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A novel that takes place from 1699 to 1715; published in 1726.
by Jonathan Swift
Synopsis
A seafaring doctor has a series of wild and enlightening adventures on four separate voyages overseas.
The Novel in Focus
Events in History at the Time of the Novel
Born in Ireland in 1667, Jonathan Swift spent many years in England working closely with the British government. During this time, he witnessed corruption, waste, and fierce power struggles between rival political parties and religious factions. When he returned to Ireland in 1714, Swift saw firsthand the ill effects of Britain's social and economic policies on the Irish people and became a leading advocate for Irish independence. He also belonged to the Anglican Church (Church of England; known in Ireland as the Protestant Church of Ireland). Gulliver's Travels, a story set and written in the same historical era, was published after Swift returned to Ireland and became dean of the Protestant St. Patrick's Cathedral. Drawing on his experience of the times, he created a series of outrageous adventures that exposed aspects of government, war, and human nature.
For More Information
Beckett, J. C. The Making of Modern Ireland: 1603-1923. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1966.
Collins, John Churton. Jonathan Swift: A Biographical and Critical Study. London: Chatto & Windus, Picadilly, 1893.
Kamen, Henry. The War of Succession in Spain 1700-15. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1969.
Hunting, Robert. Jonathan Swift. Revised Edition. Boston: Twayne, 1989.
Plumb, J. H. The First Four Georges. New York: Macmillan, 1957.
Smith, David Nichol, ed. The Letters of Jonathan Swift to Charles Ford. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1957.
Swift, Jonathan. Gulliver's Travels. New York: Pocket Library, 1957.
Literature and Its Times © 1997 Joyce Moss and George Wilson © 2007 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
