INFLUENCE OF SETTING

Our beliefs, values, and actions are affected by the time and place in which we live, by the people with whom we interact, and by historical and everyday events. The same is true of characters in stories. The story’s setting often affects the story’s conflict and the way characters develop. As you read, note details that refer to the setting, such as these:

 time, including a historical or future period, season, or even time of day

 place, including elements of nature (such as the type of environment or weather) and areas (such as a specific country, city, or building, or a farmland, a wilderness, an ocean, or another planet)

 cultural values, including the attitudes, beliefs, and customs of a society, town, country, or community

Some text here about the topic of discussion

​DIRECTIONS: Read the following memoir excerpt. Then, answer the questions below.

Despite the July heat, we all crowded around the TV. “You’re going to remember this for the rest of your lives,” Dad said. My sister, Lisa, zoomed her toy rocket across the TV screen. “I can’t see!” I hissed, clutching my own Apollo 11 model. Holding our breath, we watched as the Lunar Module hovered above the moon and prepared for landing. “They’re starting descent!” Dad cried excitedly. “Do you think they’ll find Martians?” Lisa asked. I laughed. “Martians are on Mars, not on the moon!” I said. Two minutes until landing. Dad aimed his reel-to-reel video recorder at the TV. “Houston, the Eagle has landed,” the astronaut’s voice crackled over the radio. “Hey, we live in Houston!” Lisa shouted. The newscasters on TV, Mom, and Dad wiped tears from their eyes. Lisa and I went outside to play astronauts while Mom and Dad kept their eyes on the grainy TV images. When the sun set, Mom called us inside to watch TV while we ate dinner (something we never did). I looked out of the window at the moon, thinking of the men who had just landed there. It’s so late, I thought. Why are Mom and Dad letting us stay up? Then, on the TV, I saw an astronaut boot stepping off a ladder. The newscaster announced, “Neil Armstrong is standing on the surface of the moon on this, July 20, 1969.” Mom and Dad clapped and cheered, and we could hear whoops of excitement next door. We all hugged each other and watched the rest of the newscast. We were watching history in the making!