Setting

The short story “Cold Calling” by Chuck Palahniuk is set in contemporary times in Walla Walla, Washington (p. 127, l. 39). The fact that the story is set in contemporary times is hinted at through the main character’s job working in phone sales as well as references to the 9/11 attacks (p. 128, ll. 3-6).

Physical setting

The physical setting includes two main places: the call center where Bill is working and Thomas Jefferson High School in Walla Walla, which both Bill and Samantha attend. The high school is predominantly attended by white students who, according to both Samantha and Bill, all have similar appearances and aspirations. Samantha describes the city as “a dinky town called Walla Walla, a tankful of gas from anywhere good” (p. 128, l. 26). However, there are also references to other cities in the US where Bill is cold calling including Battle Creek, Tulsa, Fargo, Memphis, Los Angeles, and Yakima.

Additionally, there are also references to Asian countries like India and Pakistan, from where most clients assume Bill is calling. These references to different locations help describe the globalized world we live in and how easy it is, in theory, to communicate with people in different parts of the world. In practice, the story shows how communication is often blocked by prejudices and ste...