INTRODUCING

JONATHAN SWIFT

By-

Kavisha Alagiya
Visiting Faculty at Department of English
M. K. Bhavnagar University
 LIFE

• Swift was born in Dublin, of English parents, in 1667. His father died before he was born; his mother
was poor, and Swift, though proud as Lucifer, was compelled to accept aid from relatives, who gave
it grudgingly.
• His connexion with Ireland was maintained more or less closely till the day he died. (Irish Political
Hero)
• A distant relative, Sir William Temple, who helped him financially, was his patron. Temple was a
statesman and an excellent diplomatist.
• He seems to have been very wretched both at his school at Kilkenny and at Trinity College, Dublin,
where his experiences went to confirm in him that savage melancholia which was to endure all his life.
• Temple gave him the position of private secretary largely on account of the unwelcome relationship.
(Long)
• Much of his distemper was due to purely physical causes, for he suffered from an infection of the ear
that ultimately touched his brain and caused insanity.
 THE MAKING OF JONATHAN SWIFT

• Temple was a Whig and a supporter of the Ancients in the ancients vs Moderns
controversy, and it was in support of Temple that he wrote his first touch of bitterness
and showed itself in his first notable work, “The Battle of the Books”.
• The Battle of the Books depicts a literal and allegorical battle between books in the
King's Library (housed in St James's Palace at the time of the writing), as ideas and
authors struggle for supremacy.
• The “The Battle of the Books” was written as a prologue to another satire - “A Tale of a
Tub”. (A Tale of a Tub is the only religious allegory that he wrote)
• A Tale of a Tub was about three sons, Peter, Jack and Martin, who were all given a coat
each by their father, with strict instructions on how to use the coat. But the sons misuse
the coats. It's an allegory for how the Christian denominations misused Christianity. All
this became very famous or rather notorious in England.
 JONATHAN SWIFT - SATIRIST

• The work brought him into notice as the most powerful satirist of the age, and he soon
gave up his church to enter the strife of party politics.
• Swift devoted the gigantic powers of his pen, became a political star of some magnitude,
and, after the manner of the time, hoped for substantial rewards.
• For several years, Swift was one of the most important figures in London. The Whigs
feared the lash of his satire; the Tories feared to lose his support. He was courted,
flattered, cajoled on every side. (The two political parties found in the time of Charles II.
The Whigs were the Liberals led by Earl of Shaftesbury and the Tories were the
Conservatives who were Royalists.)
• He might have become a bishop, but it is said that Queen Anne objected to A Tale of a
Tub and had doubts about his orthodoxy and in the wreck of the Tory party in 1715 all he
could save was the Deanery of St Patrick's, in Dublin, which he had received in 1713.
 LATER PHASE

• His best known literary work, “Gulliver's Travels”, was done here; but the bitterness of
life grew slowly to insanity, and a frightful personal sorrow, of which he never spoke,
reached its climax in the death of Esther Johnson, a beautiful young woman, who had
loved Swift ever since the two had met in Temple's household, and to whom he had
written his “Journal to Stella”.
• An embittered man, he spent the last thirty years of his life in gloom, and largely in
retirement. His last years were passed in silence and, at the very end, lunacy.
 LIFE OF SWIFT - LONG

• In each of Marlowe's tragedies we have the picture of a man dominated by a single passion,
the lust of power for its own sake. In each we see that a powerful man without self-
control is like a dangerous instrument in the hands of a child; and the tragedy ends
in the destruction of the man by the ungoverned power which he possesses. The life
of Swift is just such a living tragedy.
• He had the power of gaining wealth, like the hero of the “Jew of Malta”; yet he used it scornfully,
and in sad irony left what remained to him of a large property to found a hospital for lunatics.
By hard work he won enormous literary power, and used it to satirize our common
humanity. He wrested political power from the hands of the Tories, and used it to
insult the very men who had helped him, and who held his fate in their hands. By
his dominant personality he exercised a curious power over women, and used it
brutally to make them feel their inferiority.
(Long)
 LIFE OF SWIFT

“Being loved supremely by two good women, he brought sorrow and death
to both, and endless misery to himself. So his power brought always tragedy
in its wake. It is only when we remember his life of struggle and
disappointment and bitterness that we can appreciate the personal quality
in his satire, and perhaps find some sympathy for this greatest genius of all
the Augustan writers.”
(Long)
 MISANTHROPE

