TRAVEL WRITING AND IDENTITY FORMATION
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29121/granthaalayah.v14.i2.2026.6864Keywords:
Travel Writing, Identity Formation, Self And Other, Otherness, Belonging, Postcolonialism, Feminism, Cultural Studies, Intercultural Discourse, Travel NarrativesAbstract [English]
Travel writing has long served as a medium through which individuals and cultures narrate encounters with the unfamiliar, construct meaning, and negotiate identity. From early imperial travelogues to contemporary postcolonial and feminist travel narratives, the genre has evolved into a rich field of self-reflexive and intercultural discourse. This paper explores the intricate relationship between travel writing and identity formation, examining how travel narratives construct and deconstruct notions of self, otherness, and belonging. Drawing on key theoretical frameworks from postcolonialism, feminism, and cultural studies, this research investigates how writers such as E. M. Forster, Pico Iyer, Amitav Ghosh, and Elizabeth Gilbert employ travel as a narrative and existential tool to explore questions of personal and collective identity. The paper concludes that travel writing operates as both a mirror and a mediator of identity reflecting internal transformation while shaping perceptions of culture and difference.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Dr. Eknath Tatte
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