What is the setting of The Fat Girl by Andre Dubus?

The setting of the "The Fat Girl" is a small Louisiana town. This town guarantees that Louise will not escape the scrutiny of her community. When Louise is fat, their eyes register disappointment; "their eyes would tell her she was still fat Louise, who had been fat as long as they could remember, who had gone to college and returned as fat as ever."

After Louise slims down, however, they look at her with pride and give her a true sense of belonging. Louise becomes friends with some of her former childhood acquaintances, but none of them seem to remember her when she was fat. Such a detail demonstrates their constant judgment of Louise. The people from home embrace her because she is thin, not because she is Louise.