JONATHAN SWIFT

(1667-1745)
 THE BEGINNINGS
Swift started by writing pamphlets and satires
as the secretary of Sir William Temple, Swift wrote his 1st pamphlet , The Battle of Books -
1696-1698 -(a struggle between the ancient and modern books)
A Tale of a Tub - the tale of 3 sons: Peter, Martin, and Jack (the Roman Catholic Church, The
Church of England and the Protestant dissenters)~ religion is discussed in farcical terms (Swift
attacks the abuses of the church and reduces religious belief to something arbitrary and
trivial)
” Why should any clergymen of our church be angry to see the follies of fanaticism
and superstition exposed, though in the most ridiculous manner; since that is
perhaps the most probable way to cure them , or at least to hinder them from
farther spreading?”
One of Swift’s favorite satiric devices: he equates the sign or symbol of a thing and the
thing itself.
satire is targeted against human pride and emptiness (the total nature of man)
In Digression concerning the Original, the Use, and Improvement of Madness in a
Commonwealth : madness is responsible for ”the greatest actions that have been
performed in the world, under the influence of single men, which are, the establishment
of new empires by conquest, the advance and progress of new schemes in philosophy, and
the contriving, as well as the propagating, of new religions.”
Delusion/fancy is stronger and common sense no longer operates: that “happiness….is a
perpetual possession of being well deceived.”
Swift ironically tells the readers to ignore reason which comes ”officiously with tools for
cutting, and opening and mangling, and piercing….”
Swift attacks the human predisposition to enjoy the surface of things
Swift contrasts reason and imagination/ fancy;
there are two types of individuals: the happily deceived fool (stays at the surface of
things) and the rational man (inquires what lies below the surface)
the purpose of satire: man should not allow fancy to govern his thoughts
Swift’s praise of reason turns into anti-intellectualism (the Brobdingnagians are well
acquainted with morality, history, poetry and mathematics, but are incapable of
understanding the most simple notions and ideas)
The Whigs’ kindness towards the dissenters made Swift join the Tories (He wrote for
them some of his most successful political pamphlets)
The death of Queen Anne in 1714 and the triumph of the Whigs ruined all of Swift’s
chances for an important ecclesiastical position.
He retired to Ireland where his misanthropy increased:
“I have ever hated all nations, professions and communities, and all my love is
towards individuals: for instance I hate the tribe of lawyers, but I love Counsellor
Such-a-one, and Judge Such-a-one; so with physicians…soldiers, English, Scotch,
French and the rest. But principally I hate and detest that animal called man,
although I heartily love John, Peter,Thomas and so forth;…”
Swift’s pamphlets on behalf of the Irish: Short View of the Present State of Ireland/1727/ and A
Modest Proposal for Preventing the Children of Poor People from being a Burthen to their Parents or
Country/ 1729.
A Modest Proposal – Swift’s savage indignation at the conditions under which children have to
live (it illustrates one of Swift’s favourite ironic devices- that of role taking)
The language is factual, emotionless, calm, but the implicit analogies are disturbing
Gulliver’s Travels was published anonymously in 1726 , after a visit to England
It is the most extensive satire of man and his civilization
Swift inspired himself from the great books of voyages and travel popular in his days
Swift uses the shift in scale as an ironical device: he ridicules human pride by showing all the
vanities, the rituals, the meaningless disputes that characterize man in society + he exposes
the disagreeable nature of the human animal.
Lemuel Gulliver gives his account of “travels into several remote nations of the world” in a
plain and factual manner ( he is a trustworthy story-teller)
The factuality of the narrative resembles Defoe’s style
Gulliver is very different from Robinson Crusoe (his experiences gradually change him until in
the end he is totally disgusted with mankind)
The account of Gulliver’s shipwreck and swimming ashore on the coast of Lilliput is told in
the same circumstantial style as Defoe: satire operates against this background
the quarrels between the High-Heels and the Low Heels and between the Big Enders and the
Little Enders work as a parody of English politics
The voyage to Brobdingnag begins in the same circumstantial way, but we are immediately
drawn into satire (man appears contemptible, cruel)
Gulliver prides about the leading position his country holds in matters such as trade, militancy,
religion, politics, state affairs- the King expresses his contempt for the corruption existing in
England (Swift’s attack on human pride and pretension)
The Brobdingnagian adventure - an ideal form of government where virtue, honour and truth
are not just abstract terms.
In Book III, the Voyage to Laputa> Swift’s attack against the uselessness of scholarship and the
absurdity of philosophy (the Laputans neglect practical matters of life)
In Book IV, A Voyage to the Country of the Houyhnhnms - Swift’s satire becomes more
violent.
Opposition: the Houyhnhnms /the noble horses (live according to the laws of reason and
nature) - the Yahoos(a perverted species of man)
Swift’s aim: man, unless guided by reason, will fall into degradation/immorality