The scientific perspective of the literature of trip of the century XIX: Auguste de Saint-Hilaire

Abstract

This report intends to analyze the book Viagem Pelas Províncias Do Rio De Janeiro e Minas Gerais, by Auguste de Saint-Hilaire. According to the essays I based my analysis on, the reports of the travelers during the nineteenth century followed two distinct patterns: they were either objective, presenting scientific content, or subjective, presenting the narrator’s personal impressions. Saint-Hilaire’s report is considered objective, because this author uses rather passages containing long descriptions emphasizing landscape and nature. Besides, his text is predominantly impersonal, since the human presence disappears almost completely throughout the narrative.