Приключения Гулливера

Gulliver’s Travels and “A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift

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Vocabulary to know

• Satire - A literary technique in which customs, ideas, behaviors or institutions are ridiculed in the hopes of improving society. Satire may be biting or mild and often uses bold exaggeration to capture the attention of readers.

• Horatian Satire - playfully amusing, seeking to correct problems with humor.
• Juvenalian Satire - often bitter or angry, criticizing corruption with scorn and outrage. (Example: Gulliver's Travels and "A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift)

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Vocabulary to know - continued

• Verbal Irony – what is said is the opposite of what is meant.

• Sarcasm – the use of a mocking ironic tone.

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Vocabulary to know - continued

Etymology – the study of word origins:

Mutton ( Gulliver’s Travels line 74) is the word for the meat of a sheep. It comes from the French word for sheep. The meat from a pig is called pork. The meat from a cow is called beef.

Pity comes from the Latin pietas , which also means “piety.”

Posterity comes from the Latin posterus meaning “coming after.” Posterity refers to those who will come after us (future generations).

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Fantasy

• In fantasy, the limits of reality are disregarded in order to entertain or to convey a serious message. In Gulliver’s Travels , Swift creates four imaginary settings to present his satire of 18 th -century England. He criticizes European society and human nature by comparing them to the strange beings and societies Gulliver observes in his travels. As you read Gulliver’s Travels, notice how Swift’s fantasy worlds parallel and comment on ours.

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Satire

• Satire – The use of satire began with the ancient Greeks. In ancient Rome, the “fathers” of satire were Horace (1 st century B.C.) and Juvenal (2 nd century A.D.) who wrote scathing critiques of the Roman society. During the latter half of the 17 th century, satire began to flourish in Europe.

• Horatian Satire - playfully amusing, seeking to correct problems with humor. Juvenalian Satire - often bitter or angry, criticizing corruption with scorn and outrage. (Example:  Gulliver's Travels and "A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift)
• Horatian Satire - playfully amusing, seeking to correct problems with humor.
• Juvenalian Satire - often bitter or angry, criticizing corruption with scorn and outrage. (Example:  Gulliver's Travels and "A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift)

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Satire – cont.

John Dryden, Alexander Pope, Jonathan Swift, and Samuel Johnson were some of England’s greatest satirical writers. They attacked hypocrisy, greed, vanity, stupidity, and arrogance as “guardians of the culture.” Henry Fielding once wrote, “The satirist is to be regarded as our physician, not our enemy.” Although most satirical writing faded, political cartoons and television shows have shown a resurgence of satire.

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Questions to consider when reading satire

• What is the object of the satire? The character or custom that is being criticized is generally the one that provokes laughter.
• What is criticized? This helps identify the beliefs of the writer.
• Where is the irony? This often points to the object of satire.
• What is exaggerated?
• Is the satire Horatian (playful) or Juvenalian (critical)?

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Understand Satire in Historical Context

Travel books were widely used to describe writers’ visits to foreign lands. This is the form Jonathan Swift chose for his four-part fantasy.

Having been a member of both parties, Swift was keenly aware of the struggle between England’s two political parties, the Whigs (wanted to limit the powers of the crown and the Church of England) and the Tories (loyal to the crown and the Church of England).

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Understand Satire in Historical Context

• Swift’s role as a clergyman helped him understand the religious differences between Catholics and Protestants in England that divided Europe for 200 years. These conflicts inspired much of his satire in Gulliver’s Travels.
• Swift disdained politicians who advanced in their positions by political maneuverings:

• “ rope dancers” line 135 “ cut a caper on the strait rope” line 146 “ do the summerset” line 148
• “ rope dancers” line 135
• “ cut a caper on the strait rope” line 146
• “ do the summerset” line 148

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Understand Satire in Historical Context

• The Whig party is referred to as the “low-heel party” in lines 266 and following. The Whigs promoted the Low Church (Protestant) aspects of the Church of England.
• The Tory party is referred to as the “high-heel party” in lines 266 and following. The Tories promoted the High Church (Catholic) aspects of the Church of England. George I turned the Tories out when he came to the throne since most of them had not supported his succession.

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“ A Modest Proposal”

• The English considered the Irish people to be inferior. The Catholic majority was not allowed to vote, buy land, hold office, or receive an education. The repressive policies of England, along with failed crops, caused great poverty in Ireland. Since Jonathan Swift was born in Ireland, he was outraged by this injustice. He used his pen to fight this injustice with words, just as people do today (speeches, newspapers, magazines, Internet).

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“ A Modest Proposal” continued

• Swift identifies the problem (lines 1-15) of poor children being a burden to their parents and their country:

• “ These mothers, instead of being able to work for their honest livelihood, are forced to employ all their time in strolling to beg * sustenance for their helpless infants . . .” "this prodigious number of children . . . Is in the present deplorable state of the kingdom a very great additional grievance”
• “ These mothers, instead of being able to work for their honest livelihood, are forced to employ all their time in strolling to beg * sustenance for their helpless infants . . .”
• "this prodigious number of children . . . Is in the present deplorable state of the kingdom a very great additional grievance”

• * sustenance – to keep in existence. This means food needed to sustain their bodies. The connotation implies the daily requirement to stay alive.
• * sustenance – to keep in existence. This means food needed to sustain their bodies. The connotation implies the daily requirement to stay alive.
• * sustenance – to keep in existence. This means food needed to sustain their bodies. The connotation implies the daily requirement to stay alive.
• Swift blames the lack of jobs for the people’s thievery. He ironically proposes treating the symptoms (stealing and begging) rather than the problem (poverty). Even though Swift seems to be unconcerned about the poor, he is actually writing on their behalf

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“ A Modest Proposal” continued

• Swift gains shock value by applying cooking terms to humans (stewed, baked, roasted, boiled, fricassee, ragout).
• Overstatement and exaggeration are used by Swift to emphasize his point (the amount of food one child could produce and the wearing of children’s skin for fashion thus comparing children to animals).

