Setting

Physical setting

The events in “The Stone Boy” by Gina Berriault most probably take place in the 1950s, when the story was published. The story spans over a day, as the events start in the morning and end the following morning. The physical setting mainly consists of the farm in which the Curwing family lives:

The sky was faintly gray, almost white. The mountains behind the farm made the sun climb a long way to show itself. Several miles to the south, where the range opened up, hung an orange mist, but the valley in which the farm lay was still cold and colorless. (p. 2, ll. 14-16)

The description of the morning landscape introduces a gloomy atmosphere, which foreshadows the tragic event that is about to happen.

Another important element of the physical setting is the place where Arnold accidentally shoots Eugene: “Eugie paused before climbing through the wire fence that divided the wheatfield from the marshy pasture around the lake. They were screened from the ducks by the willows along t...