A Frenchman in the Solitudes of the Mexican Southeast: Désiré Charnay’s use of Landscapes and Emotions in the Construction of his Exploration Narrative and Identity

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This article examines travel writings by Désiré Charnay, a French explorer better known for his work in the fields of archeology and photography than for his literary production. The article examines Charnay’s writings about southeastern Mexico, published during the second half of the nineteenth century, particularly his descriptions of the jungle, the mountains, the plains, the ancient ruins, along with accounts of his own perils and adventures. Charnay’s descriptions not only of nature but also himself—he fashioned himself as a kind of explorer-hero—were influenced by Romanticism.