Research Review of I.S. MacLaren, "Exploration/Travel Literature and the Evolution of the Author," International Journal of Canadian Studies 5 (1992): 39-68, esp. 39-43.

Reviewer: Craig Sprowl

Discussion notes recorder: John Eberhart

January 22, 2002

            MacLaren’s thesis depends on understanding his categories of four stages of text with regard to exploration and travel writing.  The first stage is called “field note” or “log book entry” which is characterized as the first attempt of the author to put his experience into words.  This is the first hand account.  The present tense and the future tense are prominently used in this stage.  The first stage is also characterized by single words and phrases, and not necessarily using complete sentences.  MacLaren’s second state is named “the Journal.”  This second stage consists of forming the incomplete phrases and words into a more coherent work giving it continuity and purpose that did not exist in the first stage.  The second stage may be performed by the actual explorer or often by someone else, a ghost writer or an editor.  Where at the first stage the explorer did not have the audience necessarily in mind, the second stage author does have the reader audience in mind, and therefore usually write in a more complex fashion and with a sense of structure.  The third stage is named “draft manuscript for a book” and the fourth stage is named “the publication.”  The last two stages deal with the audience for the book.  Because the reader audience is sophisticated, the book must be able to appeal to the audience’s sophistication and correspond to widely held public social views.  MacLaren insists that it is in the third and fourth stage of writing where the greatest change occurs from the original view of the explorer and finished work of the author. 

            MacLaren’s contends in his thesis that in travel and explorative type narrative, over the four stages of composition, as the narrative evolves, changes are introduced to the text, many times because of the introduction of other authors and editors, altering ideas and descriptions to “conform with the expectations of the audience at whom a subsequent stage of the narrative is directed” (MacLaren 39).  MacLaren states that is during the later stages of composition where the text is altered the most and this process of composition should raise doubts on the reliability of the final text.  MacLaren examines three explorer/authors to further prove the validity of his contention.  MacLaren primarily explores James Cook, and to a much lesser extent, Samuel Hearne, and Paul Kane.

            MacLaren spends most of his effort dissecting James Cook’s book known as Captain Cook’s Third Voyage (1784).  Dr. John Douglas in 1784 published A Voyage to the Pacific Ocean.  Undertaken, By Command of His Majesty…Written by Captain James Cook.  Although the book was written by Douglas, to the reader it appeared that Captain James Cook had written the account.  MacLaren uses Cook’s journals named Beaglehole to contrast with the edition which the public read, written by Douglas.  MacLaren reveals that there are changes of substance and perspective.  MacLaren shows how the author Douglas manages to interpret the events of Captain Cook in the context of the superiority of Western Civilization.  Cook’s officers and sailors also wrote account of their exploration.  MacLaren examines excerpts from Cook’s subordinates, and compares them to the account told by Douglas.  The officers and the sailors show uncertainty, and make statements that do not point to the inferior or uncivilized status of the natives.  By the time Douglas has finished with the account, events and observations are made very certain and clear.  All events and observation are made to support the superiority of the Europeans.

            The journal or field note genre can be seen in two of the readings for class, The Voyage of the Jeanette, and Six Came Back.  DeLong’s account is typical of the log book entry or field note account.  DeLong’s notes are composed with many incomplete sentences, and one word statement, and phrases.  Also evident in DeLong’s account is uncertainty about the future as shown by the passage “What in God’s name is to become of us…” (Willis 165).  DeLong consistently uses the present and future tense.  The account of Brainard in Six Came Back is remarkably similar to DeLong’s account in style.  Brainard’s account is in the present tense, and is full of short sentences and log book type entries. 

            Richard Byrd’s account in Alone bears certain similarities to the log book or field note style, yet it is evident that the author had a considerable amount of time to refine his narrative.  Byrd reflects on his experience and looks for meaning in his experience.  Gone are short and incomplete sentences and individual words.  Byrd’s account is filled with reflection.  Byrd also uses past tense combined with present tense.

            Nancy Mitford’s essay A Bad Time, is different in that it is clearly a story with a beginning and end.  Mitford tells the story of the race between Scott and Amundsen.  Mitford is clearly interested in the audience and making sure that she does her best to tell the story in an interesting way that will keep the reader involved.  Mitford almost exclusively uses past tense.

Works Cited

MacLaren, I.S. Exploration/Travel Literature and the Evolution of the Author. International Journal of Canadian Studies 5, Spring 1992.

Willis, Clint. Ice: Stories of Survival From Polar Exploration. Ed. Clint Willis. New York, Thunder’s Mouth Press, 1999.

Discussion

James J.: Do the travelers normally write the book?  The author may not be in control – a “mediated text” voices from others are in the journal.

John E.: Lopez, from the text Arctic Dreams had an axe to grind.  Seemed to be honest in reporting, but had a bias.

Kelly T.: Mitford’s piece was a more “distanced” piece – not sure why she wrote it that way.

John G.: Editors will work their concerns into the explorer’s original data. (So he agrees with MacLaren).

Craig S.: Editor may glorify the explorer beyond what the explorer would have done.

Dr. White: How does data morph into a narrative?  How does it turn into something acceptable that would be read?