Travelogues
Travelogues or travel literature became very popular in the 18th century. Anything exotic from the "orient" became instantly famous, and the audience felt transported to a different place and time. They often described the physical landscape, as well as the people encountered.
The writers themselves varied in their gender, age, and social class, according to Bohl: "Some of the most important kinds of travel writer are familiar from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries: diplomats, merchants, explorers, colonizers, and scientists. Other types were relatively new, either to travel or to writing. Modern tourism began to flourish during this period" (Bohls xvii). These authors brought their experiences home in the form of writing.
Representations of foreign people varied. Women travelers tended more towards descriptions of clothing and dress, while men often discussed political systems. The "otherness" of that text shapes the exotic place that is being depicted. The travelogue is more than just dates and basic activities; it encompasses a narrative experience that represents colonial attitudes of European nations.
English citizens and their attitudes towards foreign nations can be found in these travel texts: "The value placed on travel writing relative to other literature between 1700 and 1830 was higher than it is today. Widely read by all classes of readers, it helped to shape the global consciousness of subjects at the centre of the expanding British Empire and pervasively influence other literary genres" (Bohls xxvvii). Travel literature had a great impact on print culture, and continues to be printed into the 21st century.
Other works of interest:
An Authentic Account of an Embassy from the King of Great Britain to the Emperor of China, Sir George Leonard Staunton
The African American Odyssey of John Kizell, Kevin G. Lowther
Letters Containing a Sketch of the Politics of France, Helen Maria Williams
Letters Written During a Short Residence in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark, Mary Wollstonecraft
A Sentimental Journey, Laurence Sterne
A Journey Through the Crimea to Constantinople, Lady Elizabeth Craven
Remarks on Certain Parts of Italy, Joseph Addison
Travels through France and Italy, Tobias Smollett
The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Olaudah Equiano
A Voyage Round the World, George Forester
Travelogues or travel literature became very popular in the 18th century. Anything exotic from the "orient" became instantly famous, and the audience felt transported to a different place and time. They often described the physical landscape, as well as the people encountered.
The writers themselves varied in their gender, age, and social class, according to Bohl: "Some of the most important kinds of travel writer are familiar from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries: diplomats, merchants, explorers, colonizers, and scientists. Other types were relatively new, either to travel or to writing. Modern tourism began to flourish during this period" (Bohls xvii). These authors brought their experiences home in the form of writing.
Representations of foreign people varied. Women travelers tended more towards descriptions of clothing and dress, while men often discussed political systems. The "otherness" of that text shapes the exotic place that is being depicted. The travelogue is more than just dates and basic activities; it encompasses a narrative experience that represents colonial attitudes of European nations.
English citizens and their attitudes towards foreign nations can be found in these travel texts: "The value placed on travel writing relative to other literature between 1700 and 1830 was higher than it is today. Widely read by all classes of readers, it helped to shape the global consciousness of subjects at the centre of the expanding British Empire and pervasively influence other literary genres" (Bohls xxvvii). Travel literature had a great impact on print culture, and continues to be printed into the 21st century.
Other works of interest:
An Authentic Account of an Embassy from the King of Great Britain to the Emperor of China, Sir George Leonard Staunton
The African American Odyssey of John Kizell, Kevin G. Lowther
Letters Containing a Sketch of the Politics of France, Helen Maria Williams
Letters Written During a Short Residence in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark, Mary Wollstonecraft
A Sentimental Journey, Laurence Sterne
A Journey Through the Crimea to Constantinople, Lady Elizabeth Craven
Remarks on Certain Parts of Italy, Joseph Addison
Travels through France and Italy, Tobias Smollett
The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Olaudah Equiano
A Voyage Round the World, George Forester