Gulliver's Travel’s Active
Reading Guide. (by Jonathan Swift)
 Swift shows the extremes of human behavior
in his descriptions of the Lilliputians and the
Brobdingnagains.
First belief……….
FIRST BELIEF……of Lilliputians
BELIEF……….
The size of the heels tells of
political regions and their
differences.
Swift’s comment on the behavior
 People don’t like change
 We don’t tolerate others
who think differently
-bitter enemies
 People are petty, foolish,
-not really different
from each other
like to argue, selfish and
ill-tempered
Second Belief……of Lilliputians
Belief…………
Lilliputians didn’t
believe any thing else
existed outside their
world
Swift’s comment on the behavior..
They fight wars over
little things and not
concerned about
people’s lives.
Third Belief and behavior of
Lilliputians:
Belief ..
 Lilliput and Belfusc at war
as to how to break eggs.
Swift’s comment on behavior
 Rules are ignorant and
incompetent ( people who
can’t get the job done)
people rule us.
BELIEFS and BEHAVIOR of
BROBDINGNAGIANS……………
First Belief….
Swift’s comment on the behavior
 They listened to Gulliver-
 Government could be
they considered
themselves bigger and
better
strong without resorting to
force.
Second belief of Brobdingnaginas
Belief…….
They see political
problems as a result
of greed, cruelty,
madness , envy etc…
Swift’s comment of behavior
Warfare is scary, and
rather than control
people need to live with
differences and be
governed by the wisest.
Third belief of Brobdingnagians
Belief…..
 Horror is stricken by
modern weapons/
they would rather
loose their kingdom
then fight a war.
Swift’s comment on behavior
 Gulliver’s views
Lillputians’ politics
like the way
Brobdingnagians
view 18th century
politics .
 Gulliver represents
the society of his
time.
A SATIRE
•Using irony, sarcasm, ridicule, or the
like, in exposing, disapproving
foolishness.
* Use in literature, in a writing style,
in which human foolishness is used to
ridicule.
Example 1
Example 2
Example 3
Example 4; on the economy
Example 7; The economy and
Wall Street.
Example 5
SNL; review videos on U tube
Common Core Satire Video
Grades Satire
Humorous literature;
*we
find it through satire, columns, and
stories.
* Neil Simon wrote plays where comedians
poked fun of the stress-filled like of
New Yorkers
A Modest Proposal, is a satirical essay written and
published anonymously by Jonathan Swift in 1729.
Swift suggests that the impoverished Irish might ease
their economic troubles by selling their children as food
for rich gentlemen and ladies.
This satirical hyperbole mocks heartless attitudes
towards the poor, as well as Irish policy in general.
Background info: Dublin - 1729
Swift wanted to bring
problems of the Irish to
the public’s attention.
 Ireland blamed their
problems on England
 England owned too
much property and taxed
the Irish too much to
live.
 England taxed Ireland
too heavily
 The Irish resented
England’s negative
attitude toward Roman
Catholics
Vocabulary:  The dog performed several
Animosity
Apprehend
____________tricks in an
attempt to win first place.
 The __________of his mistake
was monumental.
Magnitude
 It took several police to
Laudable
_________the fugitive.
 Too much energy is wasted on
needless hatred and ________
 Students’ will _________from the
Vocabulary
Sustenance
Deference
Expedient
project to listen to music.
 A good parent will provide
nutritious and __________to their
child.
 The report, on possible a terrorists
plan, was dismissed as mere
____________.
 It was an ________taxi driver that
Digress
conjecture
got me to the airport quickly.
 My parents don’t drink, so in
_______to their beliefs, I don’t
drink when I’m with them.
The first situation; the Catholic
/Protestant Rivalry
 Swift’s proposal:
 Real Condition:
 Eat the poor children
to reduce the Catholic
 The Protestant church
was losing money and
Population this will
align them with the
Pope’s wishes
influence.
2nd Situation: Landlord/Tenant
Dealings

Swift’s Proposal
They should sell their
children as food for
profit; a marketable
product

Real Condition
 Landlords were
gauging (overcharging)
tenants.
3rd Situation: Flow of Capital
(money)
Swift’s proposal:
 By selling children, more
money would be freed up,
the rich could enjoy life
better and money would
stay in Ireland
Real Condition:
 The Irish economy was in
poor shape, which meant
they had to rely on imports
(goods that came into the county)
4th situation: Cost of
raising children
Swift’s proposal:
Real Condition:

 Over population among
Eating and selling
children would relieve the
poor from these expenses
the Catholic poor was a
financial hardship
5th situation: Decadent(lots of money no
responsibility),over-refined tastes
Swift’s proposal:
Real Conditions:
 This new concept of eating
 The poor were starving and
babies is a delicacy,
challenges chefs, taverns
can profit.
the rich indulged
themselves.
th
Situation:
Having
Children
out
of
6
wedlock
Swift’s proposal:
 Selling and eating children
would bring in money and
men would seek and protect
child bearing wives.
Real Condition:
 Men didn’t want to marry.
“breeding” and having large
families to support.
 They would beat pregnant
wives to induce miscarriage