English 12- Gulliver’s Travels Part II – Flashcards
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Satire can be directed at different kinds of objects—society, politics, human nature, institutions, for example. Write an essay in which you explain the target of Swift's satire in one or both of the excerpts from Gulliver's Travels.
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Students' essays should present their findings supported by specific details from the selection, for example, Swift's satire of human nature as reflected by the petty acts of the ruling class. Students could also cite the emperor of Lilliput's reaction when Gulliver refuses to use his physical might to ruin the kingdom of Blefuscu. The emperor takes this as a personal slight and begins scheming to rid Lilliput of Gulliver. Students might find other examples in the conflict between the two egg-cracking factions, which satirizes religious conflicts, specifically the one between Catholic France and Protestant England.
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To gain his freedom, Gulliver must agree to perform various services for the Lilliputians. Name two services they require of him.
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Possible responses: carrying messengers to distant locations; helping to destroy enemy fleets; lifting large stones for construction workers; measuring the circumference of Lilliput
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In "A Voyage to Brobdingnag" from Gulliver's Travels, Swift satirizes English politics and society through the interaction between Gulliver and the King. In a short essay, describe Gulliver's earnest explanation of the way that his society functions and the King's responses.
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Student responses should indicate that Gulliver's stories about England introduce the elements of actual English society that Swift satirizes, and that the King's emotional responses are Swift's commentary on these issues.
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When the Lilliputians discover Gulliver, they seem to have mixed feelings about him. What are their feelings and how do they show them?
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They tie him up and shoot arrows at him out of fear, climb onto him out of curiosity, and bring him food and drink out of kindness.
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Think about the character of Lemuel Gulliver. What qualities does he possess that makes him an effective narrator? Which of his qualities add to the satiric and ironic effects of the story? Support your answers with details from the two excerpts.
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Answers will vary but should include points similar to the following: a. Gulliver is an effective narrator in that he very accurately and objectively reports his experiences. He does not evaluate or personalize events. b. However, at times, his objectivity makes his account overly credulous and accepting. He is not able to analyze and evaluate the appropriateness or worth of what he observes or is told. The reader can see and understand the ridiculous when Gulliver cannot, which adds to the satiric effect of the story. c. For example, Gulliver's inability to see the foolishness of ropedancing as a way to gain royal favor in Lilliput allows Swift to satirize the system of royal patronage in England. d. Gulliver does not question the war-provoking issue of the eggs between Blefuscu and Lilliput, which the reader knows is ridiculous, and which satirizes some of the issues over which real nations go to war. e. Gulliver's pride in English society and values allows Swift to satirize unquestioning national pride when, contrary to what Gulliver expects, the king of Brobdingnag is horrified by what he hears about England.
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In Gulliver's Travels, Swift satirizes the conflict between the Catholics and the Protestants by recounting a fictional tale about a conflict between the Little-Endians and the Big-Endians. Which sentence below is an example of how Swift makes the actual historical conflict seem silly through the telling of this tale? Explain why the answer you chose is correct.
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c, Explanation: It is ridiculous to impose a harsh penalty merely for breaking eggs in a certain way. Here, Swift implies that the religious conflict in England is petty.
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In the excerpt from "A Voyage to Lilliput"from Gulliver's Travels, Swift satirizes the religious conflict between Catholics and Protestants in England that has also developed into a larger dispute involving a conflict between Britain and France. In a short essay, identify the satirical elements in the passage that represent these conflicts and explain how Swift uses these elements to explain his position on the conflicts.
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Responses should include the use of the egg-breaking conflict as the symbol for the religious rift in England; the size of the Lilliputians and Blefescudians as representative of the pettiness of the quarrels; and the description of the six rebellions and the emperors' losses of life and crown as references to the impact that the religious conflict had had on England.
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Swift's main purpose in writing Gulliver's Travels was to
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comment on society and human nature.
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By the description of "court diversions" at Lilliput, you can conclude that Swift
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had little respect for politicians.
