Importance of Setting in The Cask of Amontillado
and Hills Like White Elephants
by Barry Wright
Essay: Importance of Setting in The Cask of Amontillado and Hills Like White Elephants
Pages: 10
Rating: 3 stars
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Short stories have particular settings to supplement their themes. The eerie catacombs during a carnival in “The
Cask of Amontillado” supplement the themes of revenge, and deception, which the protagonist takes
responsibility in, whereas in “Hills Like White Elephants”, the atmosphere around the Spanish train station
emphasizes the themes of miscommunication between characters and their evasion of responsibilities.
In “The Cask of Amontillado”, the combination of the carnival and the catacomb settings contribute to the themes
of revenge, and deception which the protagonist takes responsibility in. Because the story takes place during the
carnival, the protagonist, Montressor, has an easier time plotting against Fortunato:
“It was about dusk, one evening during the supreme madness of the carnival season, that I encountered my friend.
He accosted me with excessive warmth, for he had been drinking much… I was so pleased to see him that I
thought I should never have done wringing his hand (Poe 13)”.
Clearly, Fortunato is intoxicated because he is having a merry time at the carnival. Upon meeting, Montressor
takes advantage of Fortunato’s excessive drinking in that he will be taking revenge on Fortunato on that night.
Therefore, the carnival setting emphasizes on the theme of revenge. Montressor takes benefit from the catacombs
setting, where he uses deception against Fortunato:
“’The nitre!’ I said, ‘see, it increases. It hangs like moss upon the vaults… Come, we will ` go back ere it is too late.
Your cough-‘
‘It is nothing,’ he said, ‘let us go on. But first, another draught of the Medoc.’
I broke and reached him a flagon of De Grave. He emptied it at a breath (Poe 15)”.
Montressor uses deception in the form of reverse ps...