This paper explores the interconnections between the natural space
and the human psyche in David Park’s novel Travelling in a
Strange Land (2018). Focus is placed on the active role of the
natural landscape in both exacerbating the protagonist’s struggle
with traumatic memories and contributing to his process of
making peace with the past. Suppressed memories buried into the
unconscious rise to the surface and unsettle Tom’s emotional and
mental state as he travels alone through the frozen landscapes of
Ireland and England to bring his ill son back home for Christmas.
In this literary work, the snowy landscape assumes a major
presence. The natural world provides stimuli that activate the
traveller’s memory and mentally transport him into times and
places that have left an indelible mark upon his psyche, while it
also acts as a sanctuary allowing Tom to reflect upon the loss of
his eldest son and bear witness to his grief and trauma. Ultimately,
this analysis brings forth the two parallel journeys that are in
progress; that is, Tom’s winter road trip and an inner journey
through mental and emotional landscapes of traumatic memory