Representing the Travel Writer’s ‘Other Identity’ in Pietro Della Valle’s Travels in Persia

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Italian Language and Literature, Faculty of Foreign Languages and Literatures, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

2 Department of English Language and Literature, Faculty of Foreign Languages and Literatures, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

A comparative study of relations among nations and its evaluation based on the Other’s attitudes generates a deep insight; thence, travelogue is considered a profitable means in this regard. Within the path of knowing the ‘other’, the travel writer paces to know him/herself. Put another way, the writing would culminate in his/her own understanding along with the ‘other’. In this vein, the similarities and cultural differences which are formed in accordance with the travel writer’s prior thought lines or prejudices, encompass a vast information regarding the travel writer’s identity. Besides, the French school of Imagology especially Daniel-Henri Pageaux’s researches, is a valuable resource for analyzing such travelogues. For this purpose, Pietro Della valle’s Travels to Persia has been taken into account to examine his constructed identity as an Italian/Eueopean ‘other’. Out of his very minute descriptions he generates regarding political, social, and cultural conditions of Iran in comparison with his own country or The Ottoman Empire, his own identity is constructed.

Highlights

Alavizadeh, Farzaneh. “Iran and Iranian Image in Chardin’s Travel Book with Respect to his Clichés and Stereotypes”. Literary Studies, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, vol. 47, no. 2 (2015): 147-170.

Chen, Chia-Hwan. “Images of the Other, Images of the Self: Reciprocal Representation of the British and the Chines from the 1750s to the 1840s.” Dissertation, University of Warwick, 2007.

Della Valle, Pietro. Pietro Della Valle’s Travels in Persia. Translated by Shoaeddin Shafa. Iran: Elmi Farhangi, 1969.

Duffy, Brian. Morality, Identity and Narrative in the Fiction of Richard Ford. New York: Rodopi, 2008.

Foroughi, Hassan. “The Influence of the French Travelogues About Iran on the 18th Century Audience”. Research in Contemporary World Literature [Pazhuhesh-e Zabanha-ye Khareji], vol. 7, no. 13 (2002): 51-78.

Khanmohammadi, Fatemeh, and Elnaz Aali. “Nicolas Buovier’s Own Look in the Itinerary”. Comparative Literature Studies, vol. 8, no. 32 (2014): 97-111.

Leerssen, Joep, and Manfred Beller. eds. Imagology: The Cultural Construction and Literary Representation of National Characters: A Critical Survey. New York: Rodopi, 2007.

Masetti, Carla.  “Città varie e costumi il fin prescrisse” :La Persia di Pietro Della Valle (1617-1623). Milano: FrancoAngeli, 2017.

(a)        Moll, Nora. “L’Imagologia Interculturale Nell’Attuale Contesto Culturale.” Interpretare l’Immagine Letteraria dell’Alterità. Prospettive Teoriche e Critiche Comparate. Edited by Franca Sinopli and Nora Moll. Roma, Lithos (2018): 157-177.

Moura, Jean-Marc. L'Europe Littéraire et l'Ailleurs. Paris, Presses Universitaires de France, 1998.

Namvar Motlaq, Bahman. “An Introduction to Imagology Introducing a Literary and Artistic Criticism”. Comparative Literature Studies,vol. 3, no. 12 (2009):119-138.

Pageaux, Daniel-Henrie. La Littérature Générale et Compare. Paris: Armand Colin, 1994.

Rossi, Ettore. “Pietro Della Valle Orientalista Romano (1586-1652).” Oriente Moderno, no. 32 (1953): 49-64.

--- . “Poesie Inedite in Persiano di Pietro Della Valle”. Rivista Degli Studi Orientali, vol. 28  (1953b): 108-17.

Salimikouchi, Ebrahim, and Samaneh Shafiee. “Imagological Study of West in Jalal Al-e Ahmad’s”. Research in Contemporary World Literature [Pazhuhesh-e Zabanha-ye Khareji], vol. 25, no. 2 (2020): 476-493.

