Sinuous Genre: A Walk along the Ganges as a Flowing Travelogue by Dennison Berwick

Abstract Within the genre of travel writing, river based travel documents create an interesting sub-genre as these narratives take the readers into the sinuous trail that the river necessitates. Such a travelogue leaves the conventional linear path of a travel narrative with many digressions as a river might have. By travelling the length of a river, a travel writer could also learn about the different moods of flowing river, apart from the varied cultures along the banks. This paper analyzes Dennison Berwick's travelogue A Walk along the Ganges(1986) that documents a 2000 mile long journey along the Indian river. This journey helps Berwick to discover many aspects of India though he follows the course of the river. Furthermore, this paper takes the readers from the Bay of Bengal up to the Himalayas and in the process makes him familiar with the mythology and culture of the river. This paper is also an investigation of the modifications that Berwick does to a travelogues to incorporate the river's realities. The various chapters of Berwick's travel document stand for the sinuous flow of the river