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Pathos
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:
An illustration of village life, The Vicar of Wakefield is set in 18th-century rural England. Although the novel's main action never takes place beyond the countryside, the novel involves a fair bit of movement. For example, after Dr. Primrose discovers at the end of the second chapter that his family has lost their fortune, they go on a rather long journey to their new home in the third chapter. And when George recounts his experiences since leaving the family in the 20th chapter, his story involves a number of changing settings, including a stint in continental Europe.
In the first two chapters, the Primroses live in an unnamed rural parish. After they lose all their money, they move to a new parish. Their new home is on the estate of Squire Thornhill. The third chapter tells the story of the family's journey to this new home, which goes on to serve as the predominant setting until the 24th chapter. While they live there, Dr. Primrose goes on a trip that brings him to other areas in the surrounding countryside. From the 24th until 31st chapter, the setting is the prison. In the final chapter, the Primrose family is back in their home after the wedding ceremony. Everyone in the family gathers around the fireplace
As the overarching setting changes, the family's hearth is an element of the setting that remains consistent. An important ritual in their family involves gathering around the fireplace together in the evenings, after they have eaten dinner. In moments of peace and moments of hardship alike, the fireside is a place where the family seeks comfort and harmony. The final setting and image being the fireplace reinforces the novel's sentimental genre, and leaves the reader with the same idyllic mood that the story opens with.
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