and Sexual Deviance in Nineteenth Century Travel Writing
teristic in the context of the English empire in the nineteenth century. Analysis of nineteenth century travel writing in British colonies of the South Seas demonstrates how these texts may be considered colonial/ imperial discourse rather than just touristic documents alone. Colonial travel writing of this period typically presents Western European practitioners (usually the authors themselves) drawing moral assessments of native colonial cultures from journeys that become part vacation, part civic duty. These texts additionally provide context for contemporary modes of moral panicking, especially as their global concerns are compounded in current internet culture. I will lastly show how contemporary internet deviant culture reflects these nineteenth century narratives. The primary text discussed in this chapter is Herman Melville’s short novel Typee. Charles Warren Stoddard’s Cruising the South Seas is also analyzed in order to broaden the context. Both novels present archetypal travel writing and imperial discourse prevalent during this period, providing a glimpse of British colonies in the South Seas. Charles Warren Stoddard (1843–1909), an American author and editor, primarily wrote autobiographical works that often detailed his travels. Herman Melville (1819–1891), on the contrary, mainly wrote fictional works. His landmark novel, Moby-Dick, would later solidify him as a