JONATHAN

SWIFT

Jonathan Swift was born in Dublin, Ireland, of an

English family, which had important connections
but little wealth.

Through the generosity of an uncle, he was

educated at Kilkenny Grammar School and then
Trinity College in Dublin.

Between 1689 and 1699 he worked as a private

secretary to a distant kinship Sir William Temple, a
retired diplomat.

And there he also received a first-rate education in

politics through contact with Temple and many
other well-known politicians, learning much about
hypocrisy,deception and corruption in the political
world.

Swifts Literary Position and

Works
Literary Position

Swift is one of the greatest masters of English

prose.

Swift is a master satirist. Even today, he is still

regarded as a national hero in Ireland.

Gullivers Travels (1726), his greatest satiric work

What Is Satire?

Humorous, witty

Clever, sarcastic

Criticizes event, person, group

Introduction to Gullivers
Travels

Jonathans best fictional work

was published in 1726

Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World,

by Samuel Gulliver.

The book contains four parts, each dealing with

one particular voyage during which Gulliver
meets with extraordinary adventures on some
remote island after he has met with shipwreck or
piracy or some other misfortune.

Lemuel Gulliver

Narrator of novel

Middle-aged, middle class, British

Intelligent, well-educated

Nave

Unaffectionate to wife

A doctor on a Royal Navy ship who

washes up on the shores of several
fictional countries.

Upon returning to England, he is

painfully aware of his countrys
flaws.

Mrs. Mary Burton: Mrs. Mary Burton is

Gulliver's wife. He only states her name
at the beginning of the novel, and
thereafter refers to her as his wife. She is
mentioned only during his rare time in
England.

Captain William Pritchard: Captain

Pritchard is the head of the ship named
Antelope. He controls Gulliver's first
voyage in which a storm overtakes the
ship, leaving Gulliver stranded on the
strange land of Lilliput.

A VOYAGE TO LILLIPUT

The first part tells about his experience in Lilliput

The emperor believed himself to be the delight and terror of

the universe, but it appeared quite absurd to Gulliver who
was twelve times as tall as he.

In his account of the two parties in the country,

distinguished by the use of high and low heels.

Religious disputes were laughed at in an account of a

problem which divided the Lilliputians: Should eggs be
broken at the big end or the little end?

Main Characters

Lilliputians

Inhabit Lilliput

Only 6 inches tall

Prone to conspiracies and

jealousies

Emperor

Ruler of the Lilliputians

Despite small size, loves being in

control, exercising his power, and
his large palace

Gulliver visits Lilliput

Meet the Lilliputians

He finds that the

population is split between
'Big Enders' and 'Little
Enders

The Emperor who is keen to

go to war with Belfuscu and
the defecting 'Big Enders

The Empress who originally

likes Gulliver, but is then
offended when he urinates on
buildings to put out a fire

A VOYAGE TO BROBDINGNAG

Second Journey to Brobdingnag

In the second part, Gulliver is left alone in

Brobdingnag where people are not only ten
times taller and larger than ordinary human
beings, but also superior in wisdom.
Gulliver now found himself a dwarf among
men sixth feet in height. The king, who
regarded Europe as if it were an anthill.

Gulliver sold and used as a slave, mostly

used for entertainment purposes

Discusses history and policies of his native

country with the King

Main Characters

Brobdingnagians

Giants that inhabit Brobdingnag

Reasonable, gentle

The Queen

Sweet, kind

Humorous, witty

The King

Intellectual, rational

Does not know much about politics

A VOYAGE TO LAPUTA, BALNIBARBI,

LUGGNAGG, GLUBBDUBDRIB, AND
JAPAN

The third part deals with mainly with his

accidental visit to the flying Island, where
the philosophers and projectors devote all
their time and energy to the study of
some absurd problems. Their scientists
are engaged in projects for exacting
sunbeams out of cucumbers, turning ice
into gunpowder and making cloth from
cobweb.

Laputans Inhabitants of the flying island of Laputa which has

diameter of 7837 yards.

Munodi A Lord who lives in Lagado the metropolis of Balnibari

Professors of various academies who take up Gulliver's

suggestions

Governor of Glubbdubdrib

Struldbruggs who offer eternal life but become progressively

senile in doing so.

Maldonada A port

Guldubdribb land of sorcerers

Glangluenstand port of embarkation from Luggnagg

Xamoschi landfall in Japan

Nangasac where he meets Captain Theodorus Vangrult with

whom he sailed back to England.

A VOYAGE TO THE COUNTRY OF

THE
Houynhms

Final Journey to the Country

of the Houyhnhnms

Horses rule the deformed

Yahoos

Gulliver banished from their

society

Feel he is a threat to their

civilization

Aware he has a resemblance

to a Yahoo

Summary of Last Book

The last part is a most interesting account of his

discoveries in the Houyhnhnm land, where horses
are endowed with reason and all good and
admirable qualities, and are the governing class.

Contrary to the Houyhnhnms, the Yahoos possess

every conceivable evil. They are malicious,
spiteful, envious, unclean and greedy. Gulliver
admires the life and ways of the horses, as much
as he is disgusted with the Yahoos, whose relations
remind him of those existing in English society to
such a degree that he shudders at the prospect of
returning to his native.

Main Characters
Yahoos

Yahoos an uncouth human like

race

Dirty, hairy, primitive, but humanlike

Many different kinds

Blonde, redheaded, dark-haired

Servants of Houyhnhnms

Houyhnhnms

A horse-like race who rule over the

unruly

Live in peaceful, simple society

Rule with reason and truthfulness

Do not even have the word lie in their

vocabulary

The end of the novel

The author takes his last

leave of the reader;

proposes his manner of

living for the future;

gives good advice, and

concludes.