• In Swift’s comments on his book, he wrote to Alexander Pope making several points.
• Firstly, he says that the chief end of all his labours is “ to vex the world rather than divert it”
• Secondly, he declares that he has “ever hated all nations, professions and communities an all his
love is toward individuals”
• In explaining this remark, he says that he hates the tribe of lawyers, physicians etc. ,but that he
loves particular lawyers and physicians. He goes on to say in this connection “I heartily hate and
detest that animal called man”, although he heartily loves Jhon, Thomas.
• Thirdly, he asserts that he does not believe in the definition of man as animal rationale and that in
his view man is only rationis capax. In other words, he does not believe that man is a rational
animal , though he does believe that man is capable of becoming rational if he makes the necessary
effort.
• Having expressed his views, Swift adds that upon this great foundation of misanthropy (though not
Timon’s manner) the whole building of Gulliver’s Travels is erected.
 SUMMARY
• November 30, 1667 – Swift was born
• 1688 - became the secretary for Sir William Temple
• 1694 - took religious orders in the Church of Ireland and then spent a year as a country parson. [Meanwhile, he had begun to
write satires on the political and religious corruption surrounding him, working on A Tale of a Tub, which supports the
position of the Anglican Church against its critics on the left and the right, and The Battle of the Books, which argues for the
supremacy of the classics against modern thought and literature.]
• 1696 - Returned to Temple's service. Temple died in 1699.
• 1702 - received a doctorate degree in divinity from Trinity College in 1702
• 1707 - Involved with The Tattler (pseudonym Issac Bickerstaff)
• 1709 - went to London to campaign for the Irish church but was unsuccessful.
• 1710 - became a member of the more conservative Tory party
• 1713 - became dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin
• 1726 - Wrote Gulliver's Travels
• 1729 - Wrote "A Modest Proposal."
• 1742 - Established site for insane asylum (St. Patrick's Hospital).
• 1745 – Swift died
 WORKS CITED

• Albert, Edward. History of English Literature. Ed. James Alfred Stone. Harrap, 1979. 10
July 2022.
• Daiches, David. A Critical History of English Literature. Vol. 2. Allied Publishers, 1969. 2
vols. PDF. 10 July 2022.
• Long, William J. English Literature - Its History and Its Significance for the Life of the
English-Speaking World. Delhi: AITBS Publishes India, 2016. Book. 10 July 2022.
• Vallath, Kalyani. A Bird's eye view of British and American Literature. Trivandrum:
Bodhi Tree Books, 2018. Paperback. 10 July 2022.
 JONATHAN SWIFT’S

A TALE OF A TUB

By-

Kavisha Alagiya
Visiting Faculty at Department of English
M. K. Bhavnagar University
 INTRODUCTION

• ‘A Tale of a Tub’ is a satirical novella published in 1704 written from a first-person

omniscient perspective.
• Jonathan Swift's ‘A Tale of a Tub’ is a brilliant failure. It intended as a defence of the
Anglican church, but it was widely interpreted by contemporary readers as an attack on all
religion.
• The Anglican Church as well as the Monarchy disapproved of his treatise.
• The narrative portions of ‘A Tale of a Tub’ are recounted in the past tense, but the many
"Digressions" are often written in the present tense.
• "The style is terse and has a sustained vigour, pace and colourfulness which Swift did not
equal in his later works." (Albert)
• A Tale sparkles with wit, power of irony, sarcasm, and richness of imagery that is not
equalled by the author in any book later on.
 INTRODUCTION

• The book does not have a clear organizational structure. It consists of a Preface, 11
Sections and a Conclusion, exploring the ancient and modern philosophies with
digressions.
• Along with the main tale of three brothers, there are the literal ‘Digression’ sections.

Digression

Ancient v/s His Literary

Critics Digressions Madness
Modern Intentions
 OVERVIEW

• TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE JOHN LORD SOMERS

• The "bookseller" addresses John Lord Somers ("to the worthiest” insisted by the author) as a
dedicatee of ‘A Tale of a Tub’.

• The Bookseller To The Reader

• “If any gentleman will please to furnish me with a key, in order to explain the more difficult parts, I
shall very gratefully acknowledge the favour, and print it by itself.

