The reciprocity between setting and action brings great meaning and compelling reflection to both William Golding's novel Lord of the Flies and the short story “I Only Came to Use the Telephone” by Gabriel García Márquez. Because in the plots of these two works, the setting dictates the actions, ideas and moral decisions taken by the characters. As the settings evolve, they directly influence the characters' decision-making, but in a way that only the reader can see. The beach represents a place of balance and democracy. From Lord of the Flies, the quote “Let's Vote – That voting toy was almost as nice as the conch” (22) shows how rewarding the boys find creating a democracy on a peaceful beach. And while the beach is also where Jack declares his independence from the group and breaks away, he does so nonviolently, without threatening physical harm. Even when harsh words are exchanged, the reader views these events as civilized, non-aggressive events that accentuate the calm of the beach. The open setting of the beach, with its “shimmering waters” (10) and “miles of length” (18), empowers the characters to get along and act in a more civilized manner. Additionally, the beach is a creative and survival environment. . It is on the beach that the boys formulate their best ideas for survival, such as building shelters and maintaining a fire for warmth and signaling ships. Castle Rock has the opposite effect. Because, on the other hand, in the context of Castle Rock, ideas of survival are put aside in favor of more defensive and useless measures, such as that of the giant rock to protect oneself, or the numerous useless parties. There is still a creative environment, exemplified in their military strategy and traps, but it is not... middle of paper ...... feelings of love for her. This loss of great feeling for Maria that Saturno experiences is very similar to the loss of morality following Marias' stay at the Sanatorium. Marquez uses this loss of feeling to show that, in the sanatorium, no emotions can be felt because the need for survival is much greater. In Lord of the Flies and I Only Came to Use the Telephone, the interaction between the setting and the actions of the characters are influenced by the constant change of setting and opportunity. With great strides in moral changes and thought-provoking ideas based on the setting, both of these writings give the reader great inner aspects of the characters' thoughts. Works Cited: Golding, William. Lord of the Flies. New York: Coward-McCann, 1962. Print. Marquez, Gabriel Garcia. Strange Pilgrims: Twelve Stories. New York: Knopf, 1993. 71-91. Print.