Gulliver’s Travels by: Jonathan Swift

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About the Author...Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) “Irish cleric, political pamphleteer, satirist”

Born in Dublin, Ireland (Fatherless)

Raised by 3-Uncles and educated from an early age

Attended Trinity College (NOT A GREAT STUDENT)

In 1689, Moved to England and began working under Sir William Temple (For 10 years)

Temple was a diplomat and granted Swift access to a vast amount of reading material

Swift was a member of the whig party (country party) opposition of the Tories (court party)

He switched parties before his death, so his political views are a bit BLURRY!!!

http://www.bjandtony.com/images/2007/070903_25_DUB_Sir_William_Temple.JPG

Famous Works...“A Tale of a Tub”(1704) (religious; holy trinity)

“Gulliver’s Travels” (1726)

“A Modest Proposal” (1729)(Satiric Proposal)

Literary GPS:

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Imagery:the ability to form mental images of things or events.

Painting a picture with words!

Symbolism:

Common Knowledge Symbol: serving as a visible symbol for something abstract; “a crown is symbolic of royalty”.

Literary Symbol: symbolism that is relevant to the text (not so much the world). Requires abstract thought.

NOT A METAPHOR• Metaphors & Similes have tenors (the

literal thing) and a vehicle (thing that is used to enhance it).

• A symbol does not have a tenor!• Throughout a text if something stands

in for something else.

Satire...SATIRE:

A literary work which exposes and ridicules human vices or folly. Historically perceived as tending toward didacticism, it is usually intended as a moral criticism directed against the injustice or social wrongs. It may be written with witty jocularity or with anger and bitterness.

Extremely powerful and when effectively used it can bring about social change, rallies, etc.

Social Satirist:• goals:

• to criticize• promote change• expose a societies wrong doings (group,

culture, person)• Often achieved through extreme

exaggerations

Excerpt from “A Modest Proposal”

“Fourthly, The constant breeders, beside the gain of eight shillings sterling per annum by the sale of their children, will be rid of the charge of maintaining them after the first year. Fifthly, This food would likewise bring great custom to taverns; where the vintners will certainly be so prudent as to procure the best receipts for dressing it to perfection, and consequently have their houses frequented by all the fine gentlemen, who justly value themselves upon their knowledge in good eating: and a skillful cook, who understands how to oblige his guests, will contrive to make it as expensive as they please.”

Satiric Video Clip:http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=89824&title=Satire_Clip_Will_Ferrell_SNL_Clip

*South Park Episode with Janet Jackson (if school allows)

2 Major Appeals:

(1) Fantastical Narrative

(2) Critique of politics in early Eighteenth Century Europe

*Political View: changing of societal attitudes, outlooks, fashions and social trends angered Swift.

*Gulliver’s Travels was presented as a “New Wave of Thinking”

Let the Journey Begin!Destination:

1) Lilliput

2)Brobdingnag

3)Laputa, Balnibarbi, Luggnagg, Glubbdubdrib, and Japan

4)Country of the Houyhnhnms

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Works Citedhttp://www.leeds.ac.uk/library/adopt-a-book/swift.htm

http://www.incwell.com/Biographies/Swift.html

http://art-bin.com/art/omodest.html

http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=satire

http://special.lib.gla.ac.uk/exhibns/month/jan2006.html

http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=imagery

http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=symbolic

http://www.flickr.com/photos/18184592@N07/2529288730/

http://www.gpsshop.nl/product-gallery/71434/0

http://www.gpsmagazine.com/2007/04/tomtom_releases_updated_maps_f.php