• The Epistle Dedicatory To His Royal Highness Prince Posterity

• “Sir,
I here present your Highness with the fruits of a very few leisure hours, stolen from the short intervals
of a world of business, and of an employment quite alien from such amusements as this; the poor
production of that refuse of time which has lain heavy upon my hands during a long prorogation of
Parliament, a great dearth of foreign news, and a tedious fit of rainy weather. For which, and other
reasons, it cannot choose extremely to deserve such a patronage as that of your Highness, whose
numberless virtues in so few years, make the world look upon you as the future example to all princes.”
THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY TO HIS ROYAL
HIGHNESS PRINCE POSTERITY
 THE PREFACE

• Seamen have a custom when they meet a Whale to

fling him out an empty Tub, by way of amusement,
Tub
Sailors toss out
to divert him from laying violent hands upon the tub to distract
whales
Ship. (Swift)
• Swift explains in the preface that the title “A Tale Status quo of the

Ship
English
of a Tub” alludes to the nautical practice of government and
its religious
flinging an empty tub overboard to distract a structure

whale and prevent harm to the ship. Satirists, he

suggests, similarly throw out allegedly empty or
Whale
Symbolize new
ideas and
insubstantial works of literature to distract controversies

the "Leviathan" (mass) of society from

political interference. The term Leviathan is a
biblical reference to a sea monster.
 THE PREFACE
• According to swift, this work is a distraction so that the
critics target ‘A Tale of a Tub’ and spare his other works.

Tub
Sailors toss out
• According to Swift, tub to distract
whales
the “whale” stands for Thomas Hobbes’ famous
atheistic political treatise “Leviathan” (named after a
Status quo of the
humongous sea beast),
Ship
English
government and
the ship stands for the Commonwealth and the its religious
structure
Church
And what he’s writing is the “tub” aimed at
Whale
Symbolize new
ideas and
distracting the Leviathan from wrecking the ship. controversies

• “A Tale of a Tub” is a typical Swiftian fabrication

presented as a ‘tale of tub’
 SWIFT EXPLAINED HIS PURPOSE
in the ‘Apology’ of the fifth edition - 1710
• The author was then young. He had endeavoured to strip himself of as many real prejudices as
he could; I say real ones, because, under the notice of prejudices, he knew to what dangerous
heights some man have proceeded.
• Thus prepared, he thought the numerous and gross corruptions in religion and learning might
furnish matter for a satire, that would be useful and diverting. He resolved to proceed in a
manner that should be altogether new, the world having been already too long nauseated with
endless repetitions upon every subject.
• The abuses in religion he proposed to set forth in the Allegory of the Coat and the three
Brothers, which was to make up the body of the discourse. Those in learning he chose to
introduce by way of digressions.
In old age, Swift is reported to have said of his famous satire on religious dogmatism:
'God, what a genius I had when I wrote that book!’
(Daiches)
 I

• This chapter covers a basic summary of what Swift will

discuss in the treatise. Swift provides a humorous and
satirical list written in Old English.
• A rivalry between different groups of socially and
professionally connected British writers. Grub Street,
located in one of the poorer parts of London, was an early
modern centre of "lowbrow" literary activity.
 II
• The tale begins
• Once upon a time there was a man who had three sons. Their father died while they were
young, and upon his death-bed, calling the lads to him, spoke thus:— “Sons, because I have
purchased no estate, nor was born to any, I have long considered of some good
legacies to bequeath you, and at last, with much care as well as expense, have
provided each of you (here they are) a new coat. Now, you are to understand
that these coats have two virtues contained in them; one is, that with good
wearing they will last you fresh and sound as long as you live; the other is, that
they will grow in the same proportion with your bodies, lengthening and
widening of themselves, so as to be always fit…
• You will find in my will (here it is) full instructions in every particular
concerning the wearing and management of your coats, wherein you must be
very exact to avoid the penalties I have appointed for every transgression or
neglect, upon which your future fortunes will entirely depend. (Swift)
 II

• First seven years - they carefully observed their father’s will and kept their coats in very
good order; that they travelled through several countries, encountered a reasonable
quantity of giants, and slew certain dragons.
• Being now arrived at the proper age for producing themselves, they came up to town
(symbolizes their abandoning their religious ways and following the worldly ways of
sinful loving and running after loose women – Pride, Ambition and Wealth)
• They became a part of their polite society. But being young men, they engage in frivolous
pursuits such as fighting, drinking, and frequenting "chocolate-houses." At this point,
they find that their coats are no longer fashionable, as coats with elaborate shoulder
knots have become all the rage. The coats their father had left them were of very good
cloth, and besides, so neatly sewn but, at the same time, very plain, with little or no
ornament.
 II
• As Shoulder Knots came into vogue, their coats seemed less attractive in society. In this unhappy case they
went immediately to consult their father’s will, read it over and over, but not a word of the shoulder-knot.
What should they do? What temper should they find? Obedience was absolutely necessary, and yet
shoulder-knots appeared extremely requisite.
• After much thought, one of the brothers, who happened to be more book-learned than the other two, said he
had found a way. Peter wants to add shoulder knots to his coat. The other wants to add golden lace.
• Peter starts looking for mere letters in the word ‘Shoulder-knots’.
• Scrutinizing their father's will, the brothers find no mention of shoulder knots, and it remains obvious that
he did not intend them to wear any such decoration. But they eventually decide that, such alteration is
acceptable.
• Fashions keep changing, however, and the brothers consult the will again to see if they can find excuses to
trim their coats with lace and add flame-colored lining, silver fringe, and fancy embroidery. Each such step
requires an even more absurd rationalization, taking them further and further away from their father's
stated intention. Eventually, they lock up the document in a strongbox and avoid consulting it at all.
 III. A DIGRESSION CONCERNING CRITICS

