Plot and Setting

"They were on their way to see the Sun Temple at Konarak. It was a ddry, bright Saturday, the mid-JUly heat tempered by a steady ocean breeze, ideal weather for sightseeing." -"Interpreter of Maladies"

     For all of these stories, the setting plays an important role in the plot. For "How I Met my Husband," Edie is barred the opportunity to meet men outside the setting of work since she resides with her employers. The above quote shows that the plot is set in India, and "A Rose for Emily" takes place in the Deep South. It serves to note that each of these stories portrays a character with a social idiosyncracy or flaw that ultimately leads to the revelation of the plot. Well, the setting has a major role in the progression of these plots. Each setting lends itself to the characters' flaws. With "A Rose for Emily," the town is still accustomed to Soutern gentility and decorum, leading to an appropriate ghost story. In "How I Met my Husband," the countryside location of the house suggests fleeting intentions and times. Edie is as steadfast as the house, but like the crops and ever-changing fairground around her, her lover ends up not being a flying nomad but an area fixture, like herself.