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Summary

• In “A Modest Proposal” Swift notes the problem of Ireland’s poor and proposes relief by decreasing the population, finding a new food source, and reducing begging. To accomplish this, Swift suggests breeding a portion of the children to be eaten. He includes facts, statistics, and figures to support his plan. Through satire, Swift bitterly criticizes England’s treatment of the Irish.

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Summary

• In Gulliver’s Travels, a British ship’s doctor, Lemuel Gulliver, is shipwrecked by a storm and finds himself in Lilliput where the people are tiny in stature but obsessed with petty conflicts (mirroring English politics of Swift’s time). Gulliver’s next voyage takes him to Brobdingnag where giants reside. These beings are shocked to learn of the wars and vices of England and conclude that Gulliver’s people are a “pernicious race of little odious vermin.” Two other voyages are included in the full-length text.

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Gulliver’s Travels

• Swift makes lines 21-41 more believable by describing how Gulliver manages to loosen the strings, even though he is tied down, and by describing the pain Gulliver feels when he is shot by the tiny arrows.
• It is ironic that the tiny leader of Lilliput, a tiny country, is praised for his size and power (lines 197-205).

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Identify Proposition and Support

• Many of the reasons and evidence Swift uses to support “A Modest Proposal” are ironic.

• Identify problem: Ireland’s poor are neglected . Propose solution: The children can help feed and clothe thousands. Provide support with reasons and evidence Other possible solutions
• Identify problem: Ireland’s poor are neglected .
• Propose solution: The children can help feed and clothe thousands.
• Provide support with reasons and evidence
• Other possible solutions

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Dictionaries and Thesauri

• Lines 36 and 37 use the words reckoned and calculate .
• Use a dictionary or thesaurus, to find synonyms for reckon and calculate.

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Analyze Word Choice

• In “A Modest Proposal” Swift uses disparaging (reproachful) nouns to refer to the Irish. Many of the terms are normally used to refer to farm animals not humans. The use of these nouns brings attention to the English view of Irish citizens.

• “ dam” - Female parent (this term normally refers to farm animals). “ breeders” – women “ fore” and “hind quarter” – a child’s arm and leg
• “ dam” - Female parent (this term normally refers to farm animals).
• “ breeders” – women
• “ fore” and “hind quarter” – a child’s arm and leg

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Grammar and Style

• Subordinate clauses create connections between ideas. An author can use them to:

• link cause and effects ( because - lines 332-333) establish time order ( when – line 334) specify characters ( whom – line 335)
• link cause and effects ( because - lines 332-333)
• establish time order ( when – line 334)
• specify characters ( whom – line 335)

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Grammar and Style

• Subordinate clauses cannot stand alone as complete sentences, rather they provide additional information about some aspect of the main clause. They answer questions such as where, when, how, what kind, and which one.

• “ I lay down on the grass, which was very short and soft , where I slept sounder than ever I remember to have done in my life , and as I reckoned , above nine hours : for when I awaked , it was just daylight. These subordinate clauses are introduced by which, where, than, as and when . Other subordinate clauses may be introduced by words such as after, that, while, who, and whose.
• “ I lay down on the grass, which was very short and soft , where I slept sounder than ever I remember to have done in my life , and as I reckoned , above nine hours : for when I awaked , it was just daylight.
• These subordinate clauses are introduced by which, where, than, as and when .
• Other subordinate clauses may be introduced by words such as after, that, while, who, and whose.

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Media Study: Gulliver’s Travels

• Gulliver’s Travels entertains with its fantastic adventures and criticizes with its biting satire. In 1996, Charles Sturridge directed a TV miniseries version of Swift’s novel. This film won five Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Miniseries and Outstanding Special Visual Effects. It was nominated for six additional Emmys, including one for Charles Sturridge’s direction.
• What special effects do you expect to see?

• The elements of the scene must be combined just right to draw the viewer into the story as though six-inch people are real. Charles Sturridge stated, “The word we used all the time was ‘unspecial’ effects. We don't want the effects to look special. We want them to look invisible.”
• The elements of the scene must be combined just right to draw the viewer into the story as though six-inch people are real. Charles Sturridge stated, “The word we used all the time was ‘unspecial’ effects. We don't want the effects to look special. We want them to look invisible.”

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Media Study: Gulliver’s Travels

• Ted Danson, the actor who played Gulliver, acted alone in a blue room. Was he successful in convincing you that he was part of the scene’s setting?
• For fiction, the reader/viewer must suspend disbelief to accept the fiction as possible. This is accomplished through realistic details, convincing reactions by the characters, and tone (i.e. matter-of-fact tone). This creates a “realistic” experience. What techniques do Swift and Sturridge use to “suspend disbelief” in Gulliver’s Travels ?
• Click the link provided to view a clip from Gulliver’s Travels . http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mG_-_lzp8H4&NR=1

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Related resources and links

You may use the links below for reading Gulliver’s Travels and “A Modest Proposal.” As you read, think about how Swift criticizes his society.

See the links below for an online version of Gulliver’s Travels and “A Modest Proposal.”

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

http://www.online-literature.com/swift/gulliver/

You may also enjoy reading

The Rape of the Lock by Alexander Pope.

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References

• McDougall Littell – The Language of Literature: British Literature, pages 608-659 of the Teacher’s Edition.

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