ntroduction
This paper aims to analyze setting of Wilde’s story The Nightingale and the Rose. Literary analysis looks critically at a work of fiction in order to understand how the settings contribute to the whole. It is not merely a summary or review, but rather an interpretation of the work and an argument about the settings based on the text.This story is written by Irish writer who has full name, Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde was born on 16 October 1854. The Nightingale and the Rose is a fiction story. The fiction is written about imaginary characters, events and setting, to disclose an idea (theme) of a story.
Setting is required on a story because it describes where and when the story takes place. Some readers have difficult to find out setting time and place. Sometimes, readers miss some places and time the story takes place that may be important part of plot or theme. Moreover, the setting place and time is also just backdrop against the action of a story. The term “setting” is often used to refer to the social milieu in which the events of a short story occur. Then social milieu shapes the characters’ values.
The Nightingale and the Rose has setting actually. It is interesting thing to analyze the setting of the story. This paper deals with the setting of the short story. Discussions are focused on the identification on the place and time, types of setting and how Wilde presents it.
Synopsis of The Nightingale and the Rose
The Nightingale and the Rose is a romantic short story. The main character is Nightingale that is a small brown European bird known especially for the beautiful song which is usually heard during the night. The Nightingale gave her life-blood to Young student who loved a woman. A Nightingale’s life-blood could crimson the heart of a rose that the Young student needed in order to he could dance with the woman. The grave that is near the young student’s garden is a main place in the story “The Nightingale and the Rose.”
At the time, the winter has chilled tree-rose’s veins and the frost has nipped its buds, and the storm has broken its branches, and tree-rose shall have no roses. In this case, Nightingale flew over to find Rose-tree. She visited three places but she didn’t get the red-Rose. In the third place, Nightingale beg to Rose-tree gave its red rose for her. There is way to get a red rose. The nightingale must build the red rose out of music by moonlight, and stain it with her own heart’s-blood. Nightingale must sing to the Rose-tree with her breast against a thorn. At last, the Young student got and brought the red rose to the woman but she neglected the red rose. The Young student was broken heart he threw it away into street where it fell into gutter.
Analysis
1. Place Setting
After reading the short story thoroughly for several times, there are many places that is taken Wilde. It aims to make the story naturally. This story takes main place on the grove. Wilde describes the grove – there are Holm-oak tree and the grass that is close to the Young student’s home. Moreover, to make as natural as the grove generally, he puts some animals in the grove. As the grove generally, there are some plants and animals live there.
This story is relatively a simple story. It uses familiar word to describe the characters or settings of the story. It is a romantic story where the nightingale gives her life-blood – her death for a red rose which the young student needs. Before, the nightingale found the red rose, she flew over three places. The first one is the centre of grass-plot. In that place, the nightingale sees the white rose. Wilde puts the right place where the rose logically may live in there. In real life, rose can live on grass-plot. It makes the story be real appearance. The second, round the old sun-dial place is a choice place. He takes the place as the next rose is yellow rose. The sun-dial adjust to the yellow rose as the second rose which the nightingale finds. It shows that there is no doubt to the writer’s imagination. The place has taken is rhythm with the object. It can build beautiful place to the story.
The last one is beneath the young student’s window. It interpret that the main place of this story is the grove where is near the Young student’s garden. The Young student’s house has the grave. He is owner of the grave. Wilde chooses the place where is beneath the young student’s window because it has related with the young student. He has the Young student see the red rose later when the Day comes. In generally, people open their window at the Day comes. It’s the reason why Wilde takes the third place, in order to the young student directly sees the marvelous red rose when he opens the window at the early morning. In the third place, the nightingale doesn’t fly over again because the rose has been finished by her heart’s-blood, her death. It’s obvious that the nightingale’s love towards the young student is so great. She used to sing for him at night after night though she knew he doesn’t understand.
After getting the red rose, the young student went to the woman’s home. It is next setting place. When he comes to her home, there is her father who is sitting in the doorway winding blue silk on a reel, and her little dog is lying at her feet. The condition or action is formed in order to the story as natural as daily life in Ireland. Wilde wants to describe the Ireland culture through this story. Moreover, there is gutter around the woman’s house. It points out that he wants to tell the place of this story as usual as the real life. It is the way to revel the place setting of the story.
2. Time Setting
The one important part of a story is time – when did the story happen? The winter is the main setting time of this story. In the weather, there is no rose. Wilde builds dramatic on how to get the red rose for the woman who’s loved the Young student. Then, the Nightingale finds the red rose with her struggle. She flies to the Rose-tree and set her breast against the thorn. All night long she sings and the thorn goes deeper and deeper into her breast, and her life-blood ebb away from her. Then, the death costs the red rose. The time is also at night because the real is nightingale just sings at night.
Furthermore, Wilde tells the events or actions chronologically. First, the Nightingale sees the sorrowful of the young student because the young student doesn’t have a red rose. Then, the nightingale decides to fly over finding the red rose. She visits three places where it is growing rose-tree. He describes each place briefly but he describes the rose that grows in each place very well. At last, the young student gets the red rose but he doesn’t know how the red rose comes up in the winter season.
3. Types of Setting
There are three types of setting; realistic setting, natural setting and artificial setting. Realistic setting is place and time setting that is real or happened in daily life. It’s like London, Indonesia, Gading park, etc. It is real setting place. Besides that, there is a real time. It may conclude when the event or action did happened actually.
Natural setting is setting place and time that use geographical location or historical time. It makes the story has realistic but the story is not really happened. The last, artificial setting is unrealistic setting. The place is not available in this world. It is just the author’s imagination for example, Harry Potter, Mr.Black, Misteri Gunung Berapi, etc.
Based on the text, the story “The Nightingale and the Rose” uses natural setting. Wilde takes the realistic place, like the grove, the house, the grass-plot, etc. He sets this story to become realistic happened, though it is not really happened. It is written in past form where Wilde let it go in order to The Nightingale and the Rose can be realistic story. He uses the natural setting in order to his idea is reached through this story. Readers become aware that never give up even on the worst condition. There is way, if there is great desire. Don’t let the condition lead your life.
ConclusionBased on the analysis above, it can conclude that The Nightingale and the Rose is success to describe the setting place and time by using natural setting. The aspects reveal the idea or theme of the story – Don’t let the condition lead our live. Furthermore, it reveals the romantic and touched story. A bird is willing to give her heart to a man who loves a woman. The bird still loves him so much though the man doesn’t know it. The bird is the true lover of this story.
On the other hand, this story is set in order to it is dramatic. It is not realistic that there is bird who loves a man. Then, she is willing to die for love. But, actually the nightingale is described someone who is willing to do anything for love.
The theme or character above can be appeared caused by the good setting of the story. In sum, a good setting will disclose the good story. On the other way, the bad setting will defeat the good story appeared.