EXPLORING SPATIAL THEORY IN MARK TWAIN'S LITERARY LANDSCAPE: TRAVERSING PHYSICAL AND SOCIAL SPACES
Abstract
This research paper probes into the employment of spatial theory in the works of Mark Twain, an eminent American author celebrated for his astute commentary on society. Spatial theory, rooted in geography and cultural studies, provides a lens through which one can analyse the ways in which Twain's literary landscapes echo and assess societal constructs. By examining the spatial scopes within Twain's works, this paper aims to shed light on how the author circumnavigates and challenges prevailing norms, ideologies, and power structures. Henri Lefebvre, a French Marxist philosopher, made significant contributions to spatial theory, emphasized the social production of space and insisted that the space was a social product and also a set of relations that are lived, that also live in us. The major Objectives of this paper mainly focus on the core points such as the spatial dimensions within the selected works of Mark Twain and find out the narratives that connect the application of spatial theory to interpret the social commentary. The masterpieces Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, life on the Mississippi and The Man That Corrupted Hadley burg have been taken to explore the spatial ideas imbibed within the characteristic of realism. These works include the landscapes as the major part and the Mississippi river interlacing the portrayal of power dynamics, identity, and cultural norms.
Keywords
Spatial Theory, Societal Constructs, Identity, Freedom, Morality, Literary Landscape, Geographical Representation.