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Personification
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:
Although its prologue takes place in Rome, Death Comes for the Archbishop is primarily set in the 19th-century American Southwest, after the completion of the ugly and brutal Mexican-American War. The very new territory of New Mexico is where most of the book’s action takes place. This setting is not merely a backdrop but a fundamental element of the plot, as the characters’ attempts to acclimate to the recently contested territory of the region takes center stage.
Culturally, the novel delves into the complex interactions between Catholic missions, local behaviors, and Native customs. The clash of belief systems is everywhere, and affects every interaction that isn’t solely between priests. All of Cather’s Catholic missionaries grapple with the challenge of preserving their faith while navigating the deeply ingrained traditions of the indigenous peoples they encounter.
Physically, the novel paints a vivid picture of the Southwest with its pueblos, adobe churches, and glowing terra cotta-colored mesas. The stone churches and mission buildings stand out as markers of European influence in the region. They are directly juxtaposed against the ancient traditions of the Native tribes, traditions linked to the other, more organic stone formations of the Southwest. The vast and unforgiving desert landscape, with its extreme seasons and hot climate, is also a challenge for the largely European missionaries. Readers experience the oppressive heat of the desert as well as the biting cold of the New Mexico winter, which adds to the sense of isolation and vulnerability faced by Latour and his companions. Little about the environment is welcoming, but almost everything about the natural world is grand and inspiring.
The setting also regularly points to the “frontier” nature of the American Southwest during this time. The isolation of the missions, the remaining conflicts between settlers and Native peoples, and the arduous travel required to navigate the rugged terrain contribute to a sense of life in a newly-birthed country. The very limited possibilities to communicate with the outside world also play a role in the book's sense of isolation. The priests of Death Comes for the Archbishop often feel very far from home and the world they previously knew.
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