Literary Journeys: Types, Themes, and Historical Context

Foreign Travel

Foreign travel is the route taken by one or more characters through various physical spaces. These places can be known or unknown, mysterious, even bizarre and fantastic.

• Example: Cruise by John Updike.

Inner Journey (Psychological Transformation)

The inner journey is a scan performed in the privacy of a character, considering their spiritual, intellectual, and character development. Those undertaking this kind of travel experience changes in their way of seeing the world and their own life. It often leads to the internal transformation of the protagonist.

• Example: Canaima by Rómulo Gallegos.

Mythic Journey

Originating from the Classical period, the mythic journey is characterized by the presence of a hero who must undertake a quest to restore equilibrium to their community. During this journey, the hero moves through different places, facing challenges and tests that must be overcome to achieve their objective. The hero is often assisted by a supernatural force. Once the goal is achieved, the hero returns.

• Example: The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien.

Journey to the Underworld (Trip to Hell)

Here, the hero must go beyond the limits of mortality and descend into hell (or the underworld) in search of something or someone. This journey is presented in two ways:

1. As a physical space, as described in myths and sacred texts from different faiths.
2. As a mental and spiritual state, from which the hero must ransom themselves out of decadence and corruption.

• Example: Odyssey by Homer.

Journey Through Physical Space

Medieval Period

The hero is no longer a demigod or the protégé of the gods, but the knight, the embodiment of virtue and model values of the time, emphasizing the theocentricity founded in Christianity. The knight's search is oriented toward regaining honor and proving loyalty to the crown he serves.

• Example: Cantar de Mio Cid (Anonymous).

Late Middle Ages / Age of Discovery

Journeys were addressed through literature, primarily chronicles, which described territories previously unknown, such as America and Asia.

• Example: Four Voyages of the Admiral and His Will by Christopher Columbus (Cristóbal Colón).

Renaissance (Revival)

This period introduced a critical social dimension. The customs and traditions of inhabitants in certain areas are valued through the eye of the traveler. The literary journey portrays the characteristics of different characters that roam social spaces.

• Example: Lazarillo de Tormes (Anonymous).

Journey to Death

For many cultures, death is the start of the main journey into the unknown—a place from which supposedly nobody returns. The journey toward death prompts both the character and the reader to reflect upon their own mortality and contrast it with the meaning they gave their life. The journey into hell and the journey to death were strongly manifested in the Medieval period, influenced by the worldview of Christianity.

• Example: Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri.