We are about to read The Piano Lesson by August Wilson. Yet, before we can begin reading, it will be highly beneficial for you to immerse yourself in the atmosphere in which this drama takes place:
America: 1930's
The setting in any given work of literature is, like the plot, one of the most essential structural components. Quite simply, setting is when and where a narrative takes place. Sometimes, however, the setting includes the political or cultural background that comes with a place and time. In this case, understanding the setting can be essential to our understanding of a work.
As writers, you should always evaluate the significance of setting while reading literature and of course while writing your own stories. Now, some writers will often have their stories take place near areas where they live for no other reason than the convenience of familiarity. For example, New York writers, such as Woody Allen, may only use New York locations such as Manhattan as their setting. In this case, we don't have to really bother with analyzing the setting.
You have to ask yourself: how much culture, whether its pop culture or historical events, are you going to infuse in your work, and to what degree is setting going to help you establish that. The more you understand how setting works, the better you will be able to convey the meaning that is attached to the setting.
* some information taken from A Practical Introduction to Literary Study (Brown and Yarbrough)
America: 1930's
The setting in any given work of literature is, like the plot, one of the most essential structural components. Quite simply, setting is when and where a narrative takes place. Sometimes, however, the setting includes the political or cultural background that comes with a place and time. In this case, understanding the setting can be essential to our understanding of a work.
As writers, you should always evaluate the significance of setting while reading literature and of course while writing your own stories. Now, some writers will often have their stories take place near areas where they live for no other reason than the convenience of familiarity. For example, New York writers, such as Woody Allen, may only use New York locations such as Manhattan as their setting. In this case, we don't have to really bother with analyzing the setting.
You have to ask yourself: how much culture, whether its pop culture or historical events, are you going to infuse in your work, and to what degree is setting going to help you establish that. The more you understand how setting works, the better you will be able to convey the meaning that is attached to the setting.
* some information taken from A Practical Introduction to Literary Study (Brown and Yarbrough)
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