Lesson 8 — Activity 1: Looking at Setting in Literature

In addition to plot and characters in a story, novel, or movie, setting is an important element in making these experiences interesting and memorable. When readers experience setting, they are transported to new places and new environments. Sometimes, readers are very familiar with the sights, sounds, smells, and textures a place offers. Other times, readers experience something completely new and have to rely on their own experiences to help them make sense of a place they have never seen before.

The drama "My Street" by Betty Quan is a story that communicates setting very clearly. The setting of this story is Chinatown in Vancouver, Canada. Have you ever been to a Chinese community? Most large cities such as Vancouver, Edmonton, or Toronto have Chinese communities marked by Oriental architecture, traditional colours, decorations, stores, and other businesses. Many Chinese people, as well as other ethnic groups, like what the area has to offer in goods, services, and experiences.

Click here to read the passage "My Street" by Betty Quan. This selection is called a monologue.

The narrator (or storyteller) is the son of a Chinese woman. If you were to hear this monologue or read it aloud instead of silently, you would hear a male voice with no trace of a Chinese accent, although he would mimic his mother's accent for effect. The person hearing it could experience what the person does in this story.

After you have completed reading "My Street," go to the Self-check Activity.