Jonathan Swift Research Paper

The famous author Jonathan Swift once said, “When a great genius appears in the world you may know him by this sign; that the dunces are all in confederacy against him" (Swift Introduction vi). Jonathan Swift himself was a great genius who lived through the end of the 16th century. He was born with a gift ahead of his time that allowed him to see the world as it really was: a dystopia. Born in Dublin in 1667, he lived through an aggressive time period in Europe. Political unrest, religious prosecution, and nationalism caused many conflicts which would affect his entire life, and his career. Published under the pseudonym, Lemuel Gulliver, Gulliver’s Travels is considered Jonathan Swift’s greatest work. In this novel, he uses satire to show the world its wrongdoings. Many people consider it a classic, and some claim that it was shaped by Swift’s experiances. Gulliver’s Travels shows evidence of Swift’s personal life in three ways; his episodic life, religious career, and persecution for his beliefs. Jonathan Swift’s life was filled with new beginnings and second chances. Months before he was born Jonathan Swift’s father died and left him alone with his mother, Abigail. Abigail worked hard but could not support young …show more content…
It was written by Jonathan Swift and influenced by his life. One influence was Swift’s numerous and various experiences, such as working for both the Anglican Church of England and the Church of Ireland. Swift was also influenced by his religion and his religious career. Lastly, constant prosecution for his beliefs helped shape Gulliver’s Travels. Jonathan Swift published most of his writings, like Gulliver’s Travels, under various pseudonyms in order to protect his name from those he intended to offend. This opposition to his work proved not only that his intent was successful, but also that, by his own definition, Jonathan Swift was a great genius of