Swift as novelist

Name:Jani Hetal umiyashankar

Roll no:12

Class:M.A.part-1

Semester:1

Submitted to:Department of English

M.K. Bhavnagar University

Assignment Topic:

Contribution of swift as a novelist

Jonathan swift (1667-1745)

Introduction:

Birth : 30 November 1667 Dublin, Ireland

Death: 19 October 1745 (Aged 77) Dublin, Ireland Education : Kilkenny school and Trinity College.

Pen name : M. B. Drapier Lemuel Gulliver Isaac

Bickerstaff

Occupation : Satirist , Essayist , politician , Poet and priest.

Language : English.

Nationality : Irish.

Popular works :’ Gulliver’s Travels’ ,  ‘A Modest Proposal’ , ‘A Tale of a Tub’ ,’ Drapier’s letters’.

Signature :

                           In the beginning of the 18^th century many prose writes shown their skill of writing. Like Joseph Addison , Richard Steel , Daniel Defoe , John Arbuthnot , Lord Bolingbroke and Jonathan Swift. Among them Jonathan Swift was great prose writer. Jonathan Swift emerges as a novelist in the beginning of the 18^th Century. Let’s see his life and work in detail.

His Life :

              Jonathan Swift was born in 1667 in Dublin. His parents are English. He spends his life in Ireland. Before Swift’s birth his father was died so he brought by his uncle. His uncle paid money for his education. He seems very unhappy and pitiable person in his school at kilkenny and at Trinity college , Dublin. In Dublin his experience confirms in him that he remains savage and in mental depression that was suffer all his life. Much of this depression was due to purely physical causes , for he suffered from an affection of the ear that ultimately touched his brain and effect insanity. In 1668 , at the age of nineteen , He left Trinity college because his public shame and in 1689 entered the household and touch of his famous kinsman sir William Temple. Under him it was encouragement for swift. He encouraged him and gave Swift holy orders and on the death of Temple in 1699 obtained other secretarial and Christian priest’s appointments. His career begins in 1710. When the Tories overthrew the Marlborough faction and came into office. To them Swift faithfully give the gigantic powers of his pen and became a political star and gain tremendous fame and after some time hoped for substantial rewards. He might have become a clergyman but it is said that Queen Anne objected to ‘ A Tale of a Tub ‘ and had doubts his orthodoxy and in the wreck of the Tory party in 1745 all he could save was the Deanery of st Patrick’s in Dublin , which he had received in 1713.

                     After spend time to arouse bitter feelings in him , this make him alone in last thirty years of his life in gloom and largely in retirement.  His last years were passed in silence and at the very he became made. This was the end of his life. As political star falling his career. A very big prose-writer left the world. In 1745 , he died and after his death he became very famous in prose writing in 17^th century (1667-1745) the time of Swift. During his life he wrote many poems and prose. Among them many of his work was very beautifully done by him. His poetry and his prose are very famous.

Swift : as novelist :-

                           Jonathan Swift writes many poetry and prose. But he attained to a mastery of English prose or novel. He also maintained an astonishing level of excellence. His first book was published in 1704. It was ‘ The Battle Of The Books ‘ which become so popular and noteworthy. The theme of this book is a well-worn one , being the dispute between ancient and modern authors. After this Swift wrote other thing upon Sir William Temple was joint with the controversy on behalf of the ancient and Swift’s tract was in support of his kinsman’s views. Swift gives the theme a half allegorical, mock heroic setting in which the books in a library at length literary contact with one another. The handling is vigorous and illuminating and refreshed with many happy remarks and allusions. The famous paragraph written by Swift with happiest efforts when a bee accidently came and trapped into spider’s web , where Swift gives the bitter remarks to spider.

                                  ‘ A Tale of Tub ‘ published in 1704. Though it was written in early time in 1669 but because of some circumstances it was not published in 1669. And then after it was published in 1704. This book rewarded as Swift’s best work. It is a highest power of Swift to make or write this book. It is a religious myth. Perhaps suggested by the work of Bunyan. On three men : Peter who stands for the Roman Catholic Church , Jack represents the Dissenters and Martin the personification of the Anglican and Lutheran Churches. They all follows his father and against of coats which was left by them. This book was attacking Roman Catholic , Dissenters and other religion of English. Swift written this book by many fundamental principles or religion which was many suspects his own Christianity. It was about the human nature in general and intellectual pride and religious hypocrisy in particular. This book gives introduction of Swifts skill as a satirist. Swift write many satirical works to use this skill. ‘A Tale Of A Tub ‘ is full of wit and also introduces Swift’s brilliantness in imaginative power. After many time , published this book Swift read this book and said : “ Good God! What a genius I had when I wrote that book! “

                     As we show his work as a literary point of view , the next important period of his life was from 1710 to 1714. During this time he wrote many article deserted to the Wings for the Tories and later party came into power. For this party he wrote political article which was made him an important political figure of that day. He writes many works for Tory. Among them this are best : ‘ The Conduct Of the Allies ‘ (1711) , ‘ Some Remarks On The Barrier Treaty ‘ (1712) and ‘ The Public Spirit Of The Wings ‘(1714). During this time he also wrote a long book ‘ The Journal Of Stella ‘ a private book to Esther Johnson. This was a long book but it’s very interesting to read. After published this book became very famous.

