On a recent return trip from Seattle, I was explaining why I teach my students five fundamental elements of story. By teaching plot, setting, character, point-of-view, and theme, I am able, I explained, to provide students with a common language for discussing and thinking about literature. There is also a sort of literary calculus that operates among these elements leading to deep insights. exploring one element can lead to powerful insights about other elements.
Marla listened politely, and then posed this question, "What happens when a setting is also a character?"
I thought initially that she was referring to a story such as Asimov's "Fantastic Voyage," where the setting is inside an actual human body. My wife, however, insisted that settings, physical locations, were, on occasion actual characters in books.
"Give me an example," I demured. I thought I had heard similar lines of thinking before, but I was not sure she had, so I wanted her fresh take.
"I'll give you three," she said,"Hogwarts, The Matrix, and Gotham City."
Hogwarts, she explained, with its discorporate inhabitants, moving staircases, secret passwords, and Room of Requirement is easily as much a character as a setting; the Matrix, a virtual reality in which inhabitants believe they live when in fact they are enveloped in womblike cauls and serving as human batteries, is a malevolent antagonist; and Gotham City works a strange dark, and arguably purposeful, angst over Bruce Wayne (a.k.a. Batman) and its more nefarious inhabitants.
We spent the next two hours debating the issue and here are some of our talking points:
- What is the definition of character? Is it enough to say it is the people, animals or creatures/entities in a work of fiction? Are the members of a crowd or passerby characters?
- What is the definition of setting?
- What are the functions of these elements on the deepest levels of story?
- If there is a hierarchy of these literary elements, which is of greater significance?
- Finally, can a setting be a character and what are the conditions that should exist in order for this to happen?
I will tell you we spent a lot of time talking about the influences one literary element may have over another. We spent some time on willful versus incidental cause and effect. Finally, we began to think about other fuzzy boundaries in literary thought. All in all, a very satisfying trip.
5 comments:
First of all, I am envious that you have the oportunity to speak with someone that deeply about such interesting topics. My Brother or my friends are often caught up in my wierd, little world of discussion but, they, usually, break free before I have the chance to say or hear anything new.
Honestly, my definition of a 'charactor' is not specificly a person. I think that charactor can be found in objects and locations, just ask your wife said. I think that something that can be easily defined or recognised as substantial in a story/play/song/poem is a charactor.
The other day, I was at the librairy picking up material for Mrs. Warriner's class. While searching through the back-issues of Newsweek I spotted a piece of lint dancing on the floor. The piece of lint not only distracted me from what I was attempting to do, but, it took on a persona. It reminded me of someone. The way the lint danced and followed the footsteps of anyone who walked by reminded me, very much, of my little sister. To me, that lint took on a charactor.
I think that if you can state something about an item/person/animal/place that distinguishes it and makes it important in the story that it, too, can be a charactor.
Now, about setting, I think that setting creates or sets boundries, limitations, and guidelines for a story but it also guides a story to new places and new experiences. A setting impacts a story emmensly. In fact, it is usually the foundation of all stories.
While I was working in Mr. Campbell's room for Indep. Study Theatre Arts I was learning or working or setting, past events, charactor background, and all of the things that make up the "background" or "setting" of a a play. I think reading about those things in a directors book gave me a different prespective on what a setting truley is and what it can do or how it can impact charactors. A setting is the foundation, so, it makes sense that it could be a charactor. Charactor's impact the story's events while a setting can do the same. Settings can even take on human charactoristics in order to impact the story.
I know that I am usually a fence- sitter, but, it is true; Why cant settings be charectors? Why can't they both be of equal importance? I think a setting is just as vital to a story as the charactors are.
In my Ethnic Studies class, last week, we read the book, "Bless Me, Ultima." The book was about a young boy, living in 1940s New Mexica, who is greatly impacted by circumstances around him that he cant control. He was born into a hugely divided family. His Mother was a farmer and, his father was a 'cowboy' or 'wander'. The two families clashed.
I think that this 'setting' that Antonio (the main charactor of the story) was born into affects him enough to be a charactor. It shapes the story and developes him as person. The setting is, sort of, his charactor foil.
Antonio is, also, confussed, in the story, about his life and religion. There is an air of voodoo that surrounds a woman that is staying in his house. Could circumstances be charactors, things that aren't people or things, rather, ideas? The voodoo takes on its on charactor when it begins to affect Antonio's life.
I think that I am trying to express the opinion that, the word "charactor' is (as much as Mrs. Warriner may hate to hear me say it) undefinable. All stories do not follow the same format. The world of literature is ever-changing. Perhaps, that is why I love it so much. There ARE rules in literature, but they are made to be broken. As Ms.W (she says fondly**) always states, "When you are writing professionally you can get away with makeing as many mistakes as you like". I can only hope that, someday, I have the chance to do just that. Not to spite Mrs. Warrriner , but to create something new. I may be crazy, with extensive list of English Classes, but, I cant get enough. I love the ever-developing world of english/literature,'happy sparkley word stuff' and all.
---Kelsi Lyn Smith
Great thoughts Kelsi; although I would say that a professional writer uses gramatical license to accomplish certain effects and is therefore not "making mistakes," but rather using the tools of his trade.
I guess, I agree too. It isn't, necessarily, mistakes that a professional writer makes it is more like exageration. The professional writer can design his own template to guide his audience and use his own style. I guess that the priveledge comes with experience.
--Kelsi Lyn
I definitely see the possibility of the setting playing a role in a story in similar ways to a character. In some cases, like the castle of Hogwarts, features of the setting definitely affected the plot. However, I am resistant to use the word “character” when referring to the setting. Sometimes the setting only works for plot development and doesn’t interfere with the breathing characters. Take the setting of Pride and Prejudice. There are no magic castles. There are no earthquakes which tear down houses. Jane Bennet catches a cold after riding in the rain, but the weather or the conditions outside aren’t dwelt upon. The rain served its purpose by simply getting Jane sick so she could be stalled at Bingley’s. Elizabeth Bennet visits Mr. Darcy’s estates on a tour, and the grounds and house are described, as well as the owner of the property by his servants. However, the only purpose in having the grounds, house, etc. described is to help Elizabeth realize what a good man she would have in Darcy. Austen uses her setting in these instances only to further plot or to better shape the attributes of her breathing characters. Basically what I’m trying to say is there is a possibility the setting may play a role in a story similar to a character, but ultimately the author may choose to have the setting only develop plot or flesh out characters. I think a new literary term needs to be dreamt up (or found from its place deep in the archives) which describes a setting which is actively involved in the plot line of a story in a similar manner to that of a breathing character.
K. Miller
I was thinking about the idea of intent. Setting has influence over breathing characters, but the influence is generally incidental. In the case of Hogwarts there seems to be a will involved. Gotham and the Matrix also seem to exert volition and this makes me look at them in a slightly different light. On the other hand, social conditions are considered a legitimate part of setting, and they, of course, are not incidental, so maybe I'm barking up the wrong tree.
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