Part II, Chapters 4–5: Setting and Structure

Setting is the natural, manufactured, political, cultural, and temporal environment, including everything that characters know, own, and otherwise experience.

One of the major purposes of literary setting is to establish realism, or verisimilitude. As the description of location and objects becomes particular and detailed, the events of the work become more believable.

One of the major purposes of literary setting is to establish realism, or verisimilitude. As the description of location and objects becomes particular and detailed, the events of the work become more believable.

Another organizational application of place, time, and object is a framing or enclosing setting, when an author opens with a particular description and then returns to the same setting at the end.

However, if you find descriptions of shapes, light and shadows, animals, wind, and sounds, you may be sure that the author is creating an atmosphere or mood for the action.

However, if you find descriptions of shapes, light and shadows, animals, wind, and sounds, you may be sure that the author is creating an atmosphere or mood for the action.

Structure refers to the ways in which writers arrange materials in accord with the general ideas and purposes of their works.

Exposition is the laying out, the putting forth, of the materials in the story—the main characters, their backgrounds, their characteristics, interests, goals, limitations, potentials, and basic assumptions.

The complication is the onset and development of the major conflict—the plot.

The crisis (the Greek word for judgment or separation—a separating, distinguishing, or turning point) marks that part of the action where the conflict reaches its greatest tension.

Because the climax (the Greek word for ladder) is a consequence of the crisis, it is the story's high point (from the idea of a ladder) and may take the shape of an action, a decision, an affirmation or denial, or an illumination or realization.

The resolution (the Latin word for untying or releasing) or dénouement (the French word for untying or undoing) is the completing of the story or play after the climax; for once the climax has occurred, the work's tension and uncertainty are finished, and most authors conclude quickly to avoid losing their readers' interest.

The resolution (the Latin word for untying or releasing) or dénouement (the French word for untying or undoing) is the completing of the story or play after the climax; for once the climax has occurred, the work's tension and uncertainty are finished, and most authors conclude quickly to avoid losing their readers' interest.

There are many other possible variants in structure. One of these is called flashback, or selective recollection, in which present circumstances are explained by the selective introduction of past events.

There are many other possible variants in structure. One of these is called flashback, or selective recollection, in which present circumstances are explained by the selective introduction of past events.

There are many other possible variants in structure. One of these is called flashback, or selective recollection, in which present circumstances are explained by the selective introduction of past events.