                     After this period the last period came it was third period of swift’s work and final stay in Ireland. During this period his pen written a famous work. He supported the Irish in their revolt against       ‘ Wood’s Halfpence ‘ writing in their cause his The Drapier’s Letters. This gained for him an almost embarrassing popularity. And then he followed some other political works. During this time he used satire to introduce political view. This is the best way to criticize the society. Satire on political view is very beautifully introduced by him.

                     After wrote some political work. He wrote his famous satire. It was his largest book on political aspects. This book was very famous and also long. It was ‘ Gulliver’s Travel ‘ which was written between 1720 and 1725 and published in 1726. It was about Gulliver’s four voyages to different places. The main idea of this book is an old one , being at least as old as the time of Lucian , a great writer of the second century. This book deals with imaginary voyages made or done by Gulliver. In this novel Gulliver go for sea voyage and then because of storm he came into different place.

                     First he came into Lilliput where he meet very tiny man. They are called as Lilliputians. They called Gulliver a ’ Mountain man ‘. In Lilliput Gulliver help king to fight with blefuscu and then he came brobdingnang. It was his second voyage. In Brobdingnang all people are like giants. And then he came in laputa a flowing island and after that he came a horses land known as Houyhnhnms , where horses are ruler and human being found as Yahoos.

                            ‘Gulliver’s Travels’ resembles its fellow-allegory. The pilgrim’s progress in its popularity and human interest. Bunyan views human failings with a discerning eye , but he accepts them with a benign quiescence and with a tempered faith in man’s ultimate redemption. Swift on the other hand said to pope : “ I heartily hate and detest that animal called man “ and this book is an elaboration of that attitude. He imagine man into a giant and then he diminishes him into a manikin , and he finds him into a isolate and mean , the regards man in his wisdom and he finds him fool in despair , in the last book of the Travels , he turns from man altogether , and in the brute creation he discovers a charity and sagacity before which humanity grovels as a creature beastly beyond measure. The last stage of this book creates memory in our mind , but always we are aware of the clarity of the author’s mind.

                           The two part of this book of the Travels have a charm and vivacity that delight old and young. The satire lurks in the allegory , but it is so delicately tinseled over that it does not repel. The style of Swift’s best not mannered or labored clean , powerful and without tired , easy without being slovenly and as clear as summer noonday. This book written by Swift very well. It’s structure made by him very beautifully. In this book there are four voyages traveled by Gulliver. In first voyage he is a giant man and Lilliputians are all twelve centimeter tall. In second voyage he becomes a creature. In Brobdignang human beings are like giants and then he go to Laputa where all human beings are magician. This is a great experience for Gulliver and in the end he goes houyhnhnms there horses are rulers upon Yahoos. Really Swift’s style is woven very beautifully.

              Swift was wrote many satire. ‘Gulliver’s Travel’ is one of most famous satirical novel of Swift. Swift is the greatest English satirist. He is remember for his works such as ‘ Gulliver’s Travel ’ , ‘ A Modest Proposal ‘ , ‘ A Journal to Stella ‘ , ‘ A Battle Of The Books ‘ and ‘ A Tale of a Tub ‘. Swift is one of most famous prose satirist in the English language. He also famous for his two types works in satire Horatian and Juvenalian.

                     During his visits to England in these years Swift published his work and get reputation as a writer. Also during these years , he began writing his masterpiece. Travels into several parts of the world , in four part by Lamuel Gulliver who was a surgon and then became a captain of several ships this known as ‘Gulliver’s Travel’. In this book reflects his political        experience of the preceding decade. For instance , the episode of ‘Gulliver’s Travel’ when Gulliver puts out the Lilliputian palace fire by urinating it metaphor for the Tories party. They done good work in an unfortunate manner. This book is a narrative of the identity crisis.

                           Swift is the greatest satire writer means satirist. Unlike pope he restricts himself to general rather than personal attacks and his work has a cosmic , elemental force , which is irritable and at times almost frightening. His work is so powerful by his work he gained position in English literature as novelist and prose writer. He wrote satire on common sense and human affairs. Often the satire is cruel and violent and sometimes it is coarse and repulsive , Perhaps the results of his own physical disabilities and his keen disappointment at his failure to gain the preferment which felt himself to have merited. In ‘Gulliver’s Travel’ he drawn terrible savagery of a voyage to the Houyhnhnms and ‘A Modest Proposal for preventing the children of poor people from being a burden to their parents should not blind us to the great range of his work. In his work , there is a range of satirical  force which indicates a fertility of imagination and an ingenuity of fancy unparalleled among his rivals in this field. We all must remember him by his great contribution in English language.

Conclusion :-

                           Thus , Jonathan Swift makes his position strong in English language as prose writer. He wrote many satire and known as satirist too. He gave us so beautiful work. He drawn picture of human sense and affairs in his work. Swift also works as political figure and also wrote for Tory and Wings. Thus , Swift is a greatest prose writer in English language. Swifts contribution in English language very important.