Bryan Paul (B. Sc.

Engineering) Faculty of Engineering, University of Alberta, 2012

A Psychological Behaviourism: The misfits of Swift and his novel Gullivers Travel

What is misogyny and how does this topic affects the literatures until it has become so relevant in both writers and readers perspective of understanding others of opposite sex? Each person is to answer the question on their own insight and understanding. To begin with, misogyny in general is define as hatred towards women and this word is first introduced by a Spanishs writer named Pedro Alfonso in his book Disciplina Clericalis, to condemn Eve on the downfall of man (Spanish Literature, Encyclopedia Britannica). This topic has ever since use as one of some popular themes in every literature regardless in the 10th centuries or even in the 20th centuries writing. Jonathan Swifts Gullivers Travel, explore deep into this theme especially in book 1, 2 and 4 where he has make some kind of sarcastic comments about women in England and adapt it towards grandiose metaphors in his own writing. The verisimilitude of Swift descriptions shocks the reader and makes him/her question how a man, who is also a divine pastor, could hate so much of God holy work. When I reflect on this [foolishness of a women], I cannot conceive you of being a human creature (OConnor 13). Remarks like this, and harsher run rampant on majority of Swift works, that it is no wonder that Swifts attitude toward women has been much discussed and criticised. Gullivers Travel alone suffice to tell many readers of Swift misogynistic impression that his other works such of poems, letters and proses has established beyond contention that Swift is harsh and coarse in his treatment of women. In his letter to his cousin Sympson, Swift makes a huge contradiction of what he writes in book 4, saying, female yahoos are abounding in

Bryan Paul (B. Sc. Engineering) Faculty of Engineering, University of Alberta, 2012

virtue, honour, truth and good sense (Swift 3). Readers who have read the novel know that this statement is absolutely a lie and those who have not, may question the existence of the paragraph later. Despite the strength and consistency of Swifts criticism, there is yet present an obvious ambivalence in his attitude of which he says, I see myself accusedabusing the female sex(4). This ambivalence hence set itself on his work, comparing it to his own personal life with his writing. Katherine M. Roger admits in her article, The Misogyny of Jonathan Swift, the Deans condemnation of these female follies and vices fit into a tradition of criticism, though it more vicious than most(Roger 370) as such references permeate his works. Not only his writings full of satire against women, but he prided himself on misogyny, referring complacently for example of telling Archbishop King that he perpetually reproaches the ladies of their ignorance, affectation and impertinence (Rogers 361). However, some of Swift works show deeper misogyny than is apparent in campaigns against female folly. Swift often shift his attack on superficial make-up to what lies beneath the beauty of women, that he has an extraordinary degree of disgust especially towards physical blemishes on them. This example can be seen in Swifts book 2 where Gulliver is disgusted upon seeing the nursing scene, where a woman shows him completely of her breast-feeding her child. I must confess no object ever disgusted me so much as the sight of her monstrous breast, which I cannot tell what to compare with (Swift 214). Writer, Christopher Fox, describes Swift as a person who concentrates most of his work onto analysing treatment of body and sexuality(Fox 28) that he converges into his misanthropic side and seems to reject all physical connection when the subject is a woman. Why does this so? It is just ironic because he is a preacher, a Roman Catholic pastor with restriction in having relationship with woman that may make him like this. What Swift done has

Bryan Paul (B. Sc. Engineering) Faculty of Engineering, University of Alberta, 2012

inspired most writers to panegyrics on the minute wonders of nature. However, this situation provides him more with methods for revealing the repulsiveness of the female body. In book 2 and 4, Swifts keen of smell was particularly sensitive to odors connected with the female body. Evidently he brooded over the fact that women perspire and excrete and felt that this function made them unclean(Roger 361). Swift along together with Rochester, Mendeville and Pope focus on the corruption and decay of female body, especially on excrement and disease in their writing (Brown 427). The palace maids scene in the kingdom of Brobdingnag portrays this kind of example where they show Gulliver the place where they change and clean their body. They lay me [Gulliver] at full length in their bosoms; wherewith I was much disgusted because, to say the truth, a very offensive smell came from their skins; which I do not mention, or intend, to the disadvantage of those excellent ladies(Swift 60). The condition worsens as Gulliver stops his nose with rue to avoid the nauseous scent of his wife at the end of book 4. I began last week to permit my wife to sit at dinner with me, at the farthest end of a long table; and to answer (but with the utmost brevity) the few questions I asked her. Yet, the smell of a yahoo continuing very offensive(158). Swift copious writings offer enough legitimate instances of animosity toward women and making this variety of evidence unnecessary. Thus far this essay has concerned, Swift scatological approach towards defining women has been adjunct with the various prosecutions and defense of his negative attitude to them. While it is true that Swifts attitude best characterised as ambivalence, he can be understood as the product of one primary attitude towards women; that of their equality with men. Readers may also correspond to the shift or level of misogyny and misanthropy of Swift as in book 1 till book 4. Comparable of mocking women at first, Gulliver perspective changes completely towards

Bryan Paul (B. Sc. Engineering) Faculty of Engineering, University of Alberta, 2012

hatred and isolation between him and of women. It was to Swifts intellectual interest to destroy this idealisation of womans feminine quality and of what better weapon he could wield than her basic animalistic feature with common weak man and the rest of the animals. (Word count: 1012)

Bryan Paul (B. Sc. Engineering) Faculty of Engineering, University of Alberta, 2012

Works Cited "Spanish Literature." Encyclopedia Britannica. Online Academic Edition ed. 2012. Taylor's University Library, Malaysia. Encyclopedia Britannica Inc.. Web. 25 Feb. 2012. Brown, Laura. Reading Race and Gender: Jonathan Swift. Maryland: John Hopkins University Press, 1990. 425-43. Print. Fox, Christopher. The Cambridge Companion to Jonathan Swift. London: Cambridge University Press, 2003. 27-30. Print. Pollack, Ellen. The Poetic of Sexual Myth: Gender and Ideology in the Verse of Swift and Pope. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1985. Print. Nussbaum, Felicity A. The Brink Of All We Hate: English Satire on Women. Lexington: University of Kentucky Press, 1984. Print. O'Connor, John. Swift's Attitude Towards Women. Indiana: The University of Notre Dame, 1967. 13-22. Print. Rogers, Katherine M. A Troublesome Helpmate: A History of Misogyny in Literature. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1966. Print. Rogers, Katherine M. Feminism in The Eigtheen-Century England. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1982. Print. Rogers, Katherine M. My Female Friends: The Misogyny of Jonathan Swift. Texas: University of Texas Press, 1959. 366-79. Print. Swift, Jonathan. Gulliver's Travel. New York: Project Gutenberg, 2009. 1-165. Print.

Bryan Paul (B. Sc. Engineering) Faculty of Engineering, University of Alberta, 2012

William, Harold. The Poems of Johnathan Swift. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1937. 124-37. Print.