SETTING

It is important to note understand that the physical environment can contribute to the meaning of the text. Here are some indicators that you can be sensitive to in a text:

 

Time

 

The mention of time in the story is significant to incoming occurrences. One classic example will be the coming of nightfall or the description of night. This is usually accompanied by themes that relate to horror, a shift in mood to that of sorrow, etc.

 

Place / Physical Detail 

 

One has to be sensitive to words that relate to emotions, and the words described in a place are huge hints of the setting of the atmosphere. A simple way to pick out these words is to focus on colours like Blue, Red, Orange. Usually, these words associate themselves with a type of mood, or a quality tied to a character. In a bigger picture, you can focus words that tend to activate our five senses; Hearing, Smelling, Tasting, Texture and Seeing. This can be very helpful in understanding the mood, characters and situations portrayed in the text. Ultimately, writers will want to engage their readers as much as possible, don’t you think?

 

Here are some vivid descriptions:

 

           The room felt small, stuffy and smelt of oppression. The walls were a dull grey, but the curtains and tablecloths flared red. A drop of sweat trickled down my forehead from the burning room as the principal stared sternly into my eyes…

 

In this example alone, what are your senses telling you? What kind of action are you anticipating?

 

Alternatively,

 

           The room felt large, spacious and smelt of lemon zest. The walls were painted light pink and the strong brown wooden frames looked out to the calm reservoir. The room felt cool as the principal complemented the accommodating room with his smile.

 

How is this different from the previous example? Now do you see how the choice of description can match the mood of the situation, and ultimately make you anticipate of what is to happen?

 

Situations

 

The description of time, place and physical detail make up a situation. Specifically, situations are a combination of physical descriptions of a place, moods of characters and actions in the text. Therefore, a keen eye for the previous features will help you most in understanding a situation. However, you have to identify how the change in situation can have an effect on the text. Here is some examples:

 

          The sunset was beautiful. The orange hues blended beautifully above the twilight zone. The golden rays, like Midas’ touch, turned the sea into gold. The plankton started to light up, causing ripples of rainbows amidst the golden sea. Then, like a blanket, darkness overwhelmed the scenery. Gold turned to ashes, and the rainbows are but like the eery spectres of ghosts in the abyss.

 

Through the description of the change in situation alone, what can you tell about what is going to happen? Can you guess how the story might have been like just by this description alone?

 

Conclusion for Setting and Atmosphere

 

By first picking out some of these, we can try and connect these descriptions to the character, theme, and even plot to understand the story better. You do not need an extraordinary mind to decipher a text, but rather a sensitivity towards descriptive words in a text. You can immerse yourself in the text and let the words guide to how you feel as this can allow you to appreciate the text more, and therefore understand it better. By pointing out these words and connecting them to a story, you will have made a good analysis of how the Setting and Atmosphere can contribute to the meaning of the text! Good luck!