other hand, one of my favorite series of mysteries features a medieval monk in medieval England. If he lived in a different time and place, he would have been a different person.
Anonymous
So, could I say that characters and their settings give the story its unique plot?
Ms. Sue
You need to be more specific.
Have you listed the characters that you know?
Have you listed the characters that you know?
Anonymous
Yes, I listed them.
Ms. Sue
Did you list their settings?
Can you imagine any of the characters living in a different time and place?
Can you imagine any of the characters living in a different time and place?
Anonymous
Yes, and it seems like the characters are best suited for their given settings.
Ms. Sue
Then your thesis statement could be
Settings influence the characters of stories.
Settings influence the characters of stories.