Final answer:
The setting of a story greatly impacts its narrative, serving as a critical component that gives depth to characters and plots. In the context of the provided excerpts, settings vary from city clubs to diners, all playing significant roles, with characters' interests and lives interwoven with their environments.
Step-by-step explanation:
The setting of a story is crucial as it shapes the narrative's meaning and implications. From the presented excerpts, it appears that various narratives are set in different locations that significantly affect the respective storylines. Midnight's Children, for instance, intimately connects its plot with its setting, emphasizing the intertwining of personal and political destinies within a culturally rich environment. The use of place and time here is not just a backdrop but a character itself, reflective of Eudora Welty's notion that setting is pivotal to the identity of a story.
The story of Dexter in the excerpt regarding his fascination with Judy Jones indicates a setting of city clubs and socialite gatherings. Here, the setting represents Dexter's social and emotional world, with his interest in the dancer, Judy Jones, revealing his aspirations and the perceived value of romantic pursuits within his social circle.
In contrast, Hopper's painting referenced in the LibreTexts™ excerpt doesn't provide a narrative but rather invites the viewer to infer the setting and the lives of the characters depicted. The ambiguity of their lives, including the man's interest in the dancer, is suggested by the setting of a city diner and the slickness of the paint that evokes the style of advertisements.
Whether it's the carefully crafted social dynamics of a city club or the quiet tension in a city diner, settings serve as more than mere locations. They are symbolic landscapes where characters' inner desires, conflicts, and societal positions are illustrated and explored.