• The three brothers’ story is interrupted as the writer discusses the nature of “Criticism”
and the nature of the “Critic” and the “True Critic”
• The true critic whether Ancient or Modern, loves criticism and is able to find flaws that
nobody else can find and takes pleasure in it.
• He also discusses the difference between the Ancients and the Moderns, as well as the
Ancient and Modern ways of Thought.
 IV

• Peter, who embarks a lavish lifestyle, declares himself as Lord Peter and demands
obedience from the other two brothers.
• Peter delves into the fits of delusion.
• As the eldest brother, he believes he is entitled more specially when it comes to title and
honour.
• He decides to take on several projects such as building a continent and inventing a new
type of pickle.
• This way he becomes rich.
• The other two brothers try to intervene, but he does not listen to them.
 V. A DIGRESSION IN THE MODERN KIND

• Importance of digression
“I have found a very strange, new, and important discovery: that the public good of
mankind is performed by two ways—instruction and diversion. And I have
further proved my said several readings (which, perhaps, the world may one day see, if I
can prevail on any friend to steal a copy, or on certain gentlemen of my admirers to be very
importunate) that, as mankind is now disposed, he receives much greater
advantage by being diverted than instructed.”
• It is more beneficial and instructive than instruction.
• the present universal empire of wit and learning
• It would be very helpful, Swift remarks, if someone would compile everything that needs
to be known into "a small portable volume."
 VI

• After being abandoned by Peter, Martin and Jack manages to take shelter of their own.
• The two brothers starts translating his father's will into modern speech, so they can
better understand his instructions.
• When going through father’s will precisely, they realize that they have made an error
and they try to rectify/ fix their coat.
• Martin does it steadily and comfortably without ruining it.
• Jack deliberately and hastily tries to remove the adornments from the coat running it
• Both brothers begin to grow apart.
 VII. A DIGRESSION IN PRAISE OF
DIGRESSIONS

• Swift discusses how certain types of digressions can be illuminating, especially when
running parallel to certain other types of arguments.

• This digression then evaluates the Modern wit, providing suggestions to the reader
regarding how to appear witty.
 VIII

