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Motifs
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 The Adventure of the Speckled Band
Setting
Explanation and Analysis—The Old Ancestral House:
"The Adventure of the Speckled Band" is set in England in the late 1800s. The story begins in the safety of Sherlock's office in London before shifting to the Roylotts' derelict manor in the fictional town of Stoke Moran in Surrey, a county southwest of London. Stoke Moran is somewhat isolated: in order to visit, Sherlock and Watson must first travel to Leatherhead, a real town nearby with a train station. Watson further observes that there are "no signs of any workmen" when he and Sherlock arrive. The isolation of the manor enhances the ominous mood because it leaves Sherlock and Watson entirely at the mercy of Dr. Grimesby Roylott; no one can help them if they find themselves in danger. In addition, the decrepit and isolated nature of the manor reflects the decline of the Roylott family: once the home of the illustrious Roylotts, the manor's occupants now number only two.
Related Themes:
