Topic > Symbolism in the Art of Travel

Distinctive representations of the symbiotic relationship between natural landscapes and people are strengthened through personal and socio-cultural contexts. Such representations can be made through travel, often renewing an individual's relationships between real, imagined and remembered landscapes, as well as their identity. Alain de Botton's multimodal non-fiction novel "The Art of Travel" deeply explores the personal and esoteric experiences of the sublime landscape facilitating greater recognition of the narrator's identity through the eclectic mix of artists and writers. Similarly, Emily Dickinson's poem "How the old Mountains drip with Sunset" explores the overwhelming beauty of nature as an influence on humanity through the narrator's perceived image of sunset. While both texts bring about a deep understanding of an individual's identity, their experience of the landscape is different. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayIt is human nature for people to crave exploration of exotic landscapes that evoke a sense of appreciation in their monotonous lives which, in turn, heighten their self-awareness. Through the distinctive depiction of the “Exotic” landscape in “The Art of Travel,” de Botton reveals his appreciation for the beauty that landscapes provide through guides such as Gustave Flaubert to maintain the essay-like structure of the novel. The journey allows people to escape their mundane life presented through de Botton's portrayal of Gustave Flaubert, a highly educated French novelist who was attracted to the East. Flaubert's need to escape from his “sterile, banal and laborious” life, ultimately provides him with the ability to appreciate an exotic landscape as shown through the list of negative attributes of his current landscape. Flaubert continues with high modality in “dream of glory, love, laurels, journeys to the East” where the notion of travel provides a means to satisfy his dreams and desires. In this way, the landscape provides a means for greater self-awareness. Accordingly, Dickinson's "How Mountains" explores nature's seductive influence on humanity through poetry. The narrator's silence as she describes nature in awe through the repetition of "how" in the first stanza demonstrates her awe, appreciation, and questioning of the beauty that nature offers. In “a Dome of Abyss is Bowing into Solitude,” Dickinson deeply explores personal and esoteric experiences through eclectic allusion to artists and writers, revealing her recognition of nature's ability to surpass the most skilled artists as nature can provide perspectives that art cannot offer. De Botton and Dickinson's depiction of the symbiotic relationship between exotic landscapes and people, as well as its profound influence on identity, transcends personal and socio-cultural contexts. Individuals' experiences of nature present the ability to gain insights into life and, inevitably, enhance the understanding of their identity. De Botton's play “On the Country and City” reveals that interviewees can become artists themselves as landscapes have the power to inspire and stimulate our imagination. Through the guidance of William Wordsworth, it provides a romantic perception of landscapes. “The poet proposed that Nature… was an indispensable corrective to the psychological damage inflicted by the city” as the high modal and negative language suggests that the city can force individuals to flee to the countryside or to some place that offers peace through beauty of.