The Setting as It Relates to Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne and Girl by Jamaica Kincaid
The literary device of setting is often overlooked in its impact towards the plot and character development of a story. However, as can be extrapolated from the assigned readings thus far this semester, setting plays a vital role in determining the direction, feel and structure that a particular story invariably takes. The setting is a reflection of many significant pieces of a work: time, location, culture and tone, thereby immediately creating an ambiance and establishing connotative emotions within the reader. Characters are a direct and ultimate byproduct of the communities and surroundings in which they live. They can be put at ease by pleasant accommodations or, as in the cases of the two works at the base of this paper, place a character in a position of trepidation. Moreover, setting generally transcends its own simplicity by affecting the structure of a piece, permeating into the plot's innermost dealings. Throughout the semester, two short stories immerge as paragons of a setting's importance, these being Young Goodman Brown by Nathanial Hawthorne and, more contemporarily, Girl by Jamaica Kincaid. Both exemplify the importance of setting as it reflects and applies to the core meaning of each piece. On a very basic level, the setting of Young Goodman Brown gives historical insight into the characters and their lifestyles. From the story's onset, it is established that Brown lives in a 17th century Puritan society, specifically Salem, Massachusetts. Therefore, one can make several inferences of Goodman Brown's character based simply on one's predisposition to the standard of living marking this epoch. The piety and fervent religious devotion associated is important in understanding Hawthorne's intentions for writing. One can presume that Brown, more than likely, is a man bound to his Christian faith, an assumption that proves most accurate. Others around Brown, his closest friends and family, also appear to be devoted to Puritan dogma. Yet, as Hawthorne