The Image of the West in "My Journeys to the Land of the English" by Mazin Mutabagani: A Study in Light of Cultural Criticism

Abstract

This study aims to shed light on the "West" in the discourse of the Saudi traveler Mazin Mutabagani through his book My Journeys to the Land of the English, using the method of cultural criticism, with a focus on the implicit patterns that contributed to shaping the image of Western society in his book. The most prominent findings of the study are that some of the images conveyed by the traveler were influenced by his prior cultural perceptions, which contributed to shaping his view of the "Other." The implicit patterns in My Journeys to the Land of the English represent unspoken confessions that reveal hidden cultural and social biases, and reflect suppressed attitudes and implicit ideas that emerged through details and symbols without being directly stated. Furthermore, travel literature—such as Mazin Mutabagani's journey—reveals the hidden cultural values that shape the traveler's perceptions and contributes to understanding the reasons behind the conflict between the self and the other. .