Jonathan Swift (1667--1745)
JONATHAN SWIFT

Jonathan Swift was born in Dublin, Ireland, of an English
family, which had important connections but little wealth.
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Through the generosity of an uncle, he was educated at
Kilkenny Grammar School and then Trinity College in Dublin.
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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.
Swift’s 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.

Gulliver’s Travels (1726), his greatest satiric work
What Is Satire?

Humorous, witty

Clever, sarcastic

Criticizes event, person, group
Introduction to Gulliver’s Travels
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Jonathan’s best fictional work
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was published in 1726
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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 of piracy of some other misfortune.
Lemuel Gulliver
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Narrator of novel
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Middle-aged, middle class, British

Intelligent, well-educated
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Naïve

Unaffectionate to wife
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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 country’s 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
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
Lilliputians
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Inhabit Lilliput
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Only 6 inches tall
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Prone to conspiracies and jealousies
Emperor
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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
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
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Brobdingnagians
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Giants that inhabit Brobdingnag
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Reasonable, gentle
The Queen
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Sweet, kind
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Humorous, witty
The King
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Intellectual, rational
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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.
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Munodi A Lord who lives in Lagado the metropolis of Balnibari
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Professors of various academies who take up Gulliver's suggestions
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Governor of Glubbdubdrib
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Struldbruggs who offer eternal life but become progressively senile in
doing so.
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Maldonada A port
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Guldubdribb land of sorcerers
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Glangluenstand port of embarkation from Luggnagg
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Xamoschi landfall in Japan
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Nangasac where he meets Captain Theodorus Vangrult with whom he
sailed back to England.
A VOYAGE TO THE COUNTRY OF THE
Houynhms
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Final Journey to the Country of the
Houyhnhnms
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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
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Yahoo’s an uncouth human like race
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Dirty, hairy, primitive, but humanlike
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Many different kinds

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Blonde, redheaded, dark-haired
Servants of Houyhnhnms
Houyhnhnms
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A horse-like race who rule over the
unruly
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Live in peaceful, simple society
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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.