“Literary Geography And The Writer’s Country” by Ian M. Matley: Summary and Critique

Introduction to Literary Geography

• Ian M. Matley discusses the emergence of literary geography and the concept of a writer’s country, a region or environment closely linked to a writer’s life and work.
• Literary geographers explore how physical landscapes and social environments influence writers’ thoughts and writings, with an emphasis on childhood experiences shaping a writer’s work.
  • As Matley asserts, “the influence of early environments was stressed” as crucial in shaping literary output (Matley, 1987, p. 123).

Archibald Geikie’s Environmentalism

• Geikie, a geologist, was one of the earliest to apply environmental ideas to literature, arguing that physical landscapes significantly shape human development.
  • Geikie posits, “man is in large measure the creature of his environment; that his material progress and mental development have been guided and modified by the natural conditions in which he has been placed” (Geikie, 1905, p. 3).
• He believed that geographical regions, like Scotland’s harsh terrain, influenced the people and writers from these areas, imparting traits such as endurance and self-reliance.

William Sharp and Literary Geography

• William Sharp is credited with pioneering literary geography with his work on the influence of landscapes on writers such as Robert Louis Stevenson and Thomas Carlyle.
  • Sharp argued, “The colours seen in childhood are those with which in maturity whatever is enduring is depicted” (Sharp, 1912, p. 66).
• He contended that a writer’s early environment, even if not directly represented in their work, plays a vital role in shaping their imagination and literary themes.

Edward Thomas and Refined Views on the Writer’s Country

• Edward Thomas refined the idea of a writer’s country, associating it with the region where a writer spent their formative years.
  • Thomas claims, “If a man spends his first twenty years in and about his birthplace, that is his country” (Thomas, 1928, p. 203).
• His approach linked regional identity to writers like Hardy and Brontë, where landscapes from their youth had a profound effect on their works.

Modern Contributions: Drabble and O’Brien

• Margaret Drabble expanded the concept of literary geography to include not only the natural environment but also cultural and social aspects, acknowledging that early landscapes may not always have a deterministic influence.
  • Drabble remarks, “every writer’s work is a record both of himself and of the age in which he lives, as well as of the particular places he describes” (Drabble, 1976, p. 7).
• Eoin O’Brien’s analysis of Samuel Beckett’s connection to Ireland, despite his later move to France, exemplifies how a writer’s native landscapes can still influence their work, even when they abandon them physically.

Critique of the Writer’s Country Concept

• Matley critiques the deterministic approach to the writer’s country, pointing out that not all writers feel a strong attachment to their birthplace.
  • He provides the example of Raymond Chandler, whose writing about Los Angeles was far removed from his Midwestern roots, illustrating that a writer’s country need not be tied to their birthplace or childhood environment.

Conclusion: Literary Geography and Modern Understanding

• Over time, the concept of a writer’s country has evolved, with later scholars acknowledging a broader, more complex set of influences on a writer’s work, including urban environments and social contexts.
  • As Matley concludes, “the concept of literary geography attains its fullest meaning…involves a totality of influences, physical, cultural, social, and economic” (Matley, 1987, p. 131).

1. Contribution to Environmental Determinism in Literary Theory

• Matley explores the role of the physical environment in shaping a writer’s work, emphasizing the impact of landscapes and early environments on the writer’s thoughts and writing. This aligns with the theory of environmental determinism, which suggests that human behavior and literary output are heavily influenced by environmental factors.
• Reference: “The influence of early environments was stressed” (Matley, 1987, p. 123).

2. Contribution to Geocriticism

• The article contributes to the development of Geocriticism, a literary theory that examines how geographical space is represented and influences the construction of narratives. Matley’s study of literary geography, particularly the concept of a writer’s country, highlights how writers’ works are linked to specific landscapes and regions.
• Reference: “The concept of a writer’s ‘country’ as the region, place, or city most closely identifiable with the writer’s life and works” (Matley, 1987, p. 123).

3. Contribution to New Historicism

• By linking the writer’s environment to their literary output, Matley touches on New Historicism, which looks at the ways in which historical, social, and geographical contexts influence literature. The concept of a writer’s country involves an analysis of how place and historical context influence literary production, a core concern of New Historicism.
• Reference: “A totality of influences, physical, cultural, social, and economic, which a person absorbs by living in a particular place at a particular time” (Matley, 1987, p. 131).

4. Contribution to Ecocriticism

• Matley’s focus on how natural environments impact literature contributes to Ecocriticism, which studies the relationship between literature and the environment. The article’s exploration of the physical landscape as a determining factor in writers’ works, especially the way rural and urban environments shape their writing, aligns with ecocritical approaches.
• Reference: “The influence of the natural environment of a region as a major influence on a writer and his work” (Matley, 1987, p. 123).

