"The Falling Girl" by Dino Buzzati

Featured literary device: Setting

Setting is one of the five important elements of a story. It creates the mood, shows characters and conflicts, and gives clues to a story's message. Time and place can do more than just give context. It is important to learn to pay attention to “the where” and “the when” reading a text.

The Falling Girl.pdf

Questions to think about:

  • What did Marta truly want?

  • What is the message?

  • What is the point of view?

  • What does this say about the society that we live in?

  • Why did the author choose to not give a complete ending?

  • What is the setting?


Summary

The story concerns a nineteen-year-old girl, Marta, who falls off the roof of a skyscraper. Marta talks with strangers as she drops; gaining an almost celebrity-like status ("Some thought her pretty, others thought her so-so, everyone found her interesting."). She looks up and notices another girl falling above her, and more and more. By this point, Martha is starting to get old and she overhears a conversation about the whole situation.

Setting

The city is a city that never sleeps and consists of a lot of tall buildings, showcasing how modern and developed it is. The story also mentions a lot of parties taking place, showing how shallow and entertainment-driven the people are. People are trying so hard that they forget who they really are and get lost in the lavishness, being hypocrites seeking pleasure and attention, which is what Marta wants until in the end she realises how superficial the entire situation is, like the city.

Image: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/29/32/7f/29327f7850b59c9d3b41dc5ab1c63612.jpg