Analyzing Setting in Story ‘Once Upon a Time”

(by Hary Pratama, Donna Pradana, Imam M. Iqbal) 

1. Introduction

In Nadine Gordimer`s ”Once Upon a Time”, The story begins with the author that was asked to write a children story “ every writer ought to write at least one story for children” but she refused. Then she felt paranoid because she woke up and hearing voice. The setting in this story is in suburb area in which they were a rich family with their son. They love the son very much. Their live seemed perfect with their own swimming pool, trustworthy housemaid. Unfortunately, there were riots where people of another color were quartered. This is the main clue to analyze the theme and setting of this story.

2. Theme
   1. Definition of theme

Theme is a broad idea, message, or moral of a story. The message may be about life, society, or human nature. Along with plot, character, setting, and style, theme is considered as one of the fundamental components of fiction (Obstfeld, 2002). Therefore, we attempt to discuss about theme in Nadine Gordimer`s Once Upon A Time.

2. Analyzing theme

In analyzing this story, we found connection between theme and setting in this short story. The theme of this story is about colonization, the writer tried to tell us the situation of a family living in a colony. There were many riots, so the colonizer (the family) built extra-security for their family such as, fence, dog, security guard, and insurance for accidents. Is can be seen from the line there were riots where people of another color were quartered, the words another color suggested that there were conflict between the native of African and white men.

3. Setting

There are three aspects in setting; they are historical context, geographical context and physical context.

1. Historical context

Historical context is the political, social, cultural, and economic setting for a particular idea or event in order to better understand something in history, this aspect is important in knowing time and place and which give it its meaning. Setting also makes up the mood in the story. In this way, it can gain, among other things, a sense of how unique or ordinary an event or idea seems to be in comparison to other events and ideas.

2. Geographical context

Geographical context is the terms location and place are used to identify a point or an area on the Earth's surface or elsewhere. The term 'location' generally implies a higher degree of can certainty than "place" which often has an ambiguous boundary relying more on human/social attributes of place identity and sense of place than on geometry.

3. Physical context

The physical context is including weather conditions, might be specifically described.

4. Uses of setting

The setting may be nothing more than the backdrop for what occurs; however, it may be directly linked to mood or meaning.

• It can create an atmosphere that affects our response to the story.
• It may have a direct effect on a character's motivation.
• An external force may enter the setting and change it, causing conflict for the characters.
• The setting itself may be an antagonist.
• Two settings may come into conflict with each other, causing conflict in the characters that must live in them and perhaps have to choose between them.

Sometimes the setting is clearly described by the narrator. However, some works will require you to search for clues, especially with regard to the nonphysical environment.

• Learn about the author and the time and place of writing.
• Note suggestive details.
• Note unique uses of language and, perhaps, hidden references to the historical or cultural environment.

Analyzing the story ‘Once Upon a Time’

The setting of this novel is suburb is where the place seemed dangerous and chaotic and the violence could happen anytime. Therefore, the family builds extra-security in case if there is an intruder in their home. Eventually paranoia will lead to the tragedy when their very son got accident.

1. Historical Context in Once Upon A Time

This story has two historical contexts. First is the historical context of the writer before she started her bedtime story. Unfortunately, we could not find enough evidence to define the historical context of the paragraph 1-8. Second is historical contexts in this story is about the condition of post-colonial era that represents the social life of colonized and the colonizer people. The colonizer (the family) was living in fear. It can be seen from the wife`s paranoia. She was feared of the riots, so the family build extra layer of protections.

2. Geographical context in Once Upon A Time

The first geographical context of this story is a urban area because the writer mentioned in the 7^th paragraph

the creaking was a buckling, an epicenter of stress. I was in it. The house that surrounds me while I sleep is built on Undermined ground; far beneath my bed, the floor, the house`s foundation, the stages and passages of gold mines have hollowed the rock.

The second geographical context in stated in the 9^th paragraph In a house, a suburb, in a city, there were a man and his wife who loved each other very much and were living happily ever after. where there was border that separating the family and people of another color.

3. Physical context in Once Upon A Time

Unfortunately, in this story, we could not found any sentence that mention or refer the physical context.