English 11

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• English 11
• Ms. Werkowski

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Background Information

• Written by Jonathan Swift in 1726

• Born in Dublin, Ireland on November 30, 1667
• Attended Dublin University and Oxford University
• Famous for essays, novels, poetry, and satirical
  style
• Died October 19, 1745

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What Is Satire?

• Humorous, witty
• Clever, sarcastic
• Criticizes event, person, group
• Can you think of any modern-day examples of
  satire?
• Television shows, movies, magazines, or books

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Main Characters

• Lemuel Gulliver
• Narrator of novel
• Middle-aged, middle class, British
• Intelligent, well-educated
• Naïve
• Unaffectionate to wife barely mentions her in
  novel

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Main Characters

• Lilliputians
• Inhabit Lilliput
• Only 6 inches tall
• Prone to conspiracies and jealousies
• Emperor
• Ruler of the Lilliputians
• Despite small size, loves being in control,
  exercising his power, and his large palace

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Main Characters

• Brobdingnagians
• Giants that inhabit Brobdingnag
• Reasonable, gentle
• Ignorant
• The Queen
• Sweet, kind
• Humorous, witty
• The King
• Intellectual, rational
• Does not know much about politics
• Both Queen and King rule Brobdingnag

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Main Characters

• Yahoos
• Dirty, hairy, primitive, but humanlike
• Many different kinds
• Blonde, redheaded, dark-haired
• Servants of Houyhnhnms
• Houyhnhnms
• Horses
• Live in peaceful, simple society
• Rule with reason and truthfulness
• Do not even have the word lie in their
  vocabulary

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Plot Summary

• First Journey to Lilliput
• Gulliver finds himself shipwrecked
• Bound up by Lilliputians
• Inhabitants fighting with nearby country over the
  proper way to crack open eggs
• Gulliver helps them fight war

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Plot Summary

• Second Journey to Brobdingnag
• Gulliver sold and used as a slave, mostly used
  for entertainment purposes
• Meets the Brobdingnagians
• Discusses history and policies of his native
  country with the King

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Plot Summary

• Final Journey to the Country of the Houyhnhnms
• Horses rule the deformed Yahoos
• Gulliver banished from their society
• Feel he is a threat to their civilization
• Aware he has a resemblance to a Yahoo

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Important Facts to Remember

• Setting - Early 18th Century
• Themes
• Satirical view of European government and silly
  differences between religions
• Raises the question
• Are men born corrupt or do they become corrupt?
• Tone - gullible, satirical, naïve
• At times bitter and cynical

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THINK ABOUT IT!

• We discussed, in detail, the meaning and some
  examples of satire. How does Swift satirize the
  government? Where does he satirize differing
  religions? Be able to provide examples.
• How does Gulliver change as the story progresses?
  Cite direct examples to support your claim.

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Indiana Academic Standards

• 11.2.4
• Make reasonable assertions about an authors
  arguments by using elements of the text to defend
  and clarify interpretations.
• 11.2.5
• Analyze an authors implicit and explicit
  assumptions and beliefs about a subject.
• 11.3.1
• Analyze characteristics of subgenres, types of
  writings such as satire, parody, allegory, and
  pastoral that are used in poetry, prose, plays,
  novels, short stories, essays, and other basic
  genres.

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Resources

• Jonathan Swift - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• Gulliver's Travels - Wikipedia, the free
  encyclopedia
• SparkNotes Gulliver's Travels
• Images
• Gulliver Image
• Gulliver's Travels Book Cover

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ReminderPages 334-344 must be read for class
on Tuesday, March 26THE END