An Arctic Republic of Letters in Early Twentieth-Century Canada
The writing of historical polar exploration in the English-speaking academy has undergone a substantial shift in the past twenty years, to the point where it may be safe to declare that the once-dominant triumphal and hagiographical style, inherited from the nineteenth century, has breathed its last...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Septentrio Academic Publishing
2008-02-01
|
| Series: | Nordlit: Tidsskrift i litteratur og kultur |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://septentrio.uit.no/index.php/nordlit/article/view/1319 |
| _version_ | 1797334482329534464 |
|---|---|
| author | Christina Sawchuck |
| author_facet | Christina Sawchuck |
| author_sort | Christina Sawchuck |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The writing of historical polar exploration in the English-speaking academy has undergone a substantial shift in the past twenty years, to the point where it may be safe to declare that the once-dominant triumphal and hagiographical style, inherited from the nineteenth century, has breathed its last. The explorer as depicted in this tradition has become a figure of fun in current discourse, easily recognizable in the contours of caricature. Sherrill Grace, for example, presents for our inspection "courageous men battling a dangerous, hostile, female terra incognita to prove their masculinity and the superior force of their technology" whose fate is to "die nobly in struggle, or to map, claim, name, and control unstructured space, even if only on paper." It is all too simple to dismiss these aims in an era with less palpable sympathy for them. Instead, many current writers have chosen the more difficult approach of grounding these explorers in appropriate political, social, and cultural contexts, and subsequently uncovering the rationale behind their beliefs and practices. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T08:21:23Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8a0391afea1a41829109f67f387ab9b2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0809-1668 1503-2086 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T08:21:23Z |
| publishDate | 2008-02-01 |
| publisher | Septentrio Academic Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nordlit: Tidsskrift i litteratur og kultur |
| spelling | doaj.art-8a0391afea1a41829109f67f387ab9b22024-02-02T05:40:57ZengSeptentrio Academic PublishingNordlit: Tidsskrift i litteratur og kultur0809-16681503-20862008-02-0112110.7557/13.13191244An Arctic Republic of Letters in Early Twentieth-Century CanadaChristina Sawchuck0Scott Polar Research Institute, University of CambridgeThe writing of historical polar exploration in the English-speaking academy has undergone a substantial shift in the past twenty years, to the point where it may be safe to declare that the once-dominant triumphal and hagiographical style, inherited from the nineteenth century, has breathed its last. The explorer as depicted in this tradition has become a figure of fun in current discourse, easily recognizable in the contours of caricature. Sherrill Grace, for example, presents for our inspection "courageous men battling a dangerous, hostile, female terra incognita to prove their masculinity and the superior force of their technology" whose fate is to "die nobly in struggle, or to map, claim, name, and control unstructured space, even if only on paper." It is all too simple to dismiss these aims in an era with less palpable sympathy for them. Instead, many current writers have chosen the more difficult approach of grounding these explorers in appropriate political, social, and cultural contexts, and subsequently uncovering the rationale behind their beliefs and practices.https://septentrio.uit.no/index.php/nordlit/article/view/1319travel litterature |
| spellingShingle | Christina Sawchuck An Arctic Republic of Letters in Early Twentieth-Century Canada Nordlit: Tidsskrift i litteratur og kultur travel litterature |
| title | An Arctic Republic of Letters in Early Twentieth-Century Canada |
| title_full | An Arctic Republic of Letters in Early Twentieth-Century Canada |
| title_fullStr | An Arctic Republic of Letters in Early Twentieth-Century Canada |
| title_full_unstemmed | An Arctic Republic of Letters in Early Twentieth-Century Canada |
| title_short | An Arctic Republic of Letters in Early Twentieth-Century Canada |
| title_sort | arctic republic of letters in early twentieth century canada |
| topic | travel litterature |
| url | https://septentrio.uit.no/index.php/nordlit/article/view/1319 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT christinasawchuck anarcticrepublicoflettersinearlytwentiethcenturycanada AT christinasawchuck arcticrepublicoflettersinearlytwentiethcenturycanada |