Setting (the time and place in which a literary work takes place) and mood (atmosphere) are important elements in many of these stories. Choose one story and describe some aspects of its setting: where it takes place; what mood is created by the details of weather, place, and time; and how this setting helps to convey the theme of the story. Select the link to access the English Essay Rubric.

Answer 1

One example of a story where setting plays a crucial role is "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. This story is set in a secluded mansion in the countryside during the late 19th century. The narrator is confined to a room with barred windows and a bed bolted to the floor, as she is suffering from a "temporary nervous depression." The setting of the old mansion with its eerie atmosphere and isolation creates a sense of unease and oppression, which mirrors the mental state of the narrator.

The details of the weather, which is described as hot and oppressive, reflect the stifling nature of both the physical and emotional confinement the narrator experiences. The decaying mansion with its yellow wallpaper that the narrator becomes obsessed with symbolizes her deteriorating mental state and the oppressive patriarchal society that she lives in.

The setting in "The Yellow Wallpaper" helps to convey the theme of the story, which is the oppression of women and the damaging effects of patriarchal control over their lives. The secluded mansion reflects the isolation and confinement that women often faced in the late 19th century, and the oppressive atmosphere mirrors the suffocating effects of the societal norms that restrict women's autonomy and agency.

Overall, the setting of "The Yellow Wallpaper" plays a crucial role in conveying the themes and mood of the story, highlighting the damaging effects of patriarchal control and confinement on women's mental and emotional well-being.