A Theoretical Exposition to Geo-criticism: Mapping the Philosophical Trajectory of Spatial Studies

Time and Space are the two cardinal aspects that determine the narrative, character development, and thematic elements of a story. Space in fiction refers to the way authors use physical, symbolic, or metaphorical spaces to shape the narrative, amplify characters, and convey multitudes of themes. It encompasses various aspects of setting and environment, including how space is described, its significance within the plot, and its impact on the overall narrative. As a generic narrative tool, space serves as an altar in fictional contexts - both real and imaginary, original and fictionalised – affixing intensity, depth, richness, details and emotion to the narrative, defining and redefining atmosphere, meticulously describing settings, scrupulously establishing environments that could shift the readers into an engaging and engrossing landscape. Spatial studies in literature or rather ‘the spatial turn’ gained prominence in the latter half of the 20th century that marked a shift in academic and critical approaches to literary analysis, emphasizing the importance of space and spatial relationships within literary texts. The current paper traces the theoretical trajectory of how spatial studies and literary cartography have gained momentum in the milieu of literary investigation and how space/place has become topical as a critical category much like power, culture, gender, class and race. It also lays out the basic tenets of geo-criticism, a multi-dimensional emerging field in fictional studies that focuses on how a space/locale/environment/region narrated and recreated in the reader’s imagination becomes phenomenal.