Abstract
Prior to the publication of her own influential work of travel writing, Letters Written During a Short Residence in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark (1796), Mary Wollstonecraft published over 20 reviews of travel books in the Analytical Review. These ranged from essays on the aesthetics of travel, such as those by William Gilpin, to European and domestic tours, including Helen Maria Williams' reports from Revolutionary France, to voyages of exploration. This article argues that collectively this body of reviews articulates a theory of travel and travel writing, which Wollstonecraft then sought to put into practice in her own work. This theory represents an early and formative analysis of the communicative role of narrative and of the traveling “I” in travel writing, features that would later come to be seen as defining characteristics of a Romantic mode of writing about travel.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.