The description of landscape has a central place in Henry Rider Haggard’s writing of Africa. In his romances he achieved symbolical journeys into the land and its past. In that way he gave his books their power and popularity.
But what are the peculiarities of his African landscapes? How has he constructed them? And what are their functions?
In my term paper I am going to have a detailed look at these questions. I am going to start with an overview of the European image of Africa in the 18th and 19th century and how this had an influence on Haggard’s writing. My next section deals with Haggard’s stays in South Africa and how he converted these first-hand experiences in his romances. Then I am going to deal with the characteristic elements Haggard uses in order to draw his African landscape. Then follows an analysis of one of his most famous romances, “She”, according to these elements. Can all of them be found within the story?
My last point is a summary of my individual results and I am going to draw a conclusion in which I try to answer the questions asked above.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. The image of Africa in Europe during the 18th and 19th century
3. H. Rider Haggard’s first-hand experiences in Africa
4. The landscape description in “She”
4.1. The concept of the “Mental Landscape”
4.2. Analysis of particular characteristic elements of Haggard’s landscape in “She”
4.2.1. Africa as vast Eden
4.2.2. Africa as wilderness
4.2.3. Africa as dream underworld
4.2.4. Africa as sexualised bodyscape
4.2.5. Africa as home to ancient white civilisations
5. Conclusion
Objectives and Themes
This academic paper examines the symbolic and functional roles of landscape description within Henry Rider Haggard’s Victorian romance "She." It explores how Haggard constructed a "country of the mind" by blending personal experience, pre-existing cultural myths, and imperialist imagination to create a powerful, immersive setting for his narrative.
- The influence of 18th and 19th-century European perceptions of Africa on literature.
- Haggard’s personal experiences in South Africa and their impact on his writing.
- The concept of the "mental landscape" as a tool for narrative structure.
- Analysis of thematic elements: Africa as Eden, wilderness, underworld, bodyscape, and historical ruins.
- The intersection of imperial ideology and romantic fiction.
Excerpt from the Book
4.2.1. AFRICA AS VAST EDEN
It took us an hour and more to cross the cup of the volcanic plain, and another half hour or so to climb the edge on the farther side. Once there, however, the view was a very fine one. Before us was a long steep slope of grassy plain, broken here and there by clumps of trees mostly of thorn tribe. At the bottom of this gentle slope, some nine or ten miles away, we could make out a dim sea of marsh, over which the foul vapours hung like smoke about a city (Haggard 2001, p. 119).
This quotation proves the facts mentioned before to be right. Holly, Leo and the other characters are in the position of vantage. They stand on a volcanic plain and watch the region lying before them with bird’s-eye view. In addition to that the landscape is also presented as “a very fine one” (Haggard 2001, p. 119). This hints to the dream of the industrialised Englishman for uninhabited and untouched nature.
This passage is of course not the only one where the heroes look at a beautiful African landscape from a position of visual advantage. Another quotation demonstrating this is: “Within half an hour of sunrise we had reached the top of the rise […] and a most beautiful view broke upon our gaze. Beneath us was a rich stretch of country, verdant with grass and lovely with foliage and flowers” (Haggard 2001, p. 129).
But this extract also refers to another important aspect of Africa being a vast Eden. The characters realise that the land offers many natural resources. The word “rich” indicates that. Within the book there are numerous other excerpts which underline this issue.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Outlines the research questions regarding the construction and function of African landscapes in Haggard’s romances and defines the scope of the paper.
2. The image of Africa in Europe during the 18th and 19th century: Examines how European explorers, paintings, and sentimental travel writing shaped a popular, often negative or imperialistic, imagination of Africa.
3. H. Rider Haggard’s first-hand experiences in Africa: Discusses how Haggard’s personal stays in South Africa influenced his fictional output, shifting from real-world experiences to imaginative constructions.
4. The landscape description in “She”: Analyzes how the setting of the novel functions through specific concepts, including the "mental landscape" and various symbolic representations of the African terrain.
4.1. The concept of the “Mental Landscape”: Explains the vertical four-level perspective where physical locations in the novel are mapped onto psychological and moral states.
4.2. Analysis of particular characteristic elements of Haggard’s landscape in “She”: Details the specific tropes through which the author portrays the African environment throughout the narrative.
4.2.1. Africa as vast Eden: Explores the depiction of the landscape as an untouched, rich paradise awaiting civilization.
4.2.2. Africa as wilderness: Describes the dual role of the environment as both a space for heroic masculine adventure and a dangerous, lethal "heart of darkness."
4.2.3. Africa as dream underworld: Investigates the use of caves and subterranean tunnels to create a nightmarish, irrational, and fantasy-driven setting.
4.2.4. Africa as sexualised bodyscape: Analyzes the feminization of the landscape in Victorian literature, linking the exploration of Africa to male dominance and eroticized conquest.
4.2.5. Africa as home to ancient white civilisations: Discusses the significance of ruins and archeological motifs in justifying imperial occupation and suggesting the inevitable rise and fall of empires.
5. Conclusion: Synthesizes the findings, confirming that Haggard successfully transformed a real geographical space into a mythical, imaginative landscape that defined the Victorian experience of Africa.
Keywords
H. Rider Haggard, She, African Romance, Victorian Literature, Mental Landscape, Imperial Gaze, Colonialism, Landscape Description, Wilderness, Kôr, Symbolic Geography, Adventure Fiction, Feminisation, Cultural Mythology, Ancient Civilisations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary subject of this paper?
The paper examines how Henry Rider Haggard constructs African landscapes in his romance novel "She" and the symbolic functions these landscapes serve.
What are the central thematic fields explored?
The study covers the European perception of Africa during the 19th century, the role of imperialism in fiction, the use of geographical symbolism, and the intersection of gender and landscape.
What is the main research objective?
The goal is to determine the peculiarities of Haggard’s African landscapes, identify how they are constructed, and analyze their narrative functions within "She."
Which scientific method is utilized?
The author uses a literary analysis approach, mapping textual excerpts against historical context and theoretical frameworks, such as the concept of the "mental landscape."
What topics are covered in the main section?
The main section investigates five core elements: Africa as Eden, wilderness, dream underworld, sexualized bodyscape, and a home for ancient white civilizations.
Which keywords best describe this research?
Key terms include Victorian literature, imperial gaze, mental landscape, symbolic geography, colonialism, and Haggard’s specific landscape tropes.
How does the concept of the "mental landscape" function in "She"?
It acts as a vertical perspective where physical spaces correspond to mental states, specifically mapping characters' descents into nightmares and anxieties.
What is the significance of the "sexualised bodyscape" in the analysis?
The paper argues that late Victorian literature often feminized Africa, portraying the landscape as a "virgin territory" waiting to be conquered, mirroring masculine dominance over the continent.
Why does Haggard use ruins of ancient white civilizations in his stories?
These ruins serve to highlight the continuity of cultures and the cyclical nature of power, while simultaneously framing Africa as an "empty" space available for colonization.
- Citar trabajo
- Rebecca Mahnkopf (Autor), 2005, The Function of the Landscape Description in H. Rider Haggard's African Romance 'She', Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/189406
