The Setting as a Character

When we think of a character in a novel, the first thing that comes to mind may be superficial. Then we can go into more detail and try to give them a personality. Sometimes we can multiply our examples with different characterisations. Most of the time, however, our priority is not the setting itself. Well, can the setting really be enough to influence the novel?

Most of the time the setting is a figurehead, an object in the background. It is like an actor whose name does not appear in the credits. But sometimes, especially if it can take on a role that influences events, it can go beyond being a tool for the main characters. For this to happen, the narrative may need to revolve around him or her, or cultural diversity may need to come to the fore.

Photo by Martin Finnucane on Unsplash

Suppose we're reading a novel and the author tells us about some famous places. The names of some famous streets, avenues, shops are mentioned from time to time. We say to ourselves, "I know this place! This is our first connection. Our curiosity multiplies, we wonder if the narrator will pass through other streets I know. We can take on the role of a one-way guide who wants to show us the way to our house, our favourite viewpoint, our preferred café or a route that might interest him. We pay close attention.

Sometimes we get so carried away that it is important that the narrative is up to date. Otherwise, even the city of years ago will seem alien to us. Like looking at a black and white photograph, there will be places where people we do not recognise pass by, where buildings are erected and sound different. Yet the locality of the place ensures that the connection is not completely severed. As we can see, the setting, at least in this case, transcends time.

Let's leave aside the realism of the narrative. Let's look emotionally at the situation, at the setting. Think about your city, what is its personality? If it became a character and came to life, who and what would it look like? Is it mentioned in songs, for example? What do they say about it?

Depending on what we hear from others, what we know from experience, or what we personally feel, we will assign different adjectives to it, as far as we can nod to the same points. A town will be gloomy, a shop cosy, a museum mysterious, a bus station disappointing... Each will have a general meaning in the social memory and a distinct personal memory. This is part of its changeable personality. Like a protagonist's journey, the setting can change over time.

For example, if we were to write about the street we lived on as a child, we might see it as a friend. When we came home from school, we would hear our friends playing there, and we would be excited to join them. At weekends the street would have a different atmosphere, on holiday mornings it would have a completely different enthusiasm. Sometimes it would be unfamiliar, there would be no one we knew, it would be empty and boring. Another day it would be full of street vendors and familiar adults would join the childish faces. These alleyways had a personality that could embrace everyone and everything. Now, when we look back, neither the familiar faces of our past are there, nor are our memories wandering through these alleys. That old alley, which can be seen as a safe and fun place, can be reflected in both reality and fiction with the same intensity.

Photo by Patrick Fobian on Unsplash

On a personal level, I feel that I do not use the setting as much as I should, that I do not make enough use of it, which brings me to another point.

I like to talk about fictional places where fantastic events can take place, where doors can be opened to other realms. It could be a deserted forest, a fountain in a town square, a dimly lit cave, or deserted roads where no one but wild animals roam.

But I can see that I can't go deep into these places. I don't think I can internalise them to the extent that I can taste the emotions and feelings in the local narrative I just mentioned. Even if I draw maps of these places and create my narratives according to the corresponding geographical regions, they are not reflected in my fictions in the same way as the real places. So I often forget to look at the setting and the reader is left with the places that are roughly mentioned or the inferences that can be made while reading. They are stiff and lacking in detail; therefore, most of the time, they are numb and empty.

Yes, even though I have the freedom in the creation process to bend and twist it according to the course of events, the realistic structure of the setting does not have to be a constraint. On the contrary, as I said, it can very well help to evoke certain thoughts and feelings. Especially when it comes to places we know, places we have been.

Who knows, if I make these fictional places like the places I know and like to be, I might get a good yield in my narrative. I can also breathe new life into the problem of being limited to one or a few places in my stories, which I often complain about. If you are in a similar situation, you might want to think in this way.

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In the end, we realise that settings can play a more powerful role than we think. Fictionalising places based on the traces of our lives can both make them believable and increase the power of the narrative. By making changes to these real places, we can fictionalise them and keep their solidity in our minds. We can go into detail more easily and make it easier for the reader to imagine the place. Of course, we can also move events from one place to another by creating transitions between them.

Although literature often seems to be formed, it actually seeks the limitless. As long as we keep the language and expression clean and correct, we can treat it in any way we like. In this article, I wanted to talk about the perception and character of "setting", which I also do not prioritise when writing. I am open to your ideas and suggestions. I wish you all good reading and writing.