In this video, I discuss how you can use setting, an often undervalued component of writing, to enhance your story’s theme.
We’ll explore why defining your setting goes beyond just the physical location, incorporating time period and atmosphere to create deeper meaning, using examples like contrasting pizza parlors to explore good versus evil and challenge assumptions.
I also touch upon how the ‘fish out of water’ trope, like when Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe leaves his familiar brownstone, uses setting to highlight character and reinforce theme through contrast.
Hello, Jane Cleland here.
The question is, can setting enhance a theme?
And the answer is yes, absolutely.
I think setting is an undervalued component of excellent writing. Our stories take place in a certain location, time, era. It is more than just a physical location. It’s not just the pizza parlor. Is it the pizza parlor in a dumpy section of town in the 1940s? Or is it a pizza parlor wine bar in a contemporary urban setting? Saying it’s a pizza parlor isn’t enough. We have to indicate which pizza parlor in which place, in which era.
And now the question is, how does that help connect to the theme?
If the theme is one of, let us say, good versus evil, well, I think you can see that I like juxtaposition, oxymoronic concepts. I think they’re very effective.
So let’s take our rundown, kind of nasty looking pizza pearl in the forties, and make it a source of good. Now, let’s have the owner be a hardworking man who gives local kids their first job. Good.
You know where I’m going with the modern-day contemporary pizza parlor,
where all sorts of evil things happen? And that would also teach the lesson of don’t judge a book by its cover, that just because someplace looks down in the dumps doesn’t mean that bad people are there or bad things happen there.
Another example of this is the concept of a fish out of water. Some of my favorite Nero Wolfe folks, Rex Stout’s, legendary Detective Nero Wolfe, occur when he leaves his famous brownstone in New York City. Death of a Dude, for example, where he shows, shows up at a Montana dude ranch in a three piece suit. It’s funny, it’s fun. It’s it highlights his, urbanity by contrasting with the setting. I know you can do this use setting to enhance theme.
If this tip had value for you, would you subscribe to the channel? Would you like it, would you share it?
Those open up features for us, especially the subscribing that help us make these videos even more valuable for you. Thank you so much.
*Transcripts are software-generated. To report any transcription errors, please use my contact form!
