Essay Assignment
Choose an episode(s) from Gulliver's Travels to develop an argument about how Swift produces/employs satire-how he critiques some type of human shortcoming, what/whom he critiques in particular, and why he does so. You might consider some of the following questions: What type of language and vocabulary (diction) does Swift use to produce these satirical moments? What literary devices does he use (metaphor, simile, hyperbole, irony) to convey his satire?
You must develop a clear and detailed argument, and you must make use of direct quotations from the text to support your assertions. Although you may need to offer some very brief description, be careful not to substitute summary of the novel for analysis. Do not simply say what happens in the novel, or what it is "about"; rather, use specific textual details to draw conclusions. Everything in your paper should help to develop your thesis.
Once again, this is NOT a research paper. You are being asked to produce your own original analysis of the text. Relying on the assessments of others will hurt rather than help your paper. As you are making use only of material from the novel itself, you do not need to include a "Works Cited" page. Include page numbers for direct quotations in parentheses within the text of your paper. Papers should be two pages, double-spaced, in 12-point font.