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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:
The novel is set in Medallion, Ohio and, more specifically, the neighborhood of Bottom. The irony of Bottom’s name is highlighted as the phrase “up in the Bottom,” is repeated throughout the novel. The origin story of Bottom features a slave being convinced by his master that there is more fertile soil up in the hills “at the bottom of heaven” than there is in the valley, where the population is primarily white. By emphasizing how the foundation of Bottom’s creation is tied with racism, Morrison establishes a primary theme of the novel.
The novel opens with Bottom after its transformation and development, featuring the new Medallion City Golf Course and suburbs. Thus, the novel tracks not only the development of Bottom’s inhabitants, but also the physical aspects of the environment. As the people of Bottom are isolated, they have cultivated unique habits and customs, such as Shadrack’s annual celebration of National Suicide Day. This allows Morrison to more carefully trace how cycles of racism and domesticity affect individual people, as the causes of the inhabitants’ misery are directly observable. The effect of gender roles, for example, is evident in the fact that the women of Bottom generally stay in the town while the men are able to freely leave. Ultimately, the isolated setting allows Morrison to experiment with the novel's themes in a controlled manner.
Related Themes:
