Setting and Theme: 'This Boy's Life,' 'Running in the Family,' and the Link Between Place and Characterization Anonymous 12th Grade

In literature, different settings are often used to explain the production of different types of characters with varied opinions, personalities, and morals. On top of this, the setting is often used to carry a specific idea or emphasize the goal of the characters. The rural locations of each of these books push towards a common theme of escape. In the memoirs This Boy’s Life by Tobias Wolff and Running in the Family by Michael Ondaatje the element of setting is significant in that it aids with the reader’s understanding of the writer’s personal goals both at the time of the events as well as in writing their memoir through acting as a vehicle for theme as well as giving explanation to character’s actions and feelings.

In both of these memoirs, a theme surrounding the idea of escape arises, rooting itself in the isolation that the characters experience in their current settings. Running in the Family takes place on the island of Ceylon and This Boy’s Life in small-town Concrete, Washington. While Ondaatje himself may not have specifically tried to escape the island of Ceylon, he states that he “realized he had slipped past a childhood he had ignored and not understood.” implying that his life in Ceylon has slipped past his...