mgr Katarzyna Bronk
The origins of the novel and its English fathers
Jonathan Swift (1667-1745)
Gulliver's Travels (published anonymously in 1726):
a political/social satire on the XVIII-century England veiled as an adventure story
satire: a literary technique of ridiculing a folly or vice to expose or correct it (e.g. human frailty; people, institutions, ideas)
a near novel: too satiric and episodic to be a 'proper' novel
belongs to the category of voyages imaginaires (travel, shipwreck, exotic adventure)
4 parts:
"A voyage to Lilliput" (tiny people with curious customs)
a satire on the political system
“There is likewise another diversion, which is only shown before the emperor and empress, and first minister, upon particular occasions. The emperor holds a stick in his hands, both ends parallel to the horizon, while the candidates advancing, one by one, sometimes leap over the stick, sometimes creep under it, backward and forward, several times, according as the stick is advanced or depressed.” (Swift 1985: 74-75)
the “egg” and "heels" controversy: the Church matter (Christians vs Protestants) and party-conflict (Whigs vs Tories)
”As to the first, you are to understand, that for about seventy moons past there have been two struggling parties in this empire, under the names of Tramecksan and Slamecksan, from the high and low heels of their shoes, by which they distinguish themselves. It is alleged, indeed, that the high heels are most agreeable to our ancient constitution; but, however this be, his majesty has determined to make use only of low heels in the administration of the government, and all offices in the gift of the crown, as you cannot but observe; and particularly that his majesty's imperial heels are lower at least by a drurr than any of his court (drurr is a measure about the fourteenth part of an inch). The animosities between these two parties run so high, that they will neither eat, nor drink, nor talk with each other. (...)besides, our histories of six thousand moons make no mention of any other regions than the two great empires of Lilliput and Blefuscu. Which two mighty powers have, as I was going to tell you, been engaged in a most obstinate war for six-and-thirty moons past. It began upon the following occasion. It is allowed on all hands, that the primitive way of breaking eggs, before we eat them, was upon the larger end; but his present majesty's grandfather, while he was a boy, going to eat an egg, and breaking it according to the ancient practice, happened to cut one of his fingers." (Swift 1985: 84)
- the conflict between Blefuscu and Lilliput: France vs England
"A voyage to Brobdingnag" (a race of simple and practical giants)
misogyny (hatred against women) and physicality
“One day the governess ordered our coachman to stop at several shops, where the beggars, watching their opportunity, crowded to the sides of the coach, and gave me the most horrible spectacle that ever a European eye beheld. There was a woman with a cancer in her breast, swelled to a monstrous size, full of holes, in two or three of which I could have easily crept, and covered my whole body.” (Swift 1985: 151)
lectures on Great Britain: veiled criticism
“He was perfectly astonished with the historical account gave him of our affairs during the last century; protesting "it was only a heap of conspiracies, rebellions, murders, massacres, revolutions, banishments, the very worst effects that avarice, faction, hypocrisy, perfidiousness, cruelty, rage, madness, hatred, envy, lust, malice, and ambition, could produce." (Swift 1985: 172)
"A voyage to Laputa"
a satire on scientists and development (absurdity of empty/futile knowledge and useless inventions and the Royal Society)
“I observed, here and there, many in the habit of servants, with a blown bladder, fastened like a flail to the end of a stick, which they carried in their hands. In each bladder was a small quantity of dried peas, or little pebbles, as I was afterwards informed. With these bladders, they now and then flapped the mouths and ears of those who stood near them, of which practice I could not then conceive the meaning. It seems the minds of these people are so taken up with intense speculations, that they neither can speak, nor attend to the discourses of others, without being roused by some external taction upon the organs of speech and hearing" (Swift 1985: 201)
"A voyage to Houyhnhnms"
claims to authenticity (corrections; the manuscript destroyed; the publisher as Gulliver's acquaintance; insistence on veracity; mentioning other travellers' accounts; travellogues)
“The author of these Travels, Mr. Lemuel Gulliver, is my ancient and intimate friend; there is likewise some relation between us on the mother's side.(..) The style is very plain and simple; and the only fault I find is, that the author, after the manner of travellers, is a little too circumstantial. There is an air of truth apparent through the whole; and indeed the author was so distinguished for his veracity, that it became a sort of proverb among his neighbours at Redriff, when any one affirmed a thing, to say, it was as true as if Mr. Gulliver had spoken it.” (Swift 1985: 43)
