Full Black: The Impact of Setting

Setting can really affect a plot of a story, especially in Full Black. With what I have read, there are two main settings. One is an apartment complex in Sweden where the terrorists reside. Sean Chase gets into the apartments because the terrorists think he is Mansoor. One of the rooms in the complex is described clearly enough to make it seem like you are there. "In the first room, Chase found multiple mattresses, only one of which was covered by a sheet. There was a milk crate for a nightstand and atop it a table lamp with an exposed bulb and no shade. A small TV, DVD player, and cushions scattered across the floor completed the makeshift dormitory cum rec room... he made his way across the room. The closet was partially open and he stole a quick glance inside. Nothing. Only shirts, trousers, and a row of cheap shoes" (pgs. 106-107). This quote describes the room well and how Chase was observing all of the details until he gets to the closet where there could be guns. The suspension is built by saying, "the closet was partially open". This makes it intriguing for him but also scared if there could be guns in the closet. When he looks inside, he finds no weapons. Only clothes.

The other main setting is Larry Salomon's house in Hollywood. When Ralston enters the house, it is described as being grand but being bad for Ralston. "To get there, he had to pass through the entry hall with its wide double staircase. There was nothing for cover and Ralston used the darkness and shadows as best as he could. The living room, with its floor-to-ceiling glass windows and ambient moonlight spilling from outside, was even worse, but he made it through both without incident" (pg. 21-22). This quote shows that since the house was big, there could be many places people could be and he could get spotted because of the light shining in on him. The suspense is built when the rooms are described and the conflict of him being clearly visible are described. It makes you think about what could happen to him if he is seen by anyone. He could be killed, captured, tortured. Anything could happen to him if he is seen.

Overall, setting can impact the suspense and plot of a story greatly. This was only two different paragraphs but the setting had still greatly affected each one by creating suspense for the reader and characters.

Below is a video of Brad Thor describing how he came up with the idea of Full Black.