The representation of Iceland as the sublime in narratives of the victorian period

This dissertation explores physical, psychoanalytical, and particularly philosophical dimensions of the sublime with reference to major theoreticians who have elaborated on the subject; analyses various accounts of British travellers who spent time in Iceland on a scientific, intellectual, spiritual, or merely touristic end during the Victorian Period; and discusses sublimity's projections onto perceptions of these Victorians in their works regarding Iceland. Accordingly, to give a short summary of this dissertation; the first theoretical chapter is concerned with providing an inclusive philosophical background on the sublime. The second chapter which is also theoretically-disposed functions as a transitory one bridging the concept of sublime along with its several connotations and the 'phenomenon' of Iceland. In the remaining three chapters – where practical focus is foregrounded – the physical, cultural, and exotic aspects of Icelandic sublime is handled and discussed respectively with detailed reference to narratives written during the Victorian Period.