Navigating Iberian landscapes in the travel writing of Josep Pla and Agusti Calvet

Lawrence, Andrea Joan (2019). Navigating Iberian landscapes in the travel writing of Josep Pla and Agusti Calvet. University of Birmingham. M.A.

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Abstract

This thesis examines representations of the Iberian periphery, notably Portugal and Catalonia, as depicted in Josep Pla’s Direcció Lisboa and Gaziel’s Trilogia ibèrica. Engaging with the genre of travel writing, this thesis exposes the contradictions in their work which appropriately propel these figures into the depths of intellectual, literary and political marginalisation in the twentieth century. In order to override concerns relating to the different national realities facing Portugal and Catalonia, a careful methodological framework is applied which appropriately considers the construction of these national identities, in terms of their relationship with the domineering centre, Castile. In light of Benedict Anderson’s notion of “imagined communities”, the establishment of a literary Lusocatalan discourse is considered, drawing on the representations of the Iberian landscapes in Pla and Gaziel’s work as the rationale. In addition, proposals for an Iberian Union are understood as a way of accommodating instances of alterity in the Iberian Peninsula. However, the notion is rejected on the grounds of patriarchal colonialism.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Masters by Research > M.A.)

Award Type:

Masters by Research > M.A.

Supervisor(s):