Jonathan Swift

(1667--1745)

Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift(30 November 1667
19 October 1745) was anAngloIrishsatirist, essayist,
politicalpamphleteer(first for
theWhigs, then for theTories), poet
and cleric who becameDeanofSt
Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin.

Occupation:
Satirist
Essayist
Political pamphleteer
Poet
Priest
Language: English
Nationality: Irish
Notable works:
Gulliver's Travels
A Modest Proposal
A Tale of a Tub
Drapier's Letters

Work
Swift was a prolific writer, notable for his satires. He originally
published all of his works under pseudonyms such asLemuel
Gulliver, Isaac Bickerstaff,Drapier's LettersasMB Drapier or
anonymously. He is also known for being a master of two styles
of satire, theHoratian and Juvenalianstyles. Swift's first
major prose work,A Tale of a Tub, demonstrates many of the
themes and stylistic techniques he would employ in his later
work. In February 1702, Swift received hisDoctor of
Divinitydegree fromTrinity College, Dublin.

Historical era
The book was created in the Georgian era. It is a period of British
history which takes its name from, and is normally defined as spanning
the reigns of the first four Hanoverian kings of Great Britain who were
all named George: George I, George II,George III and George IV.

The era covers the period from 1714

to 1830. It was a time of immense
social change in Britain, with the
beginnings of theIndustrial
Revolutionwhich began the process of
intensifyingclass divisions, and the
emergence of rivalpolitical
partieslike theWhigsandTories.

Religious conflict

Anglicanism in England

1533: King Henry VIII separated from the RCC b/c

of his divorce with his current wife so he could

marry (the already pregnant?) Anne Boleyn
Church of England formed and even embraced

some ideas from Lutheranism

Introduction to Gullivers
Travels
Jonathans best fictional work
It 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,
piracy and other misfortunes.

Plot Of Gullivers
Travels
Gullivers Travelsrecounts the story of Lemuel Gulliver, a
practical-minded Englishman trained as a surgeon who
takes to the seas when his business fails. In a deadpan
first-person narrative that rarely shows any signs of selfreflection or deep emotional response, Gulliver narrates
the adventures that befall him on these travels.

Swifts Satire

Political commentary using

Exaggeration- an overstatement
Understatement-opposite
of exaggeration; using a statement,
Understatement
often in the negative, to create comedic effect.

Farce-form
of low comedy designed to provoke laughter
Farce
through highly exaggerated caricatures of people in improbable
or silly situations.

Irony-saying/doing
one thing while meaning another. When the
Irony
opposite of what is expected to happen occurs

Mockery:
Mockery An absurd misrepresentation or imitation of
something.

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
(Land of Little people)

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:

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
Meets 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

What is the purpose of this

statement?
Can he truly make a difference?

Anglicanism in England
1533: King Henry VIII separated from the RCC b/c of

his divorce with his current wife so he could marry

(the already pregnant?) Anne Boleyn
Church of England formed and even embraced some

ideas from Lutheranism

e
h
t
s
e
e
g
c
r
n
o
a
f
h
c
N
o
O
t
S
Y
R
R
E
T
P
N
E
U
N
O
t
O
n
C
e
n
E
d
i
o
R
c
I
r
n
e
g
n
i
ENT ONE i
f
r
u
o
o
t
y
.
t
g
i
n
i
due
g
t
t
n
i
u
k
c
a
:
e
E
r
b
C
R
e
il

h
FA
w
g
g
e
e

Important ideas we can

extract

Dangers of Racism and Discrimination

Importance of Size

Abuse of Power

Dangers of Greed

Dangers of Judging Others

Honor can Quickly fade to Judgment

A VOYAGE TO
BROBDINGNAG

the Giants)
Second(Land
Journey of
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
Brobdingnagiants
Giants that inhabit Brobdingnag
Reasonable, gentle
The Queen
Sweet, kind

Humorous, witty
Considerate: asks Gulliver to live at the palace
and inquiring over his health
Not a hero, but a pleasant, powerful person.

The King
Intellectual, rational.
Does not know much about politics

Characters

The farmer- Gullivers first master in Brobdingnag. An

average Brobdingnagian only ruling by size.

Speaks to Gulliver as an equally rational creature.

Puts Gulliver on display: Cha-Ching!

Nearly starve Gulliver by accident

Glumdalclitch- The farmers nine-year-old daughter, who

is forty feet tall.

Befriends Gulliver and teaches him the language

Takes care of him like a doll or a petsymbolizing Gullivers

status here.

Important ideas we can

extract
Dangers Desensitizing Ourselves to violence
Dangers of Scientific Discovery
Importance of Examining our Activities and Vices

A VOYAGE TO LAPUTA,
BALNIBARBI,
LUGGNAGG, GLUBBDUBDRIB,
AND JAPAN
The third part deals mainly with his

accidental visit to the flying Island, where

the philosophers and designers devote all
their time and energy to the study of some
absurd problems. Their scientists are
engaged in projects for extracting
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 the 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
human-like
Many different kinds
Blonde, redheaded, darkhaired
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.

The main object of the satire in Gulliver's Travels is human nature itself,
specifically Man's pride as it manifests in pettiness, grossness, rational absurdity,
and animalism. Gulliver's character, as a satirical device, serves Swift's ends by
being both a mouthpiece for some of Swift's ideals and criticisms and as an
illustration of them. Thus, criticism on human nature are made through Gulliver's
observations as well as through Gulliver's own transformation from a naive
individual... into a wise and sceptic misanthrope,
As we travel with Gulliver through the voyages, Swift brilliantly peels away our
pretensions, layer by layer, until he shows us what we are and challenges us,
intensely and urgently, to be better. In Gulliver's Travels, Jonathan Swift
continues to vex the world so that it might awaken to the fact that humankind
needs saving, but it has to save itself.

The solution to the human dilemma is not as simple as Gulliver's rejection of

humanity, and Swift's final success, in terms of stimulating response, is that,
after masterfully dissecting and presenting the problem, he leaves the
application of his lessons to the judicious reader.