Simõnes, Maria João. “Literary Imagotypes: (De)configuration Processes in Literary Imagology.” Sheena Caldwel. University of Coimbra, 2001: 24-25.

Torabi, Donimik Carnox, and Monireh Akbarpouran. “Identity /Otherness Duality and Redefinition of the Epic Genre”. Critical Language and Literary Studies, University of Shahid Beheshti, vol. 13, no. 17 (2017): 79-99.

 https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_Rf_QVsjgjocC/page/n915/mode/2up. “La Persia”. Brighton: 1843. 426-870.

Keywords

References

Alavizadeh, Farzaneh. “Iran and Iranian Image in Chardin’s Travel Book with Respect to his Clichés and Stereotypes”. Literary Studies, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, vol. 47, no. 2 (2015): 147-170.
Chen, Chia-Hwan. “Images of the Other, Images of the Self: Reciprocal Representation of the British and the Chines from the 1750s to the 1840s.” Dissertation, University of Warwick, 2007.
Della Valle, Pietro. Pietro Della Valle’s Travels in Persia. Translated by Shoaeddin Shafa. Iran: Elmi Farhangi, 1969.
Duffy, Brian. Morality, Identity and Narrative in the Fiction of Richard Ford. New York: Rodopi, 2008.
Foroughi, Hassan. “The Influence of the French Travelogues About Iran on the 18th Century Audience”. Research in Contemporary World Literature [Pazhuhesh-e Zabanha-ye Khareji], vol. 7, no. 13 (2002): 51-78.
Khanmohammadi, Fatemeh, and Elnaz Aali. “Nicolas Buovier’s Own Look in the Itinerary”. Comparative Literature Studies, vol. 8, no. 32 (2014): 97-111.
Leerssen, Joep, and Manfred Beller. eds. Imagology: The Cultural Construction and Literary Representation of National Characters: A Critical Survey. New York: Rodopi, 2007.
Masetti, Carla.  “Città varie e costumi il fin prescrisse” :La Persia di Pietro Della Valle (1617-1623). Milano: FrancoAngeli, 2017.

(a)        Moll, Nora. “L’Imagologia Interculturale Nell’Attuale Contesto Culturale.” Interpretare l’Immagine Letteraria dell’Alterità. Prospettive Teoriche e Critiche Comparate. Edited by Franca Sinopli and Nora Moll. Roma, Lithos (2018): 157-177.

Moura, Jean-Marc. L'Europe Littéraire et l'Ailleurs. Paris, Presses Universitaires de France, 1998.

Namvar Motlaq, Bahman. “An Introduction to Imagology Introducing a Literary and Artistic Criticism”. Comparative Literature Studies,vol. 3, no. 12 (2009):119-138.

Pageaux, Daniel-Henrie. La Littérature Générale et Compare. Paris: Armand Colin, 1994.

Rossi, Ettore. “Pietro Della Valle Orientalista Romano (1586-1652).” Oriente Moderno, no. 32 (1953): 49-64.

--- . “Poesie Inedite in Persiano di Pietro Della Valle”. Rivista Degli Studi Orientali, vol. 28  (1953b): 108-17.

Salimikouchi, Ebrahim, and Samaneh Shafiee. “Imagological Study of West in Jalal Al-e Ahmad’s”. Research in Contemporary World Literature [Pazhuhesh-e Zabanha-ye Khareji], vol. 25, no. 2 (2020): 476-493.

Simõnes, Maria João. “Literary Imagotypes: (De)configuration Processes in Literary Imagology.” Sheena Caldwel. University of Coimbra, 2001: 24-25.

Torabi, Donimik Carnox, and Monireh Akbarpouran. “Identity /Otherness Duality and Redefinition of the Epic Genre”. Critical Language and Literary Studies, University of Shahid Beheshti, vol. 13, no. 17 (2017): 79-99.

 https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_Rf_QVsjgjocC/page/n915/mode/2up. “La Persia”. Brighton: 1843. 426-870.
Research in Contemporary World Literature
Volume 27, Issue 2
February 2023
Pages 1064-1094

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