Satire in Jonathan Swift´s Gullivers Travels - 1944 Words

In the early eighteenth-century, Irish writer Jonathan Swift produced one of the most printed novels known to date. The novel, Gulliver’s Travels, not only received recognition for being reprinted an immense amount of time, but also for the satire found within the novel. Swift intended his novel to be used as a scapegoat in which he would reveal his opinion on the English society. Swift was able to demonstrate this satire through the four part plot of Gulliver’s Travels. Each part of the novel told the journey of the protagonist and focal character, Lemuel Gulliver, to an unknown island. Lemuel Gulliver spent a majority of his life bouncing around from place to place until settling in London as a practicing doctor. Once Gulliver’s business†¦show more content†¦The size of a Lilliputian’s heel illustrated whether he belonged to the group supporting or opposing the Emperor and his rule. Gulliver then gained insight that the Lilliputians are in a war with neighboring island Belfescu over matter that no one seemed to remember. With time, it surfaced that the reason of the endless war is over which end an egg is properly cracked at. Lilliputians believed the correct way to crack an egg was with the small end, while some rejected this belief and adapted that the correct way to crack an egg was with the big end. The problems Gulliver learned about the Lilliputian society and government acts as a parallel to that in England. The tactic by which government officials are appointed in Lilliput is meant to criticize England’s system of appointing and its unprofessionalism. The split in Lilliputian society into little heels and big heels adheres to the two political parties in England, the Tories and Whigs. The argument over how to crack an egg, leading to an endless war with Belfescu, mirrors the history of England. The split into Lilliput and Belfescu represents the break in church between Catholics and Protestants. The war represents the on going battle between England and France over a reason no one can recollect. Gulliver found the problems in the Lilliputian’s society to be pointless, while they found it to be critical. Gulliver’s journey in Lilliput stresses that there is no point for Tories and Whigs, England and France, or theShow MoreRelatedGulliver s Travels By Jona than Swift1116 Words   |  5 PagesGulliver’s Travels was written by Jonathan Swift in 1721. Jonathan Swift, born in 1667 was an Irish satirist, poet and pamphleteer. He later became Duke of the St Patrick Cathedral in Dublin (Ireland). He was also a minister between 1710 and 1714 (Swift Biography 1). â€Å"Gulliver’s Travels† tells the story of Gulliver as he travels throughout the world and meets different societies. Each trip allows him to encounter some fascinating civilizations. The first trip of Gulliver is Lilliput, where the populationRead MoreGulliver ´s Travels by Jonathan Swift: Biographical Summary1982 Words   |  8 PagesGulliver’s Travels – Jonathan Swift – Biographical Summary Jonathan Swift was born on November 30, 1667 in Ireland to English parents, Jonathan and Abigail. His father, Jonathan, died shortly after his birth, leaving his mother to raise him and his sister alone. In Ireland, Swift was dependent on a nanny for three years because his mother moved to England. The young man was educated because of the patronage of his Uncle, Godwin Swift. 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Many of the satires thatRead MoreAnalysis Of Jonathan Swift s Gulliver s Travels 2033 Words   |  9 Pages​Jonathan Swift was a writer known for his use of satire: the application of humor, irony, exaggeration, and ridicule to expose and criticize. At a glance, the novel seems to be a travel log of Lemuel Gulliver’s adventures, but is primarily a work of satire. Through Gulliver’s Travels, Swift strives to satirize the eighteenth century humanity. Swift was titled a misanthrope, a hater of humanity, his misanthropy rose from his disappointment in mankind. Swift utilizes Gulliver in satirizing the populationRead MoreAnalysis Of Jonathan Swift s The Revolutionary War 1583 Words   |  7 PagesHannah Rice Schmidt – 1 Research Paper 23 September 2014 Jonathan Swift The Revolutionary War is one, if not the most memorable time of American history. It is what started the beginning of the land of the free. The colonization and tyranny of England was not just felt in the thirteen colonies that became America but also in places such as Ireland. Authors such as Jonathan Swift not only acted as literary geniuses but as a way for modern day historians to see the effects of colonization and the hardshipsRead MoreLiterary Analysis : Jonathan Swift1425 Words   |  6 PagesComp. II Oct. 27, 2015 Literary analysis The author I decided to write about is Jonathan Swift for he had a keen sense for effective sarcasm. As Jonathan Swift said â€Å"The proper words in the proper places are the true definition of style.† Though he was known in different ways, he was mostly popularized through his gift in writing, particularly his satire, or his use of humor and irony, essays. Through out swift life, there has been plenty of events where I believe shape the way he was, hence hisRead More Satire2542 Words   |  11 Pagesâ€Å"Satire is a sort of glass, wherein beholders do generally discover everybody’s face but their own† (Swift). Such beholders, as Jonathan Swift astutely emphasizes, are intended, through guidance of satiric narrative, to recognize social or political plights. In some satires, as in Swift’s own A Modest Proposal, the use of absurd, blatant exaggeration is intended to capture an indolent audience’s attention regarding the social state of the poor. Yet even in such a direct satire, there exists anotherRead MoreBiographical Summary : Jonathan Swift1982 Words   |  8 PagesBiographical Summary Jonathan Swift was born in the land of Dublin, Ireland on November 30th, 1667. Swift was born to English parents, Jonathan and Abigale Swift. Unfortunately, Swift’s father passed away before his son’s birth. At the age of three, Swift was raised by his late father’s family. He attended Kilkenny Grammar School with fellow student William Congreve, who would later become a dramatist. From there, Swift moved on to attend Trinity College in Dublin and Hart Hall in Oxford. Swift would acquire