2. Speak on the function of setting.

The Smile

Love

Summary of the story:

The story is written by Ray Bradbury and tells us about the future after the nuclear war, when everything is destructed, and what is not destructed, like pieces of art, architecture and other buildings, are destroyed by aggressive people, who have no faith in their good future and have hate for everything in the past.

The story is written by Jesse Stuart and tells us about the love between 2 snakes and the cruel nature of human, in this story particularly the father’s one, who ordered his dog to kill she-snake who was going to hatch the eggs.

Narration:

The story is 3^rd person narration and the main form of presentation is narration with elements of dialogue. The story told from this point of view sounds more objective and let us watch and analyze things that happen in the story.

The story is told in the 1^st person which brings a personal touch to the story and allow the reader to feel an emotional connection with a character. Also it increases the credibility of the story.

Development (body):

The author establishes the time and the place of the action as not so long future with a fantastic setting. The setting is crucial to the creation of a complete work because the idea is inconceivable without the specific setting. The setting is scattered throughout the whole story which encourages the reader to construct the world of the story on his own. The setting acquires a symbolic meaning which is described through landscape, social and cultural environment. Like, time of the day applies to components of the plot and weather directly reflects the emotions of people. We can observe it during the whole story:

• Exposition is introduced through early morning at 5 o’clock, when the weather is cold and in bits of mist people are staying in a queue, tired and in despair, and are waiting for something.

• At 7 o’clock time the rising action starts, when mist is going to disperse which symbolizes that situation becomes much clearer as people start discussing the aim of their staying there, which is the will to destroy the picture of ‘Mona Lisa’. It’s natural at that time as people are aggressive after the nuclear war that destroyed everything and people have hate for the past and continue destroy everything which is not yet destroyed.

• At noon comes climax; when due to the hot air people become even more aggressive and in full cry rushed to the picture to tear it.

• Sunset is connected with the falling action. It’s getting cold, like the aggression of people went down and a boy stay with a piece of picture in his hand. It’s a very symbolic scene. As it reveals certain features of the boy’s personality, which are very important as through his purity, kindness and faith in good, we can see that the future is not lost, and people can still achieve something good if they try.

• And moon light as a denouement symbolizes a beam of hope. All the world is asleep and silent and only warm and gentle smile in the darkness shows such qualities as appreciation of the art and beauty, purity, eternity and victory.

So, the setting helps to determine the characters’ intentions and hopes and also is vital for understanding the message of the story, which reveals a number of problems, which are:

• To realize that any our actions are to lead to consequences for future generation. And we should preserve anything good we can for it to leave;

• It seems nothing is eternal, but in any way we can create this eternal if we preserve all the beauty and good we know and have.

First of all the setting is realistic and is scattered throughout the whole story. The geographical location, social background and landscape are as important as the characters themselves. Time and place are shown in the story quite well. The time is the 20-s of the XXth century according to the events, place and people’s habits described in the story. The place is also quite familiar. The story is set in Kentucky, the birthplace of Stuart.

In the story cows and corn are mentioned several times, and Kentucky is know to be the homeland for American corn whiskey – Bourbon and takes the 6^th place in cattle ranching.

Kentucky is predominantly made up of rolling hills, valleys, forests and in the story the geography of Kentucky is described as a specific one: chestnut oaks on cliffs, squirrels.

Moreover Kentucky is a land of farmers as cattle and horses are ranched there, and in the story farmers’ daily life is described. Also the blacksnake, mentioned in the story, inhabits only southern regions.

The setting acquires a symbolic meaning and reveal certain themes:

1. The snake was going to the sand heap to lay her eggs, where the sun was the setting-hen that warmed and hatched them. – To show that she was going to give birth/life to her children in the atmosphere of love and care.

2. When the boy picked up an egg and saw it was an immature seed and it would not hatch. Mother sun couldn’t incubate it on the warm earth. – Life was taken away from the immature children.

3. The sun was going down over the chestnut bridge. A lark was singing. – The end of day=the end of life that didn’t start.

4. The red evening clouds floated above the hill. – Like blood.

5. The sinking sun. – The snake’s death.

6. The dew on the corn. – Like the tears of the bull blacksnake.

7. The wind was blowing. It was a good morning wind to breathe and a wind that makes one feel he can get under the edge of a hill and heave the whole hill upside down. – The feeling that smth. may happen. And breath of the morning wind gave power to struggle anything.

8. He had come in the night under the roof of stars. – in the end of the day=to find the doom/end of her lover’s life

9. He was veiled beside her and she was dead. – tried to revive her, to save, though it was late.

The setting helps to determine the characters’ feelings and decisions. Also the characters’ background becomes central to the story because behavior of father and the boy depends on their cultural background. The boy is educated. He was learnt to appreciate art and beauty.

Conclusion (summing up and personal impression):

I have mixed feelings about the story as it made both a favorable and unfavorable impression on me. Favorable, because the problems the author discusses are crucial and concern our possible future. The author tries to find any traits of beauty in people, shows the necessity of preserving them. But what is negative for me in it that the author has no faith in people, he creates no future for them, though in the end ‘smile’ show this slight unsteady hope. Of course it is true, as people are creatures born by evil to cognate the good and save it. It’s easy to believe that people become so wild to fight with beauty and not to save that which is left, but to explode, smash and tear it. But it’s a pity that almost nobody is ready to see the light of future which is in the hearts of people and only they can find it and give to each other. Though it’s touching that through the boy’s example we can see that beauty is not for everyone, but for those, who can see it there, where nobody sees it. It’s in everything around us, but we are busy with doing harm to each other and putting responsibility for our action at others.

But on the whole the story is quite philosophical and leaves a good impression on it.

And, we can conclude that functions of the setting in this story are:

• Expressing the emotional state of the characters;

• Setting the story in a particular environment, the author creates the necessary atmosphere;

• The setting reveals personality traits of the characters;

• Shows a link with the story’s central idea

All in all the setting helps to identify the genre of the story as science fiction and creates a tragic, gloomy, depressing atmosphere.

I was greatly impressed and excited by the story which is about the power of love, the father and son relationship, people’s foibles and faults.

The author draws our attention to some burning issues, which are completely enhanced in the setting. They are:

1. Stronger devour the weak and only a man can change that. Man’s hatred makes people struggle then when they don’t have to, but get lost when it’s time to act. That’s why there’re so many mistakes and so little forgiveness, even when mistakes are corrected.

2. We should think everything over and make trials before we come to decisions.

3. Man is a part of nature but doesn’t care about it and show no respect towards it. And it should be changed.

4. Man can kill for sport, for pleasure. Man conquers everything. As if peace and human are not compatible.

5. Love on different levels between human natures, between animals.

To sum up, the functions of the setting are:

• Setting the story in a particular environment, the author creates the necessary atmosphere;

• Shows a link with the story’s central idea;

• Expressing the emotional state of the characters.

The setting creates a dramatic and romantic atmosphere.