The importance of setting in a storyThere are many aspects in building a good story and among them, setting is one of the most important aspects. A setting in the story is defined as the context and environment in which a situation is established, or the background of the story. It is the time, place and circumstances in which a story, play or film takes place. “A Pair of Tickets” by Amy Tan from “The Joy Luck Club” is the story of her trip to China to explore her identity and self-awareness. As a narrator, Amy Tan presents the story of a young Chinese-American student, Jing-Mei Woo, the protagonist. Jing-Mei began her journey with her father to China with the aim of meeting her half-sisters for the first time. Amy Tan constructs both the physical and symbolic settings of the story to intricately weave the theme that Jing-Mei is "becoming Chinese" [Tan, 181] throughout the story. "A Pair of Tickets" has two physical settings: San Francisco, United States and Guangzhou, China. In this story, the setting plays an important role to highlight the essence of the story, which is about travel. Jing-Mei's change of setting, from the United States to China, helps readers perceive the lifestyle transition that the protagonist experiences throughout the story. The author portrays Jing's character as a Chinese-American who has various stereotypical notions about China. For example, Jing is surprised by the excellent hotel service, built-in wet bar, affordability, and availability of Western snacks in a Chinese hotel. As the story unfolds, changes in Jing's perception of China help establish both the physical and symbolic setting of the story. Setting helps create atmosphere, influence how characters behave, influence dialogue,… middle of the paper… mother. His own eyes, his own mouth, open in surprise at finally seeing his long-cherished desire. [Tan, 195] “A Pair of Tickets” by Amy Tan is a good example of how the setting explores place, culture, and cultural identity to provide an in-depth understanding of the characters. In this story, Jing-Mei overcomes her misconceptions and realizes what makes her Chinese. The setting played an important role in helping readers understand how she came to this realization. The setting of a story helps outline the overall themes of that story, journey, and personal identity. It could also be an important symbol or help develop symbolism. The setting also allows the reader to relate to the adversity or situation. This helps the story become more powerful. Works Cited Tan, Amy. "Queen Mother of the Western Skies." The Joy and Luck Club. New York: Putnam, 1989. . Press.