THE NATURE OF WIND and

INSPIRATION

about how ARTISTS and GREAT

THINKERS get inspired.
IX. A DIGRESSION CONCERNING MADNESS
• This Section mentions Jack briefly.
• The Author says that Jack has gone mad.
• Madness of a kind seems to be a vital ingredient in the great achievements of politics, philosophy,
and religion.
• The author discusses the great madmen who have changed history, especially those who had deep
faith in Religion.
• Madness is a kind of kind of vapor (that produces genius) that ascends to the brain and inspires
individuals in various ways. Visionaries, who often see the best of things, are at an advantage over
the sober philosophers who recognize flaws and faults.
• He assesses what it was, mentally, that allowed them to achieve such heights.
• The author suggests that society seek out those young men who appear disturbed and give them
power, for it is likely that they posses this "madness" of greatness.
• He suggests that MADNESS can be seen as a synonym of GREATNESS.
 X
• It begins the next digression with a remark that AUTHORS provide PREFACES or
INTRODUCTIONS to their works, offering their thoughts to the world.
• Thus, the author is doing the same, expressing a wish that his work will be well-received
by the readers. The narrator lists different types of readers-
• THE SUPERFICIAL, THE IGNORANT, and THE LEARNED and predicts how each kind
reacts to satire. Only THE LEARNED READERS can understand Satire and its only for
them, that he writes his Satire.
• He then discusses the different types of ways in which a Text can be interpreted.
• He offers some interpretations of his own text noting, that if a reader approaches his
work actively and search deep hidden, implicit Answers in it, he would uncover a great
mystery.
 X
• These Brothers are the representative of three religions: CATHOLICISM, PROTESTANTISM, and
ANGLICAN. So, Each brother represents one of the primary branches of Christianity in the West.
• The brothers have inherited three wonderfully satisfactory coats representing a practice of Christianity )
by their father (representing God), and they have his will (representing the Bible) which will guide them.
PETER, MARTIN and JACK handle their respective coats differently.
• MARTIN removes the adornments carefully, but JACK is careless and gets holes in his coat. This
represents the differences in their religious outlooks i.e., the differences amongst the three branches of
CHRISTIANITY -- CATHOLICISM, PROTESTANTISM, PURITANISM and the extent to which they are
deconstructing the instructions of the WILL which stands for BIBLE and its old Catholic teachings.
• The brothers descend into this very type of arguments and are constantly fighting with one other.
• Peter and Martin vie for the attentions and favours of various monarchs.
• Through these brothers, Jonathan Swift represents the ridiculousness of differences amongst the various
branches of CHRISTIANITY, religious infighting and dogma.
 XI
• In SECTION ELEVEN, we return to the story of Jack, who now falls into delusion. Jack returns to
his father's will in order to understand its meaning but, after a while, decides that such a meaning
is "deeper" and "darker" than he first thought.
• He starts finding evidence and instructions in his father's will (which was only about the coats)
for all sorts of actions he takes in life.
• Gradually, Jack becomes more fanatical, having fits and disliking it when he would hear music or
see colour.
• Although they are sworn enemies, Jack and Peter keep running into each other.
• The author complains about not being able to give more details about the brothers,
• but he summarizes their most recent actions: JACK and PETER have teamed up against their
brother MARTIN in order to serve their own agendas.
• Nevertheless, when Peter gets into trouble, JACK abandons him, and PETER does the same to
JACK when he gets into a problem.
 CONCLUSION
• THE CONCLUSION declares that a work that is too long is as damaging as a book that is
too short, and that there is a time and place for every kind of book. The Author is sure
that his book will pass the Time Test.
• The author describes the conversation with his bookseller that gave rise to this
particular book, predicting that Swift will be an author for the ages. He also describes his
other fellow authors, many of whom became his good friends and he expresses his
gratitude towards them.
 HYPOCRISY OF RELIGION
• Jonathan Swift exposes the HYPOCRISY OF RELIGION in England during the early 18
century.

• The allegory of the Three Brothers is an Allegory of Religious Differences.

• This allegory is supposed to be an apology for the Anglican church's refusal to alter its
practice in accordance with Puritan demands and its continued resistance to ally with
the Roman church.
 LACK OF UNITY
• Although the will says that the brothers are forbidden from making any changes to their
coats, they do nearly nothing but alter their coats from the start.
• Peter upgrades his garments with gold lace, shoulder knots, and such trappings. Martin
removes the false ornamentation from his without tearing the cloth. Jack zealously rips
his garment to shreds to get rid of all ornaments.
• The allegory of the narrative is supposed to be an apology for the British church’s
(Martin) refusal to alter its practice in accordance with Calvinism (Jack) demands and
its continued resistance to alliance with the Roman church (Peter).
 SATIRE
• Swift was annoyed by people who were so eager to possess the newest knowledge that
they failed to pose skeptical questions.
• If he was not a particular fan of the aristocracy, he was a sincere opponent of democracy
which was often viewed then as the sort of "mob rule" that led to the worst abuses of the
Interregnum. A Tale" - more obvious satire is that on abuses in religion.
• Religious satire works through the allegory of the three brothers: Martin, Peter, and Jack.
• ‘Digressions’ -a satire on modern learning and print culture Tub is most consistent in
attacking misreading of all sorts.
• Both in the narrative sections and the digressions, the single human flaw that underlies
all the follies Swift attacks is over-figurative and over-literal reading, both of the Bible
and of poetry and political prose. One of the attacks in the tale waş on those who believe
that being readers of works makes them the equals of the creators oft works.
 ANCIENT VERSUS MODERN
• At the time that Swift was writing A Tale of a Tub, scholars were discussing whether
ancient philosophy could still measure up to modern ideas. Swift thought that the work
of the ancients was still valuable and went to lengths to defend it. He uses satire to show
that
• Homer, despite not having invented gunpowder or the compass, still has solid teachings
to pass on.
 REFERENCES
• Albert, Edward. History of English Literature. Ed. James Alfred Stone. Harrap, 1979. 10
July 2022.
• Daiches, David. A Critical History of English Literature. Vol. 2. Allied Publishers, 1969. 2
vols. PDF. 10 July 2022.
• Long, William J. English Literature - Its History and Its Significance for the Life of the
English-Speaking World. Delhi: AITBS Publishes India, 2016. Book. 10 July 2022.
• Swift, Jonathan. A Tale of a Tub. Cambridge University Press, 2010. Paperback. 10 July
2022.
• Vallath, Kalyani. A Bird's eye view of British and American Literature. Trivandrum:
Bodhi Tree Books, 2018. Paperback. 10 July 2022.