Jonathan Swift

Question 1

When did Jonathan Swift live?

Answer 1

1667-1745

Question 2

Where was Swift born?

Answer 2

Dublin, to English parents

Question 3

Who was a contemporary and friend of Swift’s?

Answer 3

Alexander Pope

Question 4

What was Swift’s occupation?

Answer 4

Clergyman

Question 5

What was Swift’s religious denomination?

Answer 5

Fervent Anglican (Protestant/Church of England)

Question 6

What were two early works by Swift that brought him literary respect?

Answer 6

A Tale of a Tub and The Battle of the Books

Question 7

What were Swift’s political beliefs?

Answer 7

He originally aligned with the Whigs, but split with them over religious differences. He was welcomed by the Tories to their cause.

Question 8

What text made Swift an Irish national hero?

Answer 8

The Drapier Letters; these letters actually resulted in political change that benefited the Irish. Even though a bounty was offered for the name of the anonymous author, no one gave Swift up (even though it was widely known that he was the author).

Question 9

A Proposal for Correcting etc: When was this proposal written?

Answer 9

1712

Question 10

A Proposal for Correcting etc: To whom was Swift’s letter addressed?

Answer 10

The Earl of Oxford and Lord High Treasurer of Great Britain

Question 11

A Proposal for Correcting etc: What is Swift’s primary concern?

Answer 11

If English isn’t standardized, it will continue to undergo constant change. Eventually, it will get to the point where no one can understand the works that are being written today (just as those of Swift’s days have a hard time reading Chaucer).

Question 12

A Proposal for Correcting etc: During what time does Swift believe the English tongue most advanced?

Answer 12

Under Queen Elizabeth’s reign (re: Shakespeare’s time)

Question 13

A Proposal for Correcting etc: During what time period does Swift believe the tongue most decayed? What specific examples does he cite?

Answer 13

He complains that language has decayed in the time sine the Restoration, and particularly blames the poets of this time period. He complains that their nonsensical abbreviations have been transferred to prose, causing the mispronunciation of words and changing their spellings.

Question 14

A Proposal for Correcting etc: What “common misconception” about spelling does Swift attack?

Answer 14

That people should spell exactly has they speak. Since there are many dialects in England, this results in many different spellings. If we standardize spelling, this won’t be a problem.

Interesting to reflect on the status of dialect in time of non-standardization.

Question 15

A Proposal for Correcting etc: What specific problem do students pose?

Answer 15

They pick up slang and low words while out partying, and then these terms slowly work their way into the English language.

Question 16

A Proposal for Correcting etc: How does Swift characterize men’s spelling vs. women’s spelling?

Answer 16

Men tend to leave out vowels; and ladies leave out consonants.

Question 17

A Proposal for Correcting etc: How does Swift propose the problem be rectified?

Answer 17

He advises the High Treasurer to assemble a qualified committee, but doesn’t offer a specific plan about who that should be or how it should function.

Question 18

A Proposal for Correcting etc: According to Swift, what is the reason we understand any of what was written 100 years ago?

Answer 18

The Bible and language of the Church, which is old-fashioned. If not for their constancy in culture, we wouldn’t be able to decipher it at all.

Question 19

A Proposal for Correcting etc: Where was this essay originally published?

Answer 19

In the Tatler

Question 20

A Proposal for Correcting etc: What warning does Swift give the Earl of Oxford?

Answer 20

That if he doesn’t undertake the standardization of English, he will be remembered poorly by history.

Question 21

A Proposal for Correcting etc: What is the risk for the nation if English isn’t standardized?

Answer 21

If this age produces a truly Great Genius, his writing won’t endure.

The High Treasurer has the chance as being remembered as the person who ensured that Genius has a place in history, rather than lost to obscurity.

Question 22

A Proposal for Correcting etc: What does the “ascertain” of the title mean?

Answer 22

Fix

Question 23

Gulliver’s Travels: What is the full title of this book?

Answer 23

Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World by Lemuel Gulliver

Question 24

Gulliver’s Travels: In what ways might this text be responding to “Robinson Crusoe”?

Answer 24

• Opening paragraphs of background, career, etc.
• Episodic structure instead of narrative development
• Parodies Excessive “Realistic Details”
• Crusoe’s staying sane after 28 years on island
• travel narratives

Question 25

Gulliver’s Travels: What are some traits of the Brobdingnags?

Answer 25

• Enormous (compared to Gulliver)
• Humbling limitations of humankind
• They seem pretty perfect, but because Gulliver is able to see them magnified, he can see that they still have faults (like greed, exploitation, etc)
• They are moral giants (though they have some faults)
• Gulliver’s own ego becomes an object of satire at this point in the novel
• Especially against gunpowder

Question 26

Gulliver’s Travels: What are some traits of the Lilliputians?

Answer 26

• Lilliput is similar to England (conflict with France-like country)
• political machinations/bureaucracy
• high heels/low heels mock Tories and whigs and the shallow differences between them
• Big-Endians and Little-Endians mock Protestants and Catholics (two sides of the same egg)
• Most like English culture; Swift is the “giant” looking down and mocking particular people and social practices.

Question 27

Gulliver’s Travels: Who are some of the specific people satirized in Book I?

Answer 27

• King George I

- Robert Walpole

Question 28

A Modest Proposal: What is this whole story a metaphor for?

Answer 28

The English are devouring the Irish