The setting is the time and place, whether fictional or non-fictional, where the story takes place. This literary element often is introduced at the beginning of the story so the reader has an idea of the atmosphere overall. For example, in the novel <em>To Kill a Mockingbird </em>by Harper Lee, the author begins the story by explaining the setting through Scout's thoughts and experience, and after a few pages, the reader learns that the story takes places in a Southern State of the U.S., in the 1900s, so the reader can have context that allows them to understand the novel.
