Analysis of Hazlitts Article on Travel :: Literary Analysis Travel Essays Papers

Analysis of Hazlitt's Article on Travel Hazlitt's article on travel advocates the benefits of solo travel within one's own country. His affection for travel is strong. He calls going on a journey "one of the pleasantest things in the world". Hazlitt stresses that solitude while on a journey is a must, saying "nature is company enough for me", and "I am never less alone than when alone". Hazlitt insists that sharing in the experience of nature with a companion takes away from the sensory experience of it. He asserts bluntly: "I cannot see the wit of walking and talking at the same time". He believes conversation distracts from the scenery, and that nature does not need to be discussed, only experienced. To tale about the scene while experiencing it diminishes it and takes away from its immediate beauty. Scenery is not to be negotiated. Everyone will have their own unique experience of nature, and since each experience is personal it is futile to compare experiences. Hazlitt says: "The continual comparing of notes interferes with the involuntary impression of things upon the mind, and hurts the sentiment". His view opposes that of Alphonse Frankenstein, who urges Victor to take a family tour of the Chamounix, insisting that companionship in the experience compounds its remedial value. But Hazlitt seeks freedom from fellow men when he journeys. He says "the soul of a j ourney is liberty...to think, feel, do, just as one pleases". When experiencing nature in solitude, Hazlitt is able to appreciate it to its full extent by becoming one with nature. He says "when i am in the country i wish to vegetate like the country". A journey should be a time of freedom and peace, away from all things associated with city life. When travelling alone you are " a creature of the moment...free of all ties". A journey can provide "a little breathing space" to refresh and revitalize a person. When on a journey, Hazlitt says he begins "to feel, think and be myself again". He finds joy in living while in nature: "Give me the clear blue sky over my head, and the green turf beneath my feet...I laugh, I run, I leap, I sing for joy". Hazlitt's language describes the experience as being cathartic, like a return to the innocence of childhood. Hazlitt says the freedom found in nature comes from being away from people, and allowing the mind to rest.