Jonathan Swift Trivia

1. How many children does the speaker estimate can be sold each year?

From Quiz A Jar of Pickled Children

Answer: 120,000

Out of a population of 1.5 million, he estimates 120,000 births each year from poor parents. Later he subtracts another 20,000 to keep the supply of children flowing for later generations.

From Quiz A Modest Proposal

Answer: A Modest Proposal for Preventing the Children of Poor People in Ireland from Being a Burden to Their Parents or Country, and for Making Them Beneficial to the Public

When Jonathan Swift wrote "A Modest Proposal" in 1729, there was widespread poverty throughout Ireland and especially in Dublin. Swift wrote "A Modest Proposal" as an alternative suggestion to all of the other failed suggestions by 'experts'.

From Quiz Traveling with Gulliver, Part IV

Answer: Captain

"I left my wife bid with child, and accepted an advantageous offer made me to be captain of the "Adventure", a stout merchantman of 350 tuns." "Cabbin" was Swift's spelling.

From Quiz Traveling with Gulliver, Part II

Answer: They were very large.

When describing his newly-discovered land, Swift said "...but that which first surprised me was the length of the grass, ...above twenty foot high, ...and the corn rising at least forty foot high, ...which was fenced in a hedge at least one hundred twenty foot high." The inhabitant he met is described as "as tall an ordinary church steeple; and took about ten yards in every stride."

From Quiz Gulliver's Travels (Part 1)

Answer: Lemuel

Lemuel was raised at Nottinghamshire, the third of five sons. The book 'Gulliver's Travels', by Jonathan Swift, is broken down into four sections of Lemuel Gulliver's travel memoirs. The memoirs are given the title 'Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World'.

From Quiz A Jar of Pickled Children

Answer: 6

According to the speaker, nobody has known a child under six years old to be able to earn a living by stealing. That means the child would be a burden on all the Irish, and so offers his proposal to prevent that from continuing.

From Quiz Traveling with Gulliver, Part IV

Answer: His crew mutinied and set him ashore on unknown land.

"The rogues whom I had picked up, debauched my other men, and they all formed a conspiracy to seize the ship and secure me; which they did one morning, rushing into my cabbin, and binding me hand and foot, threatening to throw me overboard, if I offered to stir. ... They sailed many weeks, ...but I knew not what course they took, being kept close prisoner in my cabbin... They forced me into a longboat, ... rowed about a league; and then set me down a strand."

From Quiz Traveling with Gulliver, Part II

Answer: Farmer

Gulliver was first captured by a servant field worker who "ran along with me to his master, who was a substantial farmer ... [He] carried me home to his house."

From Quiz Gulliver's Travels (Part 1)

Answer: Surgeon

Lemuel Gulliver was trained in the arts of medicine under the keen eye of Dr. James Bates in London. After four years of study under Bates, Gulliver went on to study the art of navigation and some mathematics, at least those parts of the discipline that pertain to sea travel. Gulliver serves as ship's surgeon aboard several ships, including those on which he travels to some of the odd lands he discovers. Later, he becomes a ship's captain.

From Quiz A Jar of Pickled Children

Answer: an American

An American living in London supposedly told the author how good children taste and how healthy they are. The American, however, was told this by somebody living in Formosa (today Taiwan).

From Quiz A Modest Proposal

Answer: One year

In the story Swift mentions that a child can be brought up almost entirely on a mother's milk for about one year. If tolerably nursed, the child should weigh twenty-eight pounds at one year of age.

From Quiz Traveling with Gulliver, Part IV

Answer: Hairy, dirty, deformed humans

"Their shape was very singular, and deformed. 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 feets; but the rest of their bodies were bare.... The face of it, indeed, was flat and broad, the nose depressed, the lips large, and the mouth wide. The forefeet of the Yahoo differed from my hands in nothing else, but the length of the nails, the coarseness and brownness of the palms, and the hairiness on the backs."

From Quiz Traveling with Gulliver, Part II

Answer: Rats

"Two rats crept up the curtains, and ran smelling backwards and forwards on the bed. ... [I] drew out my hanger to defend myself. These horrible animals had the boldness to attack me on both sides, and one of them held his fore feet at my collar. I had the good fortune to rip up his belly before he could do me any mischief. He fell down at my feet; and the other seeing the fate of his comrade, made his escape. ... These creatures were the size of a large mastiff, but infinitely more nimble and fierce... I measured the tail of the dead rat, and found it to be two yards long..."

From Quiz Gulliver's Travels (Part 1)

Answer: Antelope

The Antelope was not the first ship upon which Gulliver sailed, this would be the Swallow. The Antelope is important, however, as this is the ship upon which he sails towards his first adventure in Lilliput.

