David: Actually, one element where I think setting is really interesting is when I'm reading a book about a character that is very much like myself and he's in a completely different setting. That is, to me, makes for some of the most interesting books. I read books about young boys in a concentration camp in Germany escaping, and it's such a different setting from my own life, and I can relate to the character's activities, and his motivations, and I suppose if the setting wasn't taken into consideration it would be a boring book, because I am reading my own autobiography. But in this sense, setting is essential. That's when a book really can hit me hard- is when the character I can identify with completely, the plot is something that's predictable, but the setting is so different, that it really makes a true adventure story for me. Keith: Quite frequently in my teaching, I will get students who say, "I can't imagine anything. I don't see anything in what I read. There's nothing there so I can't do the question, I can't answer the question 'what describes the setting?'" What, and this has become more and more frequent-here's a question that I'll pose to both of you-what do you think the reason for this is? David: Explain to me what you mean by that, exactly. They can't see anything? They can't- Give me an example, I mean. Keith: Quite frequently I'll get students who'll read what, to me, is a quite interesting story, and in my mind I have the place, the time, everything set out, and I have these wonderful images in my mind. The question I'll put forth to them in a paragraph: "Describe what you think the setting would be like." So, is it light, is it dark, is it-describe the house, describe the trees. Whatever the case may be, I want details as to what is up in your mind, as to what are you seeing when you read this book? And quite frequently, I'll see nothing. Now, it may be because the student is too lazy to do it, but I honestly think, because the increase in this occurring, that students honestly do not have any images conjured in their mind whatsoever.
David: I could write an essay on this. There's so many reasons why-one of them is that there's no respect and there's no pragmatism in pursuing a liberal arts education anymore. Colleges now, and universities, you go there for practical reasons, you go there to get a job. Years ago, you would go there to find a trade, and also to read the classics. You would be exercising your mind, you would be exercising your creative mind. I think that's probably-kids are getting this at a very young age-that it's more important to be scientific, understand the computers and sciences rather than reading literature, because it gets you nowhere in life just being clever. I also think that there's a certain bias, where people who are just naturally gifted-less so intellectually but more creatively- are able to appreciate novels more and to create things in their mind naturally, so when they read a book they can create something out of nothing. They can take something from the blank, black-and-white page and turn it into something grand. I think that those are probably two of the problems, but I just think the whole notion of reading books as a source of information, as a sheer pleasure, has just lost its appeal, and it's lost its practicality. Jill: I kind of think that it's-that a lot of people just don't like to read anymore, just don't want to read, don't want to get anything out of it, they want to play video games or watch TV instead, and they're not encouraged to read. I grew up with a mother who read like a maniac, and I've always seen that, and I've always loved that myself, and I don't really watch TV, but I know most of my friends, and even my brother, they-very bright people, but they don't ever care to read a book again in their life. They will read a magazine, or even non-fiction maybe, but to read a fictional book just holds no interest for them and I think there's probably students that are that way, and they are just not interested in reading, and therefore they're just not really getting anything out of what they read. They're reading the words but I don't think anything is really sinking in, because they just really don't care about reading. Keith: Conclusion: passivity- [laughter] the passivity in one's mind is an epidemic, I guess. Moving on to character.
