The answer is The setting creates a main conflict and elevates the tension in the story.
In "Shooting an Elephant" by George Orwell, "the real nature of imperialism" is shown when Orwell says that as a British officer in Burma, he himself is against colonialism because in a job like that you see the dirty work of the British Empire. And when he faces the elephant he sees clearly that even though he doesn't want to kill the elephant, he has to because the Burmese expect him to, so he is not free. By limiting the power of the others the British Empire has limited its own freedom making a place of hollow power.
