An important aspect of any story is the setting that the reader can imagine. The atmosphere that is created, very much adds to the general theme and the relationship between the characters and the surrounding environment. “Heart of Darkness” and “The Lamp at Noon”, are stories where the setting plays a great role in the development of events and delivers a tone that is very unique and specific to the different situations. There are many similarities and qualities that make each story a personal experience which has a significant effect on the audience. In the “Heart of Darkness” the reader begins to feel the heavy atmosphere, as soon as Marlow starts his journey on the boat. The eerie surroundings, unknown land and people who are much different from the known world make the setting very foreign. The further they travel down the river, the darker seems to be the jungle and people’s thoughts and expectations of what is to come. The fact that there are “cannibals” on the boat with Mr. Marlow adds to the imagery of a forbidden place where someone from the outside world can be in danger and disappear without a trace. The atmosphere of the country, jungle and the boat darken even further when Charles Marlow and his crew men are met with enemy “fire”—arrows and spears. When the helmsman is killed and falls right by Mr. Marlow, it is easy to see how the environment and the events increase the devastation and panic sets in. Doubts of the purpose and the final goal overtake Charles Marlow and he is unaware if there is a point to continue. Everything that happens is pressuring people and seems like a heavy weight that cannot be lifted. Even the atmospheric conditions of fog, the dark nights and the dense air are against people and demand to be left undisturbed. The nature greatly overpowers humans and commands them to turn back with many signs but nonetheless, they persist, as Mr. Marlow has an important mission. When they arrive at the station, the situation becomes even grimmer because Marlow is disappointed in Kurtz and is now sure that they came there for nothing. He is thinking that the lives of people lost were not worth the trip. When he and Kurtz fall ill, it is another sign that they should not be there and that the whole world is against foreign people being in that place. Most importantly, the journey is the travel inside a man’s soul where the darkest corners are observed and cannot be lighted. People discover their true identities and those of others. In “The Lamp at Noon”, the setting of the story also plays a very significant factor. The fact that two people are lonely, even though being very close, shows how the surrounding conditions can be alienating to humans. Ellen and Paul are desperately struggling on their farm with little crops and ability to prosper and this illustrates a dead end that has no escape. Their struggle through the unbeatable chances makes their battle with nature and weather even more in vein and makes them feel small and helpless. Not only there is separation in their personal lives but the Great Depression makes it difficult to survive and see any future in anything the couple gets involved in. The isolation in the harsh environment sets the base for a distance between people and individuals from nature and land. P