lecture eight jonathan swift.ppt

lectureeightjonathanswiftandgulliverstravels,teachingaimsandbasicdemands:1.swiftspositioninbritishliteraryhistoryandhismajorworks2.thesocialsignificanceandartisticfeaturesofgulliverstravels,jonathanswift,jonathanswiftwasbornindublin,ireland,ofanenglishfamily,whichhadimportantconnectionsbutlittlewealth.throughthegenerosityofanuncle,hewaseducatedatkilkennygrammarschoolandthentrinitycollegeindublin.between1689and1699heworkedasaprivatesecretarytoadistantkinshipsirwilliamtemple,aretireddiplomat.andtherehealsoreceivedafirst-rateeducationinpoliticsthroughcontactwithtempleandmanyotherwell-knownpoliticians,learningmuchabouthypocrisy,deceptionandcorruptioninthepoliticalworld.,lifeandliterarycareerofswiftjonathanswift(1667-1745)wasbornindublin,ireland,ofanenglishfamily,whichhadlittlewealthbutimportantconnections.hewasaposthumoussonandinhischildhoodwasdependentuponanuncle.hewenttotrinitycollegeindublinandaftergraduationbecamesecretarytoaretireddiplomatatwhosehandhemetmanyimportantpoliticiansandcametoknowmuchofthedirtyanddishonestpoliticsofhisday.laterhebecameaclergymanandwrotehisfirstimportantworks,“thebattleofthebooks”(1697)and“ataleofatub”(1698).theformerisasatiricaldialogueonthecomparativemeritsofancientandmodernwriters,andthelatterisasharpattackonthedisputesamongthedifferentbranchesofthechristianreligion.,in1699to1701hewasappointedtodifferentclericalpostsinirelandandtheyearsbetween1701and1704hespentinlondonwritingpoliticalpamphletsinfavorofthewhigs.in1710,hedesertedthewhigsandjoinedthetorieswhoweregettingintopower.in1713,hewasappointeddeanofst.patrickschurchindublinandin1714,withthetorieslosingtheirpoliticalpower,hereturnedtoireland.inireland,swiftsoonthrewhisheartandsoulintothestrugglesoftheirishpeopleagainsttheirenglishoppressors.,in1724,hewrotethedrapiersletterstolaunchhisfierceattackonthedebasementoftheirishcoinbyoneofthemistressoftheenglishking,george.in1726,hepublishedanonymouslygulliverstravels.in1729,hewrotehismostsarcasticandmostindignantpamphlet,“amodestproposal”.in1737,his70thbirthdaywascelebratedthroughoutirelandwithbells,andbonfires.in1742,swiftwasdeclaredinsaneandhediedin1745.,swiftsmajorworkstodayswiftspoemsareseldomreadorremembered.andofhisprosewritings,themoreimportantworksarehisearlieressays“thebattleofbooks”and“thetaleofatub”,andhispamphletonireland,thedrapierslettersand“amodestproposal”andhisgreatestbookgulliverstravels.,amodestproposalabittersatireonthepolicyoftheenglishgovernmenttowardirish;swiftinthisarticlesuggestedtotheirishpeoplethatthebestwaytoendtheirmiserywastoselltheirone-year-oldchildrenatmarketasadeliciousdishfortherichenglishlandlords.swiftismakingthemostdevastatingprotestagainsttheinhumanexploitationandoppressionoftheirishpeoplebytheenglishrulingclass.theapparenteagerness,sincerityanddetachmentoftheauthoraddsforcetothebitterironyandbitingsarcasm.,amodestproposal,“amodestproposal”isbyfarthemostconsummateartisticexpressionofswiftsindignationtowardtheterribleoppressionandexploitationoftheirishpeoplebytheenglishrulingclasses.,introductiontogulliverstravels(1726),gulliverstravelsisswiftsmasterpiece.thebookcontainsfourparts,eachdealingwithoneparticularvoyageduringwhichgullivermeetswithextraordinaryadventuresonsomeremoteislandafterhehasmetwithshipwreckorsomeothermisfortune.a.tolilliputb.tobrobdingnagc.toflyingislandoflaputad.tothecountryofhouyhnhnms