From Quiz A Jar of Pickled Children

Answer: 8 shillings

Estimating an 8 shilling profit, the speaker points out another obvious benefit: the mother would be fit to work, instead of begging, until she has her next child.

From Quiz Traveling with Gulliver, Part IV

Answer: Talking horses

"The word 'Houyhnhnm' in their tongue, signifies a horse."

From Quiz Traveling with Gulliver, Part II

Answer: A 9-year-old daughter of a farmer

[The farmer] "had a daughter of nine years old, ... very dextrous at her needle... She made me seven shirts, ... these she constantly washed for me. ... She likewise was my school-mistress to teach me the language... To her I chiefly owe my preservation in that country."

From Quiz A Jar of Pickled Children

Answer: He thinks they are dying as fast as can be expected.

The speaker states he isn't bothered by the problem because disease, famine, and vermin kill them as fast as possible. He doesn't feel there is any way to further accelerate their death.

From Quiz A Modest Proposal

Answer: American

The American told the narrator that he had tried stewed, roasted, baked and boiled varieties.

From Quiz Traveling with Gulliver, Part IV

Answer: Rational, wise, virtuous

"The wise and virtuous Houyhnhnms, who abound in all excellencies that can adorn a rational creature, ... hath no term to describe any thing that is evil, except those whereby they describe the detestable qualities of their Yahoos. ... Their prudence, unanimity, unacquaintedness with fear, and their love of their country, would amply supply all defects in the military art."

From Quiz Traveling with Gulliver, Part II

Answer: He was shown at market for the profit of his master.

"My master, pursuant to the advice of his friend, carried me in a box the next market-day to the neighbouring town. He hired the... cryer to give notice through town, of a strange creature to be seen, ... and in every body part resembling an human creature; could speak several words, and perform an hundred diverting tricks. ... My master gave publick notice, that he would shew me again the next market-day. I was so tired with my first journey, and with entertaining company eight hours together, that I could hardly stand upon my legs, or speak a word.... My master, now finding how profitable I was like to be, resolved to carry me to the most considerable cities of the kingdom.... We were ten weeks in our journey."

From Quiz A Modest Proposal

Answer: Nine months after Lent

The narrator mentions that the author Rabelais recommended that the Lenten diet was conducive to propagation in his work "Gargantua and Pantagruel".

From Quiz Traveling with Gulliver, Part IV

Answer: He builds a boat and puts to sea

"Let it suffice to say, that in six weeks time, with the help of the sorrel nag, who performed the parts that required most labour, I finished a sort of Indian canoo, but much larger, covering it with the skins of Yahoo well stitched together, with hempen threads of my own making. The sail was likewise composed of the skins of the same animal. ... I likewise provided my self with four paddles. ... I paid my respect to the ... Houyhnhnms ..., then getting into my canoo, I pushed off from shore."

From Quiz Traveling with Gulliver, Part II

Answer: The Queen.

"[Her majesty] asked my master, whether he were willing to sell me at a good price. He, who apprehended I could live a month, was ready enough to part with me."

From Quiz A Jar of Pickled Children

Answer: The Irish landowners and the English government

Swift saw the problems facing Ireland at that time resulting from not just what he saw as English abuses, but from the Irish landowners as well. They used up what resources were available and never thought about the effects on the country and its people.

From Quiz A Modest Proposal

Answer: Ten shillings

Since the cost of raising a child was only about two shillings, each poor family should make eight shillings from each child they give to the modest proposal.

From Quiz Traveling with Gulliver, Part IV

Answer: New Holland

"I arrived ... to the south-east point of New Holland. I saw no inhabitants in the place where I landed; and being unarmed, I was afraid of venturing far into the country. ... On the fourth day, venturing out early a little too far, I saw twenty or thirty natives upon a height, not five hundred yards from me. ... I made what haste I could to the shore, and getting into my canoo, shoved off: the savages observing me retreat, ran after me; and before I could get far enough into the sea, discharges an arrow, which wounded me deeply on the inside of the left knee."

From Quiz Traveling with Gulliver, Part II

Answer: His previous care-giver.

"Since I was now her majesty's most humble creature and vassal, I must beg favour, that Glumdalclitch, who had always tended me with so much care and kindness, and understood to do it so well, might be admitted into her service, and continue to be my nurse and instructor. Her majesty agreed to my petition; and easily got the farmer's consent, who was glad enough to have his daughter preferred at court."

From Quiz A Jar of Pickled Children

Answer: The number of Catholics would decrease dramatically

The majority of the Irish, Swift included, were Catholic. This put them at odds with England from the very beginning, since England broke away from the Catholic Church during the reign of Henry VIII.

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