Travel Narratives and Diaries

Travel narratives definitely have a unique role in history. This is because no one narrative will be identical to another. There are many factors that contribute to the nature, attitude, and overall quality of the narrative. For example in Long Way Down, will never compare to, lets say, two people backpacking to Africa with little money and almost no formal training. The fact that Ewan McGregor and his friend Charley Boorman had on call resources will, of course, change the way they viewed the trip. For example, because they had assistants gathering visas and passports for them, they probably have no idea what it is like to do something like that. The story these two men would tell would be entirely different from a story that another man who had to do it alone would tell.

            Travel narratives and diaries are fantastic pieces of historical evidence because they are so “in the moment,” even after decades have passed. They create a visual image and help understand conditions of a specific time period. If I wanted to argue that living conditions in the Congo have always been rough, I could look at travel narratives of those who have passed through the area. For example, I could begin with a diary of Henry Morton Stanley as he explored the Congo, and I could go on to find others in more recent times.  

            The only issue with narratives is bias. But isn’t there a problem with bias in everything? I think that narratives and diaries are still great pieces of history, as long as the one analyzing is aware of bias. For example, if someone was prejudice against Africans, they could easily say,  “Africa was the worst experience of their trip.” However, in no way does this mean that Africa is a “bad” place to visit. Like everything else, narratives should be analyzed and taken with a grain of salt.

            I believe that going on these extended trips can make just about anyone see the true beauty of the world. But there is no doubt that each person will see it in a different way.