Setting
The physical setting of the short story “Auggie Wren’s Christmas Story” by Paul Auster is Brooklyn, New York. The story within a story takes place in 1972, and the rest of the narrative is set 12 years later, in 1984. A large part of Auggie’s story takes place on Christmas day. The cigar store where Auggie Wren works could indicate the character’s lower social status. The old woman, Ethel, lives in a small apartment in the projects (l. 125) which points to poverty and social inequality. Since her grandson Robert has lived there at one point as well, this suggests a link between difficult social conditions and criminality.
The concepts of time and space have a strong subjective meaning in this story. The place where Auggie stands to take his photos, “on ...