What does a map symbolize in literature?
As we've seen, maps are "symbolized representations" of the planet. They portray actual and, in most cases, palpable aspects of the planet. If we wanted to, we could discover the region of the world that each given map portrays. In literature, a map is a visual representation of something else. Thus, a literary map is a graphic depiction of some aspect(s) of a setting or story. A literary map can also be used to indicate movement through a story or setting. Maps have been used in literature for many centuries. The first map that is known to exist was created by Piri Reis around 1480. It is now kept in the British Museum. Landmarks, cities, and other features on the map can be recognized today, although their names aren't known yet. But even without names, we can still learn much from this early map. For example, we can see that Europe was not connected to Asia by land travel until 1553 when Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan completed his journey with five ships. Maps have been used extensively in fiction.