Write an essay on ‘Travel Writing in India Prospects and Pitfalls’
Answers
The quote by Aldous Huxley stands relevant for all the travel writers, and it is not done consciously. While representing another country, the travel writer is actually reproducing his own ideas and perspective through series of events and encounters. These ideas can no way be separated from presumptions and prejudices. However, the travel writer does not every time tend to exhibit his prejudices but human psychology is not created over a year or so, but the ideologies are set in a course of centuries. These ideologies works as a steering force for the traveller. At the time of imperialism, India was represented by English authors with a need of authenticating their rule; moreover, it was the representation of ruled by the ruler. Hence, the early English travel writings exhibit conscious reproduction of the prejudices. With the change of time, India ceased to be the imperial colony and so ceases the need of deliberately contesting and detesting, everything and anything present in Indian society and Indian culture. Though, the travel writings witnessed a shift, still, India was represented under a guided rule of ‘imperial nostalgia’. English society kept on looking at the subcontinent through imperial eyes. The separate identity of India was never set up. By the time the travellers moved in 21st century, things changed drastically, there was an upheaval in critical theories and economies of all the countries. This changed the travellers’ outlook towards the british colonies. The travellers could now be divided into two categories; one is that of historians and anthropologists, the other is that of creative writers. William Dalyrymple, can be put in the first category, and this category viewed India not only through their perspective but through the well researched facts and events. Dalyrymple witnesses India as the history buried in ruins and his travel writings showcase his attitude of making sense of present in the light of past through ruins. The second category caters to their needs of creative writings, they present India through the series of stories, and the authenticity of these stories can always be contested. Both Naipaul and Theroux come under this category and both of them present India through series of stories either encountered by them while travelling or told to them by the natives. None of their narratives produce the proof any authentication to the details as actual encounters or the concocted story to give life to some effect. Moreover, the traveller is always aware of his ideas and the theme of his writing; he is well acquainted with the writing to come, and the narrative to construct. This somehow encourages the traveller to look for, and gather the events and encounters under the heading of one general truth. It is unquestionable fact that the travel writer’s vision is already objective. He is well aware about the story and the effect his book is going to produce and in taking up one goal or theme for the work, he obviously take care of so many things like the market and readers, and his stories, events and encounters are centralized to produce a book for his market. Therefore, much of the travel books ends up making a countable encounters and affects, the clichés of their book. It is always that the projected narrative structures the very process of his travelling and not the vice versa. However, it cannot be denied that the narrative produced by the travel writer is not merely the representation by the author of his encounters but the writer himself is very much available throughout the narrative. It becomes his representation also, his personality, his tastes and ideologies could be seen through his travel narratives. For instance, Darlymple’s references to various literary and non – literary sources prove him as a “New Historicist” who intentionally chases the principles of ‘New Historicism”, a theory initiated by Stephen Greenblatt. Darlymple’s narrative skills demonstrate him as an exact delegate of new critical theory. Though he plays a dual role in exposing British towards Indians, he tries to bring the real history at every touch. It appears as if he believes that a striking event or anecdote has the effect of arousing skepticism about grand historical narratives or essentializing descriptions of a historical period. So he has taken into consideration countless views without neglecting any micro details. He tries to comprehend the present in the rocks and records of past. His simplicity at confering both the physical & temporal spaces of the capital of India makes him an ideal guide to its past and present. Concisely, one can attribute him as the true follower of the concept of ‘New Historicism’ with no second thoughts.
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