Underscoring Critical Thinking of Space in Travel Writing
Keywords:
Critical Thinking, Space, Travel WritingAbstract
This study examines the role of “space” in travel writing, emphasizing how spatial representation functions not merely as descriptive background but as a critical and constructed element within narrative discourse. While travel writing has long been associated with exploration and cultural encounter, there remains a significant lack of critical engagement with how space is produced, interpreted, and mediated through language. Drawing on spatial theory, particularly the works of Henri Lefebvre and Michel Foucault, alongside postcolonial insights from Edward Said, this study employs qualitative textual analysis to investigate selected travel narratives. The findings reveal that travel writing actively constructs space through narrative strategies that reflect ideological positions, cultural assumptions, and power relations. Rather than presenting space as neutral or objective, travel authors negotiate and sometimes critique spatial meanings, revealing tensions between self and other, center and periphery. In conclusion, this study contributes to literary and cultural studies by foregrounding the importance of critical thinking in analyzing spatial representation, arguing that travel writing plays a significant role in shaping how readers perceive and understand the world.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Nasywa Nuzula Ramadhani, Happy Julia Rahmadianti, Novanda Lukwita Hakim, Rommel Utungga Pasopati, Kusuma Wijaya, Anicleta Yuliastuti (Author)
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