Variation dyn.pr. Situation ↔ Circumstances

the relationship of oneself to the environment

Circumstances describes the way a character feels about his environment. Whereas Situation is rated in terms of satisfaction, Circumstances are rated in terms of fulfillment. Emotion, therefore, is the standard of measurement a character uses to evaluate his Circumstances. Often a character must accept unfulfilling Circumstances because he needs the benefits of the Situation. Or a character may accept an unsatisfying Situation because it comes with fulfilling Circumstances. Over the course of a story, the balance between the two measurements can vary greatly.

syn. how things stand emotionally, emotional evaluation of the environment, value of existing conditions, relationship to others