"THUS, GENTLE READER, I have given thee a faithful History of my Travels for Sixteen Years, and above Seven Months; wherein I have not been so studious of Ornament as Truth. I could perhaps like others have astonished you with strange improbable Tales; but I rather chose to relate plain Matter of Fact in the simplest Manner and Style, because my principal Design was to Inform, and not to amuse thee." (Swift 1985: 340)
self-conscious elements (a self-conscious novel is one which points to its own artificiality, e.g. describes how it is written; it demystifies fictionality which is to function as reality)
“THE READER may please to observe, that the following Extract of many Conversations I had with my Master, contains a Summary of the most material Points, which were discoursed at several times for above two Years” (Swift 1985: 291)
colonialism (trade and travelling; subjects and rulers)
“At last I beheld several Animals in a Field, and one or two of the same kind sitting in Trees. (...) Their Heads and Breasts were covered with a thick Hair, some frizzled and others lank; they had Beards like Goats, and a long ridge of Hair down their Backs and the fore-parts of their Legs and Feet, but the rest of their Bodies were bare, so that I might see their Skins, which were of a brown buff Colour. (...) Upon the whole, I never beheld in all my Travels so disagreeable an Animal, nor one against which I naturally conceived so strong an Antipathy.” (Swift 1985: 269)
misogyny
“His Honour had further observed, that a Female-Yahoo would often stand behind a Bank or a Bush, to gaze on the young Males passing by, and then appear, and hide, using many antick Gestures and Grimaces, at which time it was observed, that she had a most offensive Smell; and when any of the Males advanced, would slowly retire, looking often back, and with a counterfeit shew of Fear; run off into some convenient Place where she knew the Male would follow her. (...) However, I could not reflect without some Amazement, and much Sorrow, that the Rudiments of Lewdness, Coquetry, Censure, and Scandal, should have place by Instinct in Womankind." (Swift 1985: 312)
the Utopian race of Houyhnhnms (or is it?)
“It was with some Difficulty, and by the help of many Signs, that I brought him to understand me. He replied, That I must needs be mistaken, or that I said the Thing which was not. For they have no Word in their Language to express Lying or Falsehood.” (Swift 1985: 281)
“Power, Government, War, Law, Punishment, and a Thousand other Things had no Terms wherein that Language could express them, which made the Difficulty almost insuperable to give my Master any Conception of what I meant.” (Swift 1985: 291)
"As these Noble Houyhnhnms are endowed by Nature with a general Disposition to all Virtues, and have no Conceptions or Ideas of what is Evil in a rational Creature, so their grand Maxim is, to cultivate Reason, and to be wholly governed by it." (Swift 1985: 315)
critical comments on GB
war and religion
lawyers
money and vices
the nobility
sexual issues
the government
“I told him, that a First or Chief Minister of State *, whom I intended to describe, was a Creature wholly exempt from Joy and Grief, Love and Hatred, Pity and Anger; at least made use of no other Passions but a violent Desire of Wealth, Power, and Titles: That he applies his Words to all Uses, except to the Indication of his Mind; That he never tells a Truth, but with an Intent that you should take it for a Lye; nor a Lye, but with a Design that you should take it for a Truth; That those he speaks worst of behind their Backs, are in the surest way of Preferment; and whenever he begins to praise you to others or to your self, you are from that Day forlorn. The worst Mark you can receive is a Promise, especially when it is confirmed with an Oath; after which every wise Man retires, and gives over all Hopes.” (Swift 1985: 302)
-conclusions to the final journey -
- when humanity is forgotten, men "change" into animals (criticism of for example J.J. Rousseau's ideas: on children of nature; inherent goodness of people)
"When I thought of my Family, my Friends, my Countrymen, or Human Race in general, I considered them as they really were, Yahoos in Shape and Disposition, perhaps a little more civilized, and qualified with the Gift of Speech, but making no other use of Reason, than to improve and multiply those Vices whereof their Brethren in this Country had only the Share that Nature allotted them." (Swift 1985: 327)
THE REST OF THE NOVELS AND THE ORIGINS OF THE NOVELISTIC FORMS WAS DISCUSSED DURING THE LECTURE.
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