Representations of the Other in Contemporary Travel Literature: The Case of Basem Furat

Abstract

Contemporary travel writing  has demonstrated, in line with a conception based on the premise that the current culture of travel writing necessitates an exploration of the familiar and the common ground between the self and the other—moving beyond discourse on the strange and the fantastical—and considering that the critique of the other and its authority lie at the heart of its knowledge and the revelation of its perspectives, as travel writing in this period has sought to re-evaluate the self.

          This research paper aims to elucidate the transformation of the contemporary travelogue and engagement with it through the journey undertaken by Basem Furat, entitled “Places That Beckon the Stranger” as a powerful image that embodies the essence of many contemporary journeys through active engagement in the pursuit of strategies aimed at liberation from the constraints imposed by underdevelopment. This endeavour involves a critical examination of centralised structures, alongside a deliberate focus on recognising and uplifting marginalised communities, transcending stereotypes, and articulating a discourse that reflects the consciousness of the intellectual engaged with societal issues and their disintegration.