Final answer:
The author explains the historical and cultural setting in a story to provide context for characters' actions and the plot, allowing readers to understand and analyze motivations and thematic messages. This context can also deepen readers' understanding of different periods and make the story more impactful.
Step-by-step explanation:
The author explains the historical and cultural setting of a story to provide depth and context to the characters' actions and the plot. Understanding the cultural and social setting of the story can illuminate characters' motivations and decisions. Additionally, appreciating the cultural and social setting during which the author wrote the story allows readers to analyze the intention behind the characters' behaviors and the author's thematic messages.
Works like Kjartan Fløgstad's 'Grense Jacobselv' and Victor Hugo's 'Les Miserables' serve as examples, in which the narratives are set against rich historical backdrops, allowing for a fictional tale to unfold within a framework that is historically accurate. This approach gives the story authenticity and can also facilitate a deeper understanding of cultural or historical periods by placing readers within the context of those times, compelling them to see the world through the lens of the characters. Conversely, the lack of a robust setting might render a story less impactful or even alien to its intended message.