Rule #19: Geography Matters…

Quick Summary:

“Humans inhabiting spaces, and at the same time the spaces inhabiting humans”

• Geography can give important background information
• Geography can be used to set the tone and get the reader prepared
• It can develop or define a character Geography can even be a character
• When characters go south it’s so they can run amok

Examples: The Old Man and the Sea, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Napoleon Symphony, The Fall House of Usher, Bean Trees, Song of Solomon, Going After Cacciato, A Room with a View, A Passage to India, The Alexandria Quartet, Lady Chatterley’s Lover, Lord Jim, Heart of Darkness, In Praise of Prairie, The Far Field, Bogland, In Praise of Limestone, The Snows of Kilimanjaro, Women in Love

My Examples: Narcos- It starts in Miami at a time when cocaine was beginning to be used. Being set in Miami gives us a lot of insight of what’s gonna happen because we know Miami is the capital for importing drugs. Then the show transfers to Columbia where the drugs are made. When Pablo builds his prison he builds it on top of a hill with sentimental value and strategic purposes. At one point he also has to flee the country to Panama, which represents a safe haven, but Columbia is his home and he has a strong connection to Columbia and goes back even though it’s not as safe.

Also in Anchorman 2. Because in the first Anchorman, Ron Burgundy is a local news anchor in San Diego, California. But because of his huge success he moves to New York and New York represents major success and being in the national spotlight now, not just one city. This is even more apparent in the intro scene, with Ron’s lavish outfit and the music which all combine to just show the high level of success. This movie also uses geography to symbolize him hitting rock bottom when he banishes himself to go live in a lighthouse when he loses his sight and his job.

Photo credit: jimmiehomeschoolmom via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA