A Boy Called Bat

Setting is used as a literary device to develop Bat’s characterization and make him more relatable. Bat’s emotional states often depend on his location. He usually feels safe and secure when he is at home and school. Both locations have an added layer of security—Bat’s room and Babycakes’s enclosure, respectively. Bat also feels safe at his mother’s veterinary clinic, which is often overstimulating. Since animals and becoming a vet are Bat’s special interests, he is energized instead of overwhelmed by the clinic’s sights and sounds.

In contrast to these settings, Bat feels insecure when he is with his father. This speaks to the disconnect between Bat and Dad, as well as Bat’s resistance to accepting his parents’ divorce. Some of the transitions between settings are used to symbolize the transition between Bat’s emotional states. This is seen when Bat leaves school, gets in his father’s car, and they drive to pick up Janie. Bat is transitioning from a stable setting—his classroom—to an unstable one—his father’s apartment.