Completion time: 1726
Features: Fantasy travel satirical novels aimed at attacking the political and religious reactionary forces in the British Parliament at that time.
/kloc-A famous British satirist and politician in the 0/8th century was born in Dublin, Ireland, and his parents were British. Swift lived in poverty in his early years. Because his father died young, he lived in his uncle's house very early. He likes to study historical poetry since he was a child. At the age of 65,438+04, he entered Trinity College Dublin to study philosophy and theology. In 65,438+0686, 65,438+0692 and 65,438+07,065,438+0, he received a bachelor's degree from Trinity College Dublin, a master's degree from Oxford University and a doctorate in theology from Trinity College respectively. 1688, he returned to England and worked as a private secretary in Sir Tombul's home. At that time, he came into contact with politics and cultivated his ability to analyze things and keen observation. He also served as a pastor of the Church of England and a country pastor. From 17 10 to 17 14, he was the editor-in-chief of the conservative party inspection team. After the Tories stepped down, he returned to Ireland and became the deputy bishop of St Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin. Swift attacked the landlords and gentry and the British colonial policy with a large number of political comments and satirical poems, which was warmly welcomed by readers. His satirical novels have a deeper and wider influence, so Gorky called him "one of the great literary creators" in the world.
Volume I: Tells Gulliver's adventures in Lilliput after being shipwrecked. When the surgeon Gulliver was young, he believed in adventure and good luck. 1699, he was hired by "Antelope" to sail in the South Pacific. Encountered a storm on the way, the ship hit the rocks and sank. He escaped ashore alone and fell asleep on the grass. Woke up and found himself tied to the grass. This is lilliput, lilliput. The people here are only six feet long. He wanted to struggle, so the young man shot him with an arrow, so he had to be taken prisoner and taken to the capital by horse and presented to the king. The election of officials in this country depends on the ability to dance on a rope. Many people will fight to the death. The dispute between the two parties in this country is caused by the difference in heel height. The war between the country and its neighbor, Braive Sku, was caused by whether to break the big head or the small head first when eating eggs. King Lilliput wanted to destroy Blefuscu, so he sent Grave to sweep all the enemy fleets. But Grave didn't want to. He dived to Brescu, repaired the boat and set sail for home.
The second volume describes Gulliver's experience in the giant country after being shipwrecked again. After staying at home for a few days, Gulliver went to sea by boat again. The ship was caught in a storm and drifted to this huge country. He was regarded as a toy by a farmer for his little daughter. In order to make money, the farmer took him to the town to perform, and he was so tired that he sold him to the queen when he saw no profit. Facing the king, Gulliver proudly introduced the British parliament, army, courts, finance and nearly a hundred years' history. But under the king's questioning, it seems that the British system is not clever. Gulliver was very homesick. He went to the seaside and slept in a small box. The box was picked up by the eagle as a turtle and fell into the sea. He was rescued by a ship and returned to England after many twists and turns.
The third volume describes Gulliver's experience on the island after being attacked by pirates during his voyage. Shortly after returning home, Gulliver went out to sea again and was hijacked by a thief boat at sea. He was put alone on a small sailboat and drifted to an island. One day, he found a flying island in the air. The people on the flying island hung him up. That man looks strange, wears strange clothes, meditates all day, and worries about the sudden change of celestial bodies and the explosion of the earth. The country is short of food and clothing, and the land is barren. Leaving the flying island, Gulliver came to Witch Island. The governor on the island can summon ghosts, so Gulliver met ancient emperors and princes such as Alexander. It was in the conversation of the ancients that Gulliver found that many records in the history books were inconsistent with historical facts and even reversed right and wrong. Then, he returned to China via Japan. This volume reflects Swift's retro tendency to some extent.
Volume IV: Describe Gulliver's experience in Ma Zhi. Four months later, Gulliver was hired again to go to sea with the captain. On the way, the sailor rebelled and exiled him to Ma Zhi, where he was attacked by a human-like animal. Fortunately, a Ma Zhi saved him. Ma Zhi is a rational horse and the master of this country. Gulliver decided to settle in Ma Zhi. Helpless, the owner decided to destroy Yahoo. Gulliver was a rational "Yahoo" and survived, but he had to leave the country. He returned to England, he saw through the world of mortals and took horses as his friends all his life. In Swift's works, there are countless ugly human manifestations: betrayal, ignorance, immorality, laziness and corruption ... The crux of all this lies in the degradation of human morality. Because of this description, many people (including famous writers Thackeray and Huxley) think that Swift "hates human beings". On the other hand, Voltaire called him "rabelais of England"-because Gulliver's Travels, like rabelais's works, has a deep blood relationship with folk literature, and its wanton brushwork and carnival imagination actually exalt the melody of life. It can be said that Swift reflects the duality of the society in which he lives in a special way: he exaggerates the vitality of the times and denounces the disadvantages of the times in an absurd way. Behind the hatred and pessimism, there should be a bitter feeling of worrying about the world. Through the description of Hui Zhi, he entrusted his pursuit of ideal humanity and morality.
Perhaps it is because most people on earth live in the so-called "modern society" today. Swift's satires and fables are still incisive after reading for more than 200 years, and every word is "blood". In those years when Yahoo Ghost ironically became the "star" of computer network, people can't and shouldn't forget Swift's doubts and despair.
[Theme Creativity]
The lilliputian scene depicted in the first volume of the novel is the epitome of the British Empire. The perennial struggle and foreign war between the Tories and Whigs in Britain are essentially just the infighting among politicians on some minor issues that have nothing to do with the national economy and people's livelihood.
The second volume of the novel sharply criticizes Gulliver's proud British electoral system, parliamentary system and various political and religious measures, and expresses doubts and negation on various British systems and political and religious measures.
In the third volume of the novel, the author points the satirical finger at contemporary British philosophers, scientists who are divorced from reality and addicted to fantasy, absurd inventors, critics and historians who turn black and white upside down, and Britain's exposure of Irish colonial rule and oppression.
In the fourth volume of the novel, the author uses Gulliver to answer a series of questions, and exposes the nature of war, the hypocrisy of law and the shameful behavior of obtaining office by hook or by crook.
Looking at the overall plot of the novel, Gulliver's Travels has obvious political tendency. His critical edge focused on attacking parliamentary politics and reactionary religious forces in Britain at that time.
By describing Gulliver's four major pains, the author wrote that he saw through contemporary corruption and attacked the corrupt society at that time in an ironic way.
Give a brief introduction, I hope it will help you.