* Technology: The story mentions a "dime novel" and a "Victrola" record player, both popular items in the mid-20th century.
* Social Norms: The protagonist, Palmer, attends a school with a strict dress code and has a close-knit community with strong religious ties, reflecting social norms of that era.
* Themes: The themes of conformity, animal cruelty, and individual conscience resonate with the postwar period and the changing social landscape.
While the exact year is not specified, the setting feels firmly rooted in the mid-20th century.