Summary
In order to convey particular feelings and emotions, reveal thoughts and qualities of a character, and highlight implications, the writers adhere to a variety of methods. One of them implies the description of the landscape, which contributes to creating a comprehensive picture of a story.
It should be mentioned that setting implies a range of items, namely location, time, mood, geography, culture, and historical context. Consequently, authors may use several or even one of them in order to make the story more engaging and meaningful. An example of applying this approach is Troll Bridge and The Fall of the House of Usher. In both these texts, landscapes appear to be crucial for an in-depth comprehension of the meaning and the general atmosphere. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to analyze how this method was used in these stories and prove the significance of the setting in speculative fiction.
Troll Bridge
Jack is the main character of the story Troll Bridge, which reflects his life from childhood to manhood. At the beginning of the story, he is young, naive, and curious about the whole world. He is engaged in admiring the picture around him, exploring its parts, and finding adventures. The landscape, which surrounds the boy Jack, reflects his current worldview and mood. He spent the majority of his time outside, and his pastime was accompanied by picturesque views of nature.
For instance, Jack mentions: “I used to climb the fence and lie in the shade of a small bulrush patch, and read, or if I were feeling more adventurous I’d explore the grounds of the empty manor beyond the fields”. It is possible to note the harmony between the character and the nature surrounding him. Jack recollects: “on the last day of the summer school term, walking home from school, I would remove my shoes and socks and […] walk down the stony flinty lane on pink and tender feet”. The boy enjoyed the process of exploring things around him, receiving new experiences, and delighting the simple events.
The boy was full of dreams and a desire for adventure. This trait makes him see the world as more interesting than it is in reality. Even an old and abandoned manor intrigued Jack, and its exploration was associated with a range of emotions. The character is admired by the wild nature around the building:
“From time to time I would find these really terrific rocks: bubbly, melted things, brown and purple and black. If you held them up to the light you could see every color of the rainbow”.
Therefore, the landscape of the story conveys the world perception of the boy, who is open to the world and its wonders. For this reason, the scenery, he is surrounded by, is filled with beauty and interesting things for him. This attitude to life contrasts with the opinion of a grown-up Jack. Consequently, the landscape changes as well, reflecting the worldview of the main character.
While his childhood memories are connected with wildlife, his youth and manhood are accompanied by a more modern background. The character describes: “The fields started to go, as I grew older. One by one, row by row, houses sprang up with roads named after wildflowers and respectable authors”. Thus, the places of picturesque nature were combined with the modern scenery of newly-built houses. Jack notices that he was even lost in the location, which he used to know well. Even the manor, which has been mentioned above, was bought, and its territory was changed into houses.
When the boy becomes a man, he returns to his native town and cannot recognize it. It has become a typical town with all the facilities, and all the natural locations were destroyed. The scenery is similar to their feelings of Jack: he is devasted and self-centered. He lost his interest in the things surrounding him, and he became egoistic and empty. At the end of the story, he understands his mistake, which led him to such an emotional state and loneliness.
His feelings are highlighted by the weather conditions: “There was no snow on the ground, but there was a hard frost, and the leaves crunched under my feet as I walked”. The scenery reflects the inner world of the character and his state at this moment. Thus, the entire story contains changing landscape, which emphasizes how the world’s perception of the boy shapes. In the beginning, the character is full of interest in life, while in the end, he is tired and loses the meaning of his existence.
The Fall of the House of Usher
The Fall of the House of Usher appears to be another example of using the landscape and location for highlighting the feelings of the characters. However, in this case, this method is applied differently, compared to the previously analyzed story. The narration begins with the description of the weather and the House of Usher. All the details in the scenery create an atmosphere of “insufferable gloom”. Starting with the sentence “during the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day in the autumn of the year, when the clouds hung oppressively low in the heavens”, the author promotes mysteriousness. In addition, the precise location stays unrevealed to the reader.
The territory of the mansion is not attractive: the trees are decayed, and the turn is lurid and black. Outside, the house also looks icy and scary: the walls are bleak, and the windows are eye-like. The narrator marks that he perceives some kind of power in this building, which affected the visitors. When he enters the house, this impression becomes even more evident. Despite the fact that the interior features are ordinary, they convey fear, and the corridors made the narrator frightened. Moreover, there is a thing, which contributed to creating a mysterious atmosphere most of all. It is an underground tomb, which raises a significant number of worries.
Therefore, each detail of the building and its territory highlights the mood of the story. Such a landscape alludes to the readers of the horrific plot of the story. Furthermore, it is helpful to understand the dread of the narrator and his emotions in this situation. Therefore, in The Fall of the House of Usher, the setting is important for emphasizing the fear and impression of the character.
It should be noted that although both Troll Bridge and The Fall of the House of Usher involve using setting as a method of highlighting feelings and mood, this approach is applied differently. The story, which has been observed first, contains a shifting landscape. The scenery helps to comprehend the inner changes of a particular character and his mental state. However, in the second story, the description of the setting created a specific mood for the entire narration. It is used for making the impression of the readers more evident in general.
The Significance of Setting in Speculative Fiction
The significance of setting in speculative fiction cannot be underestimated, and this is apparent from the stories analyzed earlier. It is undeniable that landscape is helpful for understanding the context of the described events and creating a comprehensive picture of a situation. However, its importance is also important for deeper meaning. First of all, it prompts to make a reflection on the behavior and beliefs of a character.
For instance, in Troll Bridge, nature and the location, where the events happen, reveals traits of Jack’s life, compared to the plot. Shifting scenery stimulates them to think about the inner world of the character and his priorities, which led him to such disappointing results. Interestingly, the author does not describe the character of the boy at all, though it is possible to comprehend it via analyzing the scenery. Therefore, the setting provides an in-depth insight into the problem of Jack’s character.
Secondly, the landscape is helpful in creating particular feelings and conveying the emotions of the narrator at the current moment. It transmits specific moods and strong impressions, which contributed to a deep understanding of the text. The description of the mansion and its territory submerge the readers in the atmosphere of the described events. It is possible to perceive the fear and worries of the narrator via the scenery. For these reasons, the setting is important in the context of speculative fiction, as it makes the story complete and meaningful.