The time, place, and culture in which the action of the play takes place is called the setting. The elements of setting may include geographic location, physical or mental environments, prevailing cultural attitudes, or the historical time in which the action takes place. The locations for Mule Bone are all located in or near a small village. They include the front porch of Clarke's store, a street, the Baptist church, and the railroad tracks just outside town. The action occurs over a period of twenty-four hours.