Geocriticism and Spatial Literary Studies: National Territory, National Literature

Madan, Aarti Smith

This book looks to the writings of prolific statesmen like D.F. Sarmiento, Estanislao Zeballos, and Euclides da Cunha to unearth the literary and political roots of the discipline of geography in nineteenth-century Latin America. Tracing the simultaneous rise of text-writing, map-making, and institution-building, it offers new insight into how nations consolidated their territories. Beginning with the titanic figures of Strabo and Humboldt, it rereads foundational works like Facundo and Os sertões as examples of a recognizably geographical discourse.  The book digs into lesser-studied bulletins, correspondence, and essays to tell the story of how three statesmen became literary stars while spearheading Latin America’s first geographic institutes, which sought to delineate the newly independent states. Through a fresh pairing of literary analysis and institutional history, it reveals that words and maps—literature and geography—marched in lockstep to shape nationalterritories, identities, and narratives.

Details

Published by: Palgrave Macmillan

Publication Date: 2017-09-06

Format: Hardcover

ISBN-13: 9783319551395

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-55140-1

Dimensions: 210cm x148cm

Pages: 291