18th Century Lit: Gulliver

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18th Century Literature:

As we began this section, I was horrified, due to the fact that I find much of the literature of the earlier periods, to be very dull and boring, that I usually drift off while attempting to blunder my way through them. As with many periods of history, there are some things that have bothered me about this period of the 18th century. An in this class I hope to understand better and come away with a clear picture of the Literature studied.
The attitudes of people in general have always bothered me. While there were some authors who championed the common man, most wrote exclusively for or catered to the upper class, or educated. This is understandable as the literacy rates were poor and so much of the literature was geared to the religious ideals of the society. Much writing emphasized the condition of man and its emulation, or need for, on the past and style and philosophical thoughts of the authors studied. Sadly there were too few forward thinkers writing to champion the masses. Perhaps if there would have been more literature written for this purpose the social stagnation and social development, could have been avoided and pressed forward.


Journal Entry 1: Jonathan Swift:
Gulliver’s Travels:
Jonathan Swift wrote Gulliver’s Travels in 1762 with the intent of entertaining many people. Entertainment through satire is what Swift had in mind. I have always considered Gulliver’s Travels to be an element of children’s literature. Perhaps, up until now, I have never taken the time to actually read closely, the entire manuscript, and had the chance to analyze the work. Some of the literary devices that Swift uses in Gulliver’s Travels are satire and irony. Swift wrote the novel as a parody of travel books and an indictment of mankind; it is revered as a charming children’s story..
The setting plays an important role in all novels, but in Gulliver’s Travels, one must take into cons...