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Motifs
Definition of Setting
Setting is where and when a story or scene takes place. The where can be a real place like the city of New York, or it can be an imagined... read full definition
Setting is where and when a story or scene takes place. The where can be a real place like the city of New York, or... read full definition
Setting is where and when a story or scene takes place. The where can be a real place like the... read full definition
Setting
Explanation and Analysis—The City:
"A Pair of Silk Stockings" takes place in the late 19th century in an unnamed city. This city contains a large department store, a fashionable restaurant, a theater, and a cable car system. Mrs. Sommers moves quickly from one location to the next, which creates a sense of urgency.
Each time she changes location, she does so because she desires something. First she wants a pair of boots to go with her stockings, so she goes to a store. Then she gets hungry and goes to the restaurant. Finally, she is intrigued by a matinee poster and decides to watch a theater performance. As soon as she satisfies one desire, another one appears. The many changes in location show how far Mrs. Sommers is willing to go to find pleasure and comfort. They also demonstrate the fleeting nature of material pleasures.
The fact that the city remains unnamed is significant, too. This allows for two key aspects of the story to shine: firstly, it permits greater focus on Mrs. Sommers's psychological state. And secondly, it makes the story generalizable such that readers might wonder how many women in Chopin's time were affected by similar issues of class, gender, and consumerist escapism. All of this works to make Mrs. Sommers into a sort of everywoman who represents how women living around the turn of the century might rebel against the confines of their prescribed roles.
Related Themes:
