As Tom Robbins writes, “One has not only an ability to perceive the world but an ability to alter one’s perception of it more simply one can change things by the manner in which one looks at them.” So, one has the ability to alter another’s perception and thereby challenge one’s representation in writing. In other words, the representation of one perspective can be challenged by that of another. The representation of one Eastern country in the travel writings of the West may differ from the representation of that country in the writings of another Eastern writer. In Western art, literature and travel writings, the Eastern world has been depicted as “exotic and barbaric.” Thus, the world views the Orient as “exotic and barbaric” because of the discourse created by the West.

He marks orientalism as a “social construction based on fantasized perception” the West has of the Orient. In regard to perception, Edward Said’s Orientalism puts forward the issue of representation of the Orient by the Occident. This article insists on the importance of avoiding pre-given perceptions and the importance of wearing an objective lens for the travellers while portraying another culture in travel writings. It shows how representation matters in travel writings by bringing reference to Lady Mary Wortley Montagu’s The Turkish Embassy Letters in the light of Edward Said’s Orientalism. As Curl Jung says, “It all depends on how we look at things, and not how they are in themselves.” This article aims at looking into the question of perception and the issue of representation in travel narratives. Stereotyped perception of a traveller misrepresents another culture in their travel writings. Individual perspectives influence the lens of viewing and representing what they see.

Travel narratives represent culture and customs of the visited countries, thereby raising questions of perception and representation. They create interest in the reader’s mind to travel to those countries and provide misrepresentation or “fantasized perception” of those countries to the readers. Hence, travel writings sometimes become a medium to explore the beauty and culture of a land. At other times, travel narratives help the reader to have practical information about traveling costs and procedures of the travelled countries.

It is not possible for everyone to travel to every place in the world. Travel narratives influence in creating discourses.

Turkish embassy letters