Podcast
Exploring the complex relationship between travel, literature, and empire reveals how narratives have both shaped and challenged perceptions of power, identity, and colonization. From early colonial adventures to postcolonial critiques, literature offers a unique lens into the evolving dynamics of imperial ambition and its lasting legacies.
The Novel's Role in Empire: Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe
The English novel as a genre significantly emerged in the 18th century, often intertwining with travel writing. This period saw expanded trade routes, scientific explorations, and the thrust of empire, making travel more accessible to Britons and fostering a global outlook.
Travel Literature's Emergence in the 18th Century
Britain's dominance as a sea power in the 18th century created vast webs of cultural connection. The Grand Tour sent many well-to-do young gentlemen to Europe, while technological improvements in travel enhanced the visualization of the nation itself. Travel literature thrived in various forms, from letters and diaries to dedicated narratives, as seen in Daniel Defoe's A Tour thro' the Whole Island of Great Britain (1724–6).
Robinson Crusoe and Imperial Ideology
Published in 1719, Defoe's Robinson Crusoe became immensely popular, establishing a vogue for autobiographical adventure narratives. The novel depicts a European creating a
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