
Tracing the Connected Narrative
Arctic Exploration in British Print Culture, 1818-1860
Janice Cavell(Author)
University of Toronto Press
Published on 22. December 2023
Book
Paperback/Softback
277 pages
978-1-4875-5965-6 (ISBN)
Description
By the 1850s, journalists and readers alike perceived Britain's search for the Northwest Passage as an ongoing story in the literary sense. Because this 'story' appeared, like so many nineteenth-century novels, in a series of installments in periodicals and reviews, it gained an appeal similar to that of fiction. Tracing the Connected Narrative examines written representations of nineteenth-century British expeditions to the Canadian Arctic. It places Arctic narratives in the broader context of the print culture of their time, especially periodical literature, which played an important role in shaping the public's understanding of Arctic exploration.
Janice Cavell uncovers similarities between the presentation of exploration reports in periodicals and the serialized fiction that, she argues, predisposed readers to take an interest in the prolonged quest for the Northwest Passage. Cavell examines the same parallel in relation to the famous disappearance and subsequent search for the Franklin expedition. After the fate of Sir John Franklin had finally been revealed, the Illustrated London News printed a list of earlier articles on the missing expedition, suggesting that the public might wish to re-read them in order to 'trace the connected narrative' of this chapter in the Arctic story. Through extensive research and reference to new archival material, Cavell undertakes this task and, in the process, recaptures and examines the experience of nineteenth-century readers.
Janice Cavell uncovers similarities between the presentation of exploration reports in periodicals and the serialized fiction that, she argues, predisposed readers to take an interest in the prolonged quest for the Northwest Passage. Cavell examines the same parallel in relation to the famous disappearance and subsequent search for the Franklin expedition. After the fate of Sir John Franklin had finally been revealed, the Illustrated London News printed a list of earlier articles on the missing expedition, suggesting that the public might wish to re-read them in order to 'trace the connected narrative' of this chapter in the Arctic story. Through extensive research and reference to new archival material, Cavell undertakes this task and, in the process, recaptures and examines the experience of nineteenth-century readers.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Toronto
Canada
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
517 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4875-5965-6 (9781487559656)
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Schweitzer Classification
Person
Janice Cavell is a historian in the Historical Section of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada.
Content
Acknowledgments
Maps
Introduction
1 The End of an Epic, 1859-1860
2 The Dreams of Romance, 1818-1820
3 The Threshold of a World Unknown, 1820-1821
4 A Romance in Real Life, 1821-1824
5 The Nelsons of Discovery
6 Their Tribute from the General Voice, 1823-1848
7 The Knight-errantry of Our Day, 1848-1852
8 The Duty of a People, 1852-1857
9 A Sacred Sorrow, 1857-1860
Notes
Bibliography
Index
Maps
Introduction
1 The End of an Epic, 1859-1860
2 The Dreams of Romance, 1818-1820
3 The Threshold of a World Unknown, 1820-1821
4 A Romance in Real Life, 1821-1824
5 The Nelsons of Discovery
6 Their Tribute from the General Voice, 1823-1848
7 The Knight-errantry of Our Day, 1848-1852
8 The Duty of a People, 1852-1857
9 A Sacred Sorrow, 1857-1860
Notes
Bibliography
Index