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
Key Examples in Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man
Setting
Explanation and Analysis:
The novel is set in the late 19th and early 20th century, a tumultuous time in the history of racial politics in the United States. The Emancipation Proclamation declared an end to slavery in 1863, in the midst of the Civil War. Emancipation was enforced gradually over the next two and a half years, until finally it was illegal in practice for people to remain enslaved throughout the United States. The "Reconstruction Era" followed the Civil War and lasted until 1877. During this period, there were enormous gains in Black political power throughout the country. In the South, state legislatures saw their first Black representatives elected.