Gulliver's Travels, Original Sin and the imagery of size
The diminutive insect Gulliver's Travels, Original Sin and the imagery of size SWIFT HAS SOMETIMES BEEN seen as a champion of liberty. In his essay 'Politics vs Literature', however, George Orwell took a different view. 'Swift,' he wrote, 'was one of those people who are driven into a sort of perverse Toryism by the follies of the progressive party of the moment.' At best Swift was 'a Tory Anarchist, despising authority while disbelieving in liberty.' At worst he was a reactionary, opposed not simply to sham science, but to all science, and even to intellectual curiosity itself. Orwell also portrays Swift as a hater of the human body and an authoritarian. 'In a political and moral sense,' writes Orwell, 'I am against him, so far as I understand him.' Yet no sooner has he written these words than he goes on to declare that Swift 'is one of the writers I admire with least reserve' Orwell presents his riven view of Swift as an example of his own sound judgment. His assessment of Swift's political outlook is, I believe, in some respects just. Yet if we consider Orwell's essay sceptically it begins to seem as though he is in a great muddle about Swift. He writes that he is against Swift 'so far as I understand him'. But does he understand him? There is a great deal of evidence to suggest that he does not, and that his difficulty in understanding Swift has been shared by a large
The world of Pope's satires
The world of Pope's satires Despite the fact that Pope made most of his money from subscriptions to his Classical translations, it is for his sharp and gritty satires that he is best remembered and justly revered. It is these that proved most entertaining and that, in literature, remained pertinent personal accounts of social history. During the Restoration and 18th Century satire was a popular generic choice for those writers who wanted to pass comment on some issue of contemporary life whilst still practicing their art. By definition satire is Œthe use of ridicule, irony, sarcasm etc. in speech or writing for the ostensible purpose of exposing and discouraging vice or folly¹. Satire is then necessarily didactic because its aim is to realign its target with a particular ideal from which the satirist believes it to have strayed. This definition alone though is not enough to help us define and examine why Pope delighted in this particular genre and why he used it as a vehicle for his political and moral beliefs. Satire is distinct from pure didacticism because of its ability to entertain; Complaint and teaching alone...do not themselves make satire...satire at all levels must entertain as well as try to influence conduct... (by) the joy of hearing a travesty, a fantastic inversion of the real world. An inversion such as the realm of the Queen of Dullness in the Dunciad.
The importance of the Fens as a surrounding context in Graham Swift's Waterland
The importance of the Fens as a surrounding context in Graham Swift's Waterland In Waterland the Fens play a vital role, they become an insular environment that appears to have little connection with the real world. They introduce many themes and motifs that recur throughout the novel, illustrating emotions and psychological states, and because they act less as a geographical setting than as an active force, their status is enhanced to that of a character in the novel. The majority of the novel is set in the Fens. I believe the Fens as a surrounding context are crucial in the novel, their importance is illustrated by the immediacy with which Tom Crick introduces the reader to the location of the story, just seven lines in he says ' we lived in a fairy-tale place. In a lock-keeper's cottage, by a river, in the middle of the Fens.' The juxtaposition of imprecision, 'a fairy-tale place', and exactness, 'in a lock keeper's cottage...' immediately establishes the setting as both a place of imaginative freedom, and a place of historical investigation, again illustrated a few pages later by the phrase, 'a fairy-tale must have a setting, a setting which, like the settings of all good fairy-tales, must be both palpable and unreal.' The juxtaposition introduces the reader to two different literary styles that Swift interweaves throughout the novel, the first being the lyrical,
This paper explains that Gulliver's voyage to the land of the
This paper explains that Gulliver's voyage to the land of the Houyhnhnms, the dominant race, contains elements of racial tension and ethnic identity. The author points out that, although they do exhibit positive qualities, which to aspire, such as altruism, intelligence and rationality; nevertheless, the Houyhnhnms persecute the Yahoos and even suggest castrating them to kill of their race. The paper relates that the Houyhnhnms judge Gulliver based on his resemblance to the Yahoos, even though it is clear that Gulliver possesses a superior intelligence and emotional capacity. Gulliver's adventure in Lilliput begins when he wakes after his shipwreck to find himself bound by innumerable tiny threads and addressed by tiny captors who are in awe of him but fiercely protective of their kingdom. They are not afraid to use violence against Gulliver, though their arrows are little more than pinpricks. But overall, they are hospitable, risking famine in their land by feeding Gulliver, who consumes more food than a thousand Lilliputians combined could. Gulliver is taken into the capital city by a vast wagon the Lilliputians have specially built. He is presented to the emperor, who is entertained by Gulliver, just as Gulliver is flattered by the attention of royalty. Eventually Gulliver becomes a national resource, used by the army in its war against the people of Blefuscu, whom the
