Espacio mediterráneo y representación del otro en Un Hiver à Majorque de George Sand

Resumen

The trope of “the trip”, a recurrent theme in George Sand’s narrative, is particularly relevant in Un Hiver à Majorque (1842), a novel of great complexity and considerable originality within 19th-century travel writing. The narrative is a compendium of reflections and impressions which create a dialectic between autobiography and fiction while considering, from the very beginning, the anthropological aspect of the account of travelling. In this novel, the Other is perceived and portrayed as tinged with alternating elements of light and shadow, and most of the anecdotes are depicted from a negative point of view. However, it is the evocation of the landscape from a pictorial perspective which triggers the writing process. The beauty of the trees, of the minerals, and a fascination with the sea instils colour and light into the grey days to come. This paper contends that Sand’s recounting of her trip to Majorca, as can be observed in her autobiographical novels, casts some light on her experience in this Balearic island, where she learnt to listen to nature’s voice.