Final answer:
The setting of 'A Journal of the Plague Year' is pivotal, providing a desolate, frightening backdrop of 17th-century London during the plague and heightening the narrative's tension by making the city's very atmosphere a force that shapes and challenges characters.
Step-by-step explanation:
The setting of A Journal of the Plague Year significantly affects what happens within the narrative and increases tension in multiple ways. Firstly, the setting in time - the year 1665 during the bubonic plague - underscores the themes of fear, uncertainty, and the struggle for survival.
The historical context immerses the reader in the claustrophobic atmosphere of plague-ridden London, elevating the story's intensity. Secondly, the story's physical setting also raises the stakes. Descriptions of desolate streets, closed buildings, and mass graves paint a harrowing portrait of the city, amplifying the characters' sense of isolation and peril.
Through the setting, the book places the reader directly into the shoes of those experiencing the pestilence, invoking a sense of entrapment as the boundaries of the once bustling city turn into confines of terror and despair. This use of setting not only creates an engaging backdrop but also serves as a catalyst for the actions of the characters, driving home the impact of societal collapse and individual vulnerability during a public health crisis.