Cannibalism – the Last Taboo
CANNIBALISM - THE LAST TABOO The purpose of this assignment is to compare and contrast the highly individual views of two authors on their interpretation of cannibalism and how they use their writing to put across their views. Cannibalism is defined as the eating of any animal by another member of the same species. It can serve as a means of genetic control by irradiating the weaker member of the species or a mechanism for population control when food sources are short. It is very rare in the civilised human species but it has occurred in modern society usually as a result of extreme necessity in isolated surroundings. A Modest Proposal was a satirical political pamphlet written by Jonathan Swift, the Protestant Dean of Saint Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin, in 1729. Swift wrote many political and religious works in addition to his great literary classic Gulliver's Travels and on his death was revered by Protestants, Catholics and Presbyterians throughout Ireland. Although he was born an Englishman and initially hated Ireland describing it as "this vile country", he grew to love it and its people. Much of his writing was directed against the social injustices inflicted on the Irish people by their English masters. Alive is a contemporary novel written by English Catholic author Piers Paul Read. It is based on true incident, which happened in 1972, when a plane carrying a
How does Swift satirise human behaviour within Book IV of Gulliver's Travels?
Lauren Carnegie Jack Hill LT111 How does Swift satirise human behaviour within Book IV of Gulliver's Travels? 'A Voyage to the Houyhnhnms' is the fourth journey of Swift's satirical travel book, in which he explores the idea of a perfect society based on pure reason. With the placement of Gulliver, a very average man of his time, Swift compares the beliefs and actions of his contemporary society with that of the Houyhnhnms. Through the Yahoo's he expresses human behaviour as an extreme against the passive reasoning of the Houyhnhnms. Gulliver's experiences throughout the book, as a whole, change his perceptions of both himself and others, which Swift uses to parody contemporary society. He examines the vices of society in the search for an understanding of the virtues expressed by the Houyhnhnms, but also to satirise the actions of society and the faults within, "In it's most fundamental sense, the myth of the voyage to the Houyhnhnms is a myth about true knowledge."1 Rosenheim suggests that this society is an experiment into the functions of interactions and hierarchy and the ideal behaviour of beings within a culture. He refers to it as a myth, and with this fictitious nature suggests the impracticality of the society, but also the idealism of which Swift writes. However Swift uses the Houyhnhnms, also, to express underlying human flaws by hinting at faults in the
Satirical Pre 19th century Poetry
How have poets over the centuries used satire to comment on their times? John Skelton, Jonathan Swift and Alexander Pope wrote three of the most satirical poems of the period before 1914, they have become renowned for their poetry and for deriding people and societies of their time. Satire is the use of humour, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices or a literary miscellany, especially a poem ridiculing prevalent vices or follies. A mock epic is a form of satire that adapts the elevated heroic style of the classical epic poem to a trivial subject. The methods utilised to satirise people, places and communities have changed over the centuries and the texts have become more satirically obvious. Numerous literary devices are applied to create the satirical poem called Speke Parott by John Skelton in 1521. Personification is literary technique utilised to ridicule Thomas Cardinal Wolsey, the character whom Skelton has directed all derision. Personification is shown in line 43, 'My lady masters, Dame Phylology,' which is incarnating the study of language as a grand woman. This gave the illusion that intelligence made people higher is social hierarchy; thereby being adept at a number of different languages people may be of an elevated rank. However, as Skelton portrays recurrently throughout the poem, this ostensibly intellectual
Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) is quite possibly the greatest satirist inThe history of English literature, and is without question the most Controversial.
Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) is quite possibly the greatest satirist in The history of English literature, and is without question the most Controversial. Infuriated by the moral degradation of society in the Eighteenth century, Swift wrote a plethora of bitter pieces attacking Man's excessive pride, and the critical reception has been one of very Mixed reviews. While few question Swift's skill as a satirist, his Savage, merciless attacks on the foibles of mankind have led more than one Critic to level negative accusations against him. His beliefs have led to Allegations of heresy, an anti-government attitude and a devotion to Freeing men right to passion. His most famous work, Gulliver's Travels, Has resulted in attacks on his writing style, and his cruel, invidious Assaults on sin have led to cries of egotist, misanthrope and sadist. Every one of these accusations is false. Jonathan Swift's critics are Misguided and incorrect in their attacks on his beliefs and writings. Jonathan Swift is falsely accused of heresy for attacking human life. Swift infuriates some critics for criticizing something that they feel Must be divine since it is the chief instrument of God. These critics Argue that human nature must be dignified if it is the key theme of Christianity. They, however, are wrong, and are guilty of being naive. Swift and his supporters
Irish Emigration.
IRISH EMIGRATION A glance in a phone book almost anywhere in the world, will inevitably lead to the recognition of Irish surnames. Spreading them-selves across the globe, emigration has been a mainstay in Irish life since at least the eighteenth century.1 Roger Swift describes it as 'the great fact of Irish social history from the early 19th century'.2 It has seen the spread of the Irish throughout the globe. The impact of Irish emigration on the world has been so vast that at census time in the United States of America, 43 million people state their ethnic origin as Irish.3 As a result of such widespread emigration, Saint Patrick's Day is now a major celebration not just in Ireland, but across the globe. Many view the Great Famine as the cause of this widespread emigration, but the suggestion that the Famine of 1845-51 brought about a fundamental change in the pattern of emigration from Ireland can only be thought of as an exaggerated one. While it did indeed perpetuate the tradition of emigration, it did not markedly transform it. The transformation that did however occur can be seen as the transformation of traditional Irish attitudes towards it. According to Tim Pat Coogan, the pattern of Irish emigration began in the sixteenth Century. 4 The invasion of Ireland under Elizabeth I, and the attempt to spread the Anglican Reformation, may be said to have started Catholic
Today’s Special: A Plate of Swift Served With A Generous Portion of Satire.
Today's Special: A Plate of Swift Served With A Generous Portion of Satire. Jonathan Swift's, Gulliver's Travels, has been widely analyzed by scholars, and is indisputably one of the greatest satirical works of the human condition ever written. This is especially evident when one examines the Houyhnhnms in part four of the Travels. Two scholars that provide interesting interpretations are Alan Bloom and David Ward. While each attempts to develop individual ideas about the Houyhnhnms, each follows a predetermined theme. They seem to ignore the idea that Swift is one of the most talented writers of the 18th century - encompassing satirical themes that penetrate deeper than the simple, surface interpretations. This paper will deal with a concept undeveloped by these scholars; the notion that Swift, through the Houyhnhnms, and Gulliver's interpretations of them and the Yahoos, is not simply presenting a satirical look at civilization as a whole. Upon closer examination, one finds that Swift actually exposes the absurdity of the notion that there could be a perfect civilization. Swift demonstrates that regardless of mans perceived attitude, he will always trample uopn those that he considers beneath him. He does this by examining the Houyhnhnm's idea of slavery, their placement of women in society and their treatment of the lower class Yahoos. To help develop the