5. Contribution to Spatial Literary Studies

• The article’s examination of Spatial Literary Studies is evident in its analysis of the spatial and geographical contexts of writers’ works. Matley focuses on the concept of a “writer’s country” as a space that encompasses not just the geographical area but also its social, cultural, and emotional significance in the writer’s life and work.
• Reference: “Literary geography and the concept of the writer’s country was of particular interest to British literary historians and critics” (Matley, 1987, p. 123).

6. Contribution to Memory Studies in Literature

• Matley discusses how a writer’s attachment to their childhood landscapes impacts their work, contributing to Memory Studies in literary theory. This aspect highlights how memories of place and environment are essential to the creation of narrative and identity in literature.
• Reference: “The landscapes of childhood… the colours seen in childhood are those with which in maturity whatever is enduring is depicted” (Sharp, 1912, p. 66).

7. Contribution to Theories of Regionalism

• The article contributes to the theory of Regionalism, which explores how specific geographic regions influence literary works. Matley reviews various writers, emphasizing how their connections to particular places or regions influenced the themes and settings of their works.
• Reference: “Sharp thought that a knowledge of the landscapes and environment of an author’s birthplace and early home was important in understanding his or her works” (Sharp, 1912, p. 66).

1. Overemphasis on Environmental Determinism

• Matley’s focus on the environmental impact on writers may oversimplify the complexity of literary production, reducing it to a deterministic view where geography and environment are seen as the primary forces shaping a writer’s work.
• Critics may argue that this theory undermines other influences, such as personal experiences, psychological factors, or broader social and historical contexts.

Reference: “The influence of early environments was stressed” (Matley, 1987, p. 123).

2. Neglect of the Writer’s Agency and Creativity

• Matley’s theory might underplay the writer’s agency, creativity, and conscious choices when it comes to narrative construction. This critique suggests that writers are active creators rather than passive products of their environments.
• Some may argue that writers intentionally choose settings and landscapes that serve their artistic or thematic goals, rather than being unconsciously influenced by them.

Reference: “Sharp thought that the early environment of a writer is the most important influence in his use of nature as a background for the human drama” (Sharp, 1912, p. 66).

3. Insufficient Consideration of Non-Geographical Influences

• Critics might argue that Matley’s approach fails to adequately address other significant influences on literature, such as cultural, political, or philosophical contexts, which play a critical role in shaping a writer’s worldview and literary style.
• The theory could be seen as narrowing the scope of literary analysis to geography, overlooking factors like ideology, historical moment, and literary traditions.

Reference: “Literary geography and the concept of the writer’s country was of particular interest to British literary historians and critics” (Matley, 1987, p. 123).

4. Limited Application to Non-Regional Writers

• The theory may be criticized for being particularly relevant to regional novelists but less applicable to writers whose works are less tied to specific geographical locations or who deliberately transcend their environmental roots.
• Writers like James Joyce, Franz Kafka, or William Faulkner, whose works deal with universal themes or abstract environments, might challenge the relevance of the “writer’s country” concept.

Reference: “The landscapes of childhood… the colours seen in childhood are those with which in maturity whatever is enduring is depicted” (Sharp, 1912, p. 66).

5. Romanticizing the Connection Between Writer and Landscape

• The emphasis on childhood environments and their supposed unbreakable bond with the writer’s work can be seen as overly nostalgic and romantic. Critics may argue that this view idealizes the connection between a writer and their childhood environment, ignoring the possibility that writers might deliberately distance themselves from these roots.
• Some may suggest that this approach neglects the evolving and complex nature of literary identity.

Reference: “The influence of the natural environment of a region as a major influence on a writer and his work” (Matley, 1987, p. 123).

6. Limited Engagement with Modern Theoretical Frameworks

• Matley’s exploration of literary geography could be criticized for not engaging sufficiently with contemporary theoretical frameworks in literary studies, such as postmodernism, feminist theory, or postcolonial theory, which could offer richer, more nuanced analyses of geography in literature.
• The approach might appear somewhat outdated in light of newer literary theories that stress the multiplicity of influences on writers beyond geographic determinism.

Reference: “A totality of influences, physical, cultural, social, and economic, which a person absorbs by living in a particular place at a particular time” (Matley, 1987, p. 131).

7. Over-Simplification of Geographical Influence

• Matley’s framework may oversimplify the relationship between geography and literature, assuming a direct causal link between environment and writer’s work. Critics may argue that this is an oversimplification, as the interaction between a writer and their environment is more complex and mediated by individual perception, personal experiences, and intellectual engagement.