ANCA L. IANCU
Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu
Abstract
The
Englishwoman in
America (1856)
recounts Isabella Bird’s travels to the North American continent
(Canada and the United States), offering an interesting mosaic of
impressions and facts about Canadian and American places and people.
This essay examines how the cultural and colonial encounters during
her travels question and enrich different parts of her identity,
particularly as a woman and as a British citizen. At the same time, a
brief examination of Bird’s narrative in the broader context of
nineteenth-century female travel writing and a comprehensive analysis
of her account through the lenses of postcolonial and feminist
theories allow for a deeper, more socially engaged interpretation of
her American experience and her subtle critique of colonial
relationships. As traveling has become a popular and common
“occupation” in our modern society, such theoretical frameworks
make it easier for
contemporary readers to identify with Bird’s reflections on
cultural encounters, relationships, and conflicts. Therefore, her
desire to transgress literal and figurative borders, as well as the
process of negotiation of physical and cultural spaces with a view to
discovering new facets of her identity, bring her closer to the
modern, more globalized audience.
Keywords:
women’s travel literature, cultural encounters, negotiation of
identity, traveling and colonialism, gender and cultural identity
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