A story’s setting can greatly affect its plot, characters, and, sometimes, its theme. In “There Will Come Soft Rains” the setting is a very technological one, a futuristic house. Whereas in “The Monkey’s Paw” the setting is the turn of the nineteenth century and on a much smaller scale. In Ray Bradbury’s selection, the characters are personified objects, including electrical mice and a fully programmed house designed to give pleasure and convenience. In Jacobs’ selection, the house is quite ordinary but elements within the setting create a dark gloomy atmosphere which is appropriate for the story’s plot. The characters are realistic. Theme is also affected by Bradbury’s setting. Everything points to the moral that technology, though a great convenience, has its disadvantages. The only surviving house after a nuclear war serves as a good setting for the subject matter. The setting affects the plots of both short stories in different ways. In “The Monkey’s Paw” supernatural events occur to create a spooky atmosphere. In “There Will Come Soft Rains” technological events occur to create a chilling atmosphere.