A Tale of a Tub

A Tale of a Tub

by Jonathan Swift

written between 1696 and 1699, published anonymously in 1704, and expanded in 1710.

Swift explains the origin of his work's title. Sailors, he says, have a custom of flinging an empty tub overboard when a whale comes close to the ship. Distracted by the tub, the whale will often spare the ship. A seemingly "empty" work, which could be satire, he claims, can likewise distract those who would otherwise take up more destructive activities. Having thus shown the societal value of comic literature, he proposes the construction of an academy to house all the wits of Great Britain. For the remainder of the preface, Swift mocks those who complain about the large quantity of poor writing in circulation and offers his theories as to why so much satirical literature is published. Recognizing that he could go on like this indefinitely, Swift brings the preface to an abrupt close.

Swift's mention of British author John Dryden (1631–1700) here and elsewhere in the story may seem oddly unenthusiastic given how celebrated a poet Dryden was. Dryden and Swift were cousins, and Dryden seems to have alienated Swift early on by underestimating the latter's literary talents: "Cousin Swift," he is said to have remarked, "you will never be a poet." Although the exact quotation is in doubt, it seems clear that Swift felt condescended to by his older, famous cousin, and he responded by bearing a lifelong grudge. Deane Swift, a great-nephew of Jonathan's, wrote that his great-uncle was "unmercifully severe" in his treatment of Dryden. Dan Sperrin, in a 2018 Essays in Criticism article, suggests that Swift's behavior "ruined a literary relationship that might otherwise have been extraordinary." Here and throughout A Tale of a Tub, Swift refrains from overt Dryden-bashing, instead taking oblique swipes at Dryden's style and mannerisms.

Protestantism

• Martin Luther was a German monk. He thought that the Catholic Church had too much power and was corrupt. In 1517 he wrote a document called the Ninety-five theses and nailed it on to the door of his local church.

• Luther set up a new, Protestant Church – the Lutheran Church.Protestants follow the teachings of Jesus Christ as transmitted through the Old & New Testament. Protestants believe that the Catholic Church stemmed from the original Christian Church, but became corrupt. Men can not add or take away from scripture.

Puritan (dissenters)

The Puritans were a group of people who grew discontent in the Church of England and worked towards religious, moral and societal reforms. The writings and ideas of John Calvin, a leader in the Reformation, gave rise to Protestantism and were pivotal to the Christian revolt. They contended that The Church of England had become a product of political struggles and man-made doctrines. The Puritans were one branch of dissenters who decided that the Church of England was beyond reform. Escaping persecution from church leadership and the King, they came to America.The Puritans believed that the Bible was God's true law, and that it provided a plan for living. The established church of the day described access to God as monastic and possible only within the confines of "church authority". Puritans stripped away the traditional trappings and formalities of Christianity which had been slowly building throughout the previous 1500 years. Theirs was an attempt to "purify" the church and their own lives.What many of us remember about the Puritans is reflective of the modern definition of the term and not of the historical account. Point one, they were not a small group of people. In England many of their persuasion sat in Parliament. So great was the struggle that England's Civil War pitted the Puritans against the Crown Forces. Though the Puritans won the fight with Oliver Cromwell's leadership, their victory was short-lived; hence their displacement to America. Point two, the witchcraft trials did not appropriately define their methods of living for the 100+ years that they formed successful communities. What it did show was the danger that their self-imposed isolation had put them in.

Peter

• Peter is the oldest of the three brothers who feature in A Tale of a Tub. At first, he and his brothers get along well, but once they have established themselves in society, Peter's arrogance begins to shine through. He demands to be revered and obeyed by his brothers and eventually ejects them from their shared home. Several of Peter's characteristics, including his name and his relative age, point to his status as a symbol of the Roman Catholic Church.

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Martin

• Martin is the middle-born of the three brothers. He initially respects and obliges his elder brother, Peter, despite the latter's increasingly strange behavior. When he is exiled and discovers that he has been disobeying his father's will, he takes careful but thorough steps to change his ways. His actions proceed from regard for what is right, not from hatred or resentment toward Peter. Named after Martin Luther, Martin represents what Swift viewed as the moderate Anglican tradition, avoiding the excesses the author ascribes to either Catholicism or Dissent.

Jack

Jack is the youngest of the three brothers. After he is exiled by Peter, he becomes consumed by hatred for his oldest brother and does everything he can to distance himself from him. Several of Jack's behaviors, such as fervent preaching and dogged opposition to Peter in even trivial things, mark him as a caricature of Dissent.