Urban/Suburban United States

Many of the stories have no distinct settings beyond urban and suburban United States. Many of the stories simply take place in people’s homes—such as houses or apartments—without many details regarding the settings themselves. These narrative choices partially help to direct the reader’s focus to the characters, relationships, and scenarios, without including setting details that might be unnecessary or distracting.

Orchard, “Appleless”

The setting of “Appleless” is vague, but much of the action takes place in or near an apple orchard. The primary tension of the story comes from the central character’s refusal to eat apples. The other characters are baffled by this stance, and they then eat solely apples, in order to compensate. At the end of the story, the girl flees form the orchard and surrounding area.

Malaysia, “Tiger Mending”

The story “Tiger Mending” begins in the United...