In works of narrative (especially
fictional), the
literary element setting includes the
historical moment in time and
geographic location in which a
story takes place, and helps initiate the main
backdrop and
mood for a story. Setting has been referred to as story world or
milieu to include a
context (especially
society) beyond the immediate surroundings of the story. Elements of setting may include
culture,
historical period,
geography, and
hour. Along with the
plot,
character,
theme, and
style, setting is considered one of the fundamental components of
fiction. and
novelist Donna Levin has described how this social milieu shapes the characters’ values. The elements of the story setting include the passage of time, which may be static in some stories or dynamic in others with, for example, changing seasons.