The Yellow Brick Road written by Witi Ihimaera is a short story based around a Maori family leaving their home behind to live a greater life in Wellington. leaving behind their culture, family and home to live a greater life. The setting of this short story is mainly in the car travelling to Wellington from their home Waituhi.
The setting of the story doesn’t have a good impact on the theme. Dark, Windy, cold and wet isn’t a good mixture with the thought Matiu had about going to the glorious Emerald city. There are many events where the setting impacts on the theme in negative ways and very few if any positavte for example. “Suddenly, I see two lights ahead like eyes glaring at us the eyes open wider, grow larger, looking like the eyes of a.. “Dad! I yell afraid.” They were the headlights of a truck coming in the opposite direction and made Matiu feel terrified and scared of what it might be like in the city.
“Far away are the lights of Wellington streaming with the rain down our window like glistening towers and it looks so ... so ... beautiful Just as I’d imagined it to be. Emerald city. At this point of time the rain and the darkness didn’t terrify him anymore it was a magical moment “I look out the car. I see a sign: STEEP GRADE. All along the yellow brick road there have been signs like that. CHANGE DOWN.ONE WAY.LIMITED SPEED ...”Many signs, all telling us where we have to go and... I begin to feel scared” Matiu is worried and scared of change, will ever be able to find his way back home? Will everything still be alright? He asked himself.
So in conclusion the story is mainly full of negative effects which changes Matius mind about many things going to this new life like the event of the scary truck in the scary night or the signs telling him what to do and where to go brining his hope down it wasn’t like his old home.