Setting is the time and location in which a story takes place. In some stories the setting is very important, while for others it is not. There are several aspects of a story’s setting to consider when examining how setting contributes to a story (some, or all, may be present in a story):

• Place/geographical location – where is the action of the story taking place?
• Time – when is the story taking place? (historical period, year, time of day, etc.)
• Weather conditions – is it rainy, sunny, stormy, etc.?
• Social conditions – what is the daily life of the characters like? Does the story contain local colour (writing that focuses on the speech, dress, mannerisms, customs, etc. of a particular place)?
• Mood/atmosphere – what feeling is created at the beginning of the story? Is it bright and cheerful or dark and frightening?

Within short stories or other literary works, there may be more than one physical location. The setting of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, for example, is medieval Scotland; however scenes within the play feature various physical locations such as a castle, a forest, and a battlefield.