Daniel J's English Journal

Three writers that I have been privileged to have studied over the last seven months are Scott Fitzgerald, Christina Rossetti and Cormac McCarthy. All of which have used a completely different style of narrative to one another, and this is done through the use of setting. This is done through descriptive elements of writing such as adjectives, figurative language and more importantly, sensory description.

Scott Fitzgerald is the author of ‘The Great Gatsby’ – the story of Nick Carraway and his tale through a post-world-war New York City. Fitzgerald carefully picked his setting as the 1922 era was one of prosperity in the United States, known as the ‘Roaring Twenties’. This could be seen as a key use of narrative as it sets the tone for what type of book the reader is expecting. This helps with narrative as Nick will be placed within the ‘jazz years’ of the US and will therefore as a consequence have to deal with scenarios that you would be likely to find. An example of this would be Gatsby’s party. With drinking, gambling and scenes of sexually explicit nature, this helps Fitzgerald with the story as it show’s Nick’s ability to cope in these situations. There is also a symbolic side to this, with the ‘Valley of Ashes’ being used to signify the either the re-birth of the area at the very least, or the divide between the ‘poor and rich’ sides to New York. This aids the narrative behind the main plot, with middle class morality and the divide between them and the working class, as well as how it affects the civilisation of the City.

Christina Rossetti on the other hand uses places in her narrative to set the tone in a completely different manner. Goblin Market for one uses the setting of a typical fairy-tale land in order to give the idea to the reader the perception that everything is ‘good’. This is used through descriptive language which provides vibrant imagery and colourful surroundings. The setting is also used in an attempt to mask the underlying messages of which a poet such as Rossetti wishes the reader to read in-between the lines. In terms of the narrative, this is aided through the description of the actual ‘Goblins’ who I believe are supposed to be her interpretation of men, as she believed strongly in feminism and it’s values. Another poem in which Rossetti uses a place would be Sister Maude. There isn’t actually a setting for the poem, but more of a diary entry or as though the Narrator would be talking to you. It is rather the mention of certain places that lead me to believe this is an ideal poem to write about. Rossetti was a very religious poet, and her uses of biblical references help this point. ‘My father may sleep in Paradise’ is suggestive of her love for the dad, whilst ‘My mother at Heaven’s gate’ suggests that although there is affection for her, it doesn’t match the love for her father. Either way, the symbolically religious places are brought into the poem with intention and the uses of them in her narrative are significant.

Cormac McCarthy is the author of The Road, and as a post-apocalyptic book, it is quite understandable that the setting is rather grim. Other than assuming that the story is set in North-East America, there is no actual reference to the location, only that the Boy and Man are heading south. It is described as a place with a significant amount of ‘charred and limbless trunks of trees’ and ‘sagging hands of blind wire, strung from blackened light poles’ – This sets the tone rather nicely! A comparison to draw with Fitzgerald … They have both used the idea of ‘Ash’. The idea of a ‘phoenix from the ashes’ could be used, but realistically Fitzgerald’s use of the phrase differs from McCarthy’s. McCarthy has used this for descriptive purposes, but also as clarification of destruction, and that the surroundings are vanished into dust… or in this case ash.

To conclude, the three authors that I have studied use the place to help the narrative in many ways, one different from the other. Rossetti uses hers as a disguise for what may be considered as subliminal, whilst Fitzgerald uses it for morality. Morality in the sense that there is a divide between the two sides of the city, the more financially better off and those who aren’t. McCarthy uses this to help describe, as without the places illustrated in the reader’s head, the reader may find the story difficult to comprehend as they persevere.