(horses)yahoos,firstpart.avoyagetolilliput,thefirstparttellsabouthisexperienceinlilliputtheemperorbelievedhimselftobethedelightandterroroftheuniverse,butitappearedquiteabsurdtogulliverwhowastwelvetimesastallashe.thetwopartiesinthecountryaredistinguishedbytheuseofhighandlowheels.religiousdisputeswerelaughedatinanaccountofaproblemwhichdividedthelilliputians:“shouldeggsbebrokenatthebigendorthelittleend?”,inthefirstpart,gulliver,asimplestraightforwardmanwithsomeeducationofanavigatorandadoctor,failstobuildupamedicalcareertosupporthiswifeandchildrenandreluctantlygoestoseaasashipssurgeon.afterasuccessfulsixmonthstradingvoyageintheeastindiestheshipisdrivenoutofitsregularroutebyastormandshipwreckedinastrangeregion.,maincharactersinthefirstpart,lilliputiansonly6inchestallpronetoconspiraciesandjealousiesemperorrulerofthelilliputiansdespitesmallsize,lovesbeingincontrol,exercisinghispower,separatedfromhiscompanions,heiscastupontheislandoflilliput(小人国)andwhileasleep,heiscapturedandboundbythousandsoftheinhabitants,thelilliputians.theyareallsixinchestallandeverythingontheislandisproportionallyone-tenthofthecorrespondingthingsinthehumanworld.heisknownas“thegreatman-mountain”tothelilliputianswhohavegreatdifficultiesinfeedingandhousinghim,whilehe,indescribingthesmallnessofthelilliputiansnotonlyinappearancebutalsoineverythingtheydoandsay,accentuatestheridiculousnessoftheseactionsandwordsoftheirs.,whatthelilliputianssayanddoisnootherthanminiaturesofthingsinthearistocratic-bourgeoisworldofswiftsage.sothelilliputianemperorisonly“tallerbyalmostthebreadthofmynail,thananyofhiscourt,whichaloneisenoughtostrikeanaweintothebeholders”.,chiefministersandcandidatesforhighofficialpostsaregiventheirjobsinaccordancewiththeirskillindancingonaropeorinleapingoverastickorcreepingunderitbackwardsandforwards.thereisaviolentfactionbetweentwostrugglingpartiesintheempire(areferencetothewhigsandthetories),distinguishedonefromtheotherbythehighandlowheelsontheirshoes.thereisstrifeandwarbetweenlilliputandtheneighboringempireofbleuscuowingtoaquarrelbetweenthewaysofbreakingeggs,whetheruponthelargerendoruponthesmallerone(areferencetoreligiouscontroversiesbetweenthecatholicsandtheprotestants).,then,beinginformedofadesigntoaccusehimofhightreason,gullivermakeshisescapetoblefuscusandthenhereturnssafetohisnativecountryandmakesasmallfortunebyexhibitingandsellingthesheep,cowsandotherlivestockofdiminutive(小型的)sizethathebroughtbackwithhimfromthelilliput.,secondpart:avoyagetobrobdingnag,inthesecondpart,gulliverisleftaloneinbrobdingnagwherepeoplearenotonlytentimestallerandlargerthanordinaryhumanbeings,butalsosuperiorinwisdom.gullivernowfoundhimselfadwarfamongmensixtyfeetinheight.theking,whoregardedeuropeasifitwereananthill.gulliverwassoldandusedasaslave,mostlyusedforentertainmentpurposes.gulliverdiscusseshistoryandpoliciesofhisnativecountrywiththeking,avoyagetobrobdingnagthefarmerexhibitsgulliverformoney,inthesecondpart,gulliveragaingoestoseaandshipisagaindrivenoutofitscoursebyastorm.thewindshoweversubsidesafterwards,butasgulliverrowswithsomeothermembersofthecrewtoastrangeshoretogetdrinkingwaterandwandersalittlewayinland,hiscompanionsarefrightenedbytheapproachofagiant-lookinginhabitantofthestrangeislandandsailawayinstantlywithoutgulliverwhoisthenpickedupbetweenthumbandforefingersbyoneofthenatives.theseinhabitants,thebrobdingnagiants（大人国）,aresixty-foottallandsuperiortothemenandwomenofgulliverssocietyinmanyaspectsandeverythingisproportionallytallerandbiggerthaninthehumanworld.,therethebrobdingnagkingasksgullivertogivehimasexactanaccountofthegovernmentofenglandaspossible,andgulliversprouddescriptionsofthehouseofpeerswithitsnobilityandbishopsandthehouseofcommonsandthecourtsofjusticeledtocounter-questiononthekingspartwhichpenetratinglypointtoalltheterriblepracticesexistinginthosegovernmentalbodies.thengullivertriestocreateafavorableimpressionuponthekingbyofferingtoteachhimtheartsofwarineurope,butthekingisstruckwithhorrorandreprovesgulliverformaintainingsuch“inhumanideas.”finally,byastrangeadventuregulliverispickedupfromtheseabyanenglishshipandreturnshome.,thethirdpart:avoyagetotheflyingisland(laputa),thethirdpartdealswithmainlywithhisaccidentalvisittotheflyingisland,wherethephilosophersandprojectorsdevotealltheirtimeandenergytothestudyofsomeabsurdproblems.theirscientistsareengagedinprojectsforextractingsunbeamsoutofcucumbers,turningiceintogunpowderandmakingclothfromcobweb.,fourthpart:avoyagetothecountryofthehouynhms,finaljourneytothecountryofthehouyhnhnmshorsesrulethedeformedyahoosgulliverbanishedfromtheirsocietyfeelheisathreattotheircivilizationawarehehasaresemblancetoayahoo,thefourthpartdealswith“avoyagetothecountryofthehouyhnhnms”andhasgenerallybeenconsideredthebestpartofthebook.gullivernowascaptainofashiponcemoresailsforthbuthissailorsconspireagainsthim.theycasthimupontheshoreofanunknownisland,theislandofthehouyhnhnmswhoarehorsesendowedwithreasonandwhohaveintheircountryaspeciesofwildanimalscalledyahoos.thesehorsesareintelligentandextremelynobleandhavealladmirablequalities,whiletheyahooswhoarehairy,nakedandwild,low,vileanddespicableresemblehumanbeingsinmanyways.,afterlearningthelanguageofthehouyhnhnms,gulliverisrequestedtotalkabouttheconditionsofhisowncountry:thepastandthepresentofenglandandeurope,thebloodywarsandthegreatdisastersofthem,thelawsandlawyersinengland,thegreedformoneyprevalentintheenglishsociety,theluxuriouslifeandmoraldepravityofthenoblemeninhiscountry.finally,gulliverexpresseshiswishtoremainforeverwiththehouyhnhnmsbutitisnotgrantedandthenhebuildsacanoeandsailstoanuninhabitedislandandthereisseizedandcarriedbyforceintoaportugueseshipandhereturnstoengland.,thesocialsignificanceofgulliverstravelsgulliverstravelsisswiftshighestachievementinliterature,andisasatireonthewholeenglishsocietyoftheearly18thcentury,touchinguponthepolitical,religious,legal,military,scientific,philosophicalaswellasliteraryinstitutionsandthemenwhomaketheircareersthere.itexposestheuglyappearancesofthebritishrulingclasses,showingtheirhypocrisyandgreed,theirintriguesandcorruption,theirruthlessoppressionandexploitationofthecommonpeople.,itcriticizesthedecliningfeudalismandthenewcapitalistrelations,ridiculingandattackingthevestigesoffeudaltraditionsattheenglishcourtandthedominantimportanceofmoneyinhumanrelationsinthesociety.itattackstheaggressivewarsandcolonialismandthereligiousdisputesandpersecutioninthe18thcentury,theartisticfeaturesofgulliverstravelsgulliverstravelswasnotonlysignificantinitsowndayinenglandasanexposeofthesocialevilsofthetimebuthashadmuchinfluencesinceitsageandoutsideengland.asafantasyandarealisticworkoffiction,ithasitsownuniqueartisticfeatures:imagination,exaggeration,symbolism,irony,allusion,humor,descriptionofdetails,etc.,studyoftheexcerptfromgulliverstravels:t