For this assignment, I had to describe the meaning of the word “setting” and write a one-page paper on the setting of “Murder for Her Majesty” by Beth Hilgartner.

The setting in a book is the time and place in which the story takes place. In  Murder For Her Majesty in the very first chapter we are told that Alice (the main character) is eight miles out of York; the place has been given. However, the time is very unclear in the sense that the author, Beth Hilgartner, never comes right out and states the time. But, we are given several clues.

Throughout the book, Alice and her friends light candles to go up to their rooms and in the cathedral. Alice sings for an Anglican cathedral, so the story must take place after Martian Luther, the first person to break with the Catholic Church. In winter we are told that the only place that is warm is right by the fire. Also before cold nights Alice and her friends heat bricks for their beds. This narrows the time  down to 1500 to 1800. Probably our best clue is ‘Her Majesty’ is referred to as Queen Elizabeth I, who reigned from 1558 to 1603. But an interesting thing about this clue is that the author doesn’t tell us who ‘Her Majesty’ is until the middle of the book. It is almost like the author doesn’t want us to know. We have to figure it out for ourselves.

The setting is an important part of a book. We can use the setting like Beth Hilgartner, or we could say it right out, or we could change it throughout are book. Setting contributes to the mood of a book. And we can experiment with it all the time.