英文毕业论文(3)

2.1 Simplification

Simplification is defined as the act or process of making something simpler according to

Collins COBUILD Advance Learner?s English Dictionary. In satire, the principles or “targets” to be challenged are almost invariably transformed from their current complex reality into another, simpler object or idea. Simplification is, more often than not, utilized to realize a satirical effect or to criticize something by impressing the readers in making the description interesting and easier to apprehend. Many instances could be located in Gulliver?s Travels.

During the days when Gulliver was in LAPUTA, the king piloted the island floating above his territory. If any town initiated rebellion, mutiny, refused to pay the usual tribute to the king, to call for their obedience and submission, he would either (Jonathan. Swift, 1997:135)

“Keeping the island hovering over such a town, and the lands above it, whereby he can deprive them of the benefit of the sun and the rain”

So that the inhabitants might fall victim to death and disease, or, if the situation worsened, at the same time pelted down great stones from above to smashed their houses dismantling all their shelters. (Jonathan.Swift, 134) This is a vivid depiction of suppression and war. The British government’s oppression to Ireland people is simplified to the king’s deprivation of the sunshine and rain in his territory which is crucial for the people to make a living. When the Ireland people launch rebellion, the British government will wage a war to destroy their land. By the same token, it is reduced to that the king would drop down great stones to still the disobedience. Through simplification, a complex political issue is comprehensibly explained and vivid picture of authoritarian regime is impressed in readers’ minds.

In this easy-to-understand method, Swift also blames the conflicts between different religion fractions. In LILLIPUT, wars were commenced for the reason that people disagreed on whether egg should be broken on the bigger end or the smaller one. It implies some wars are waged for ridiculous, trifle reasons such as inconsistency in opinions. Religion is supposed to help people in distress and bring them out of the pit of misery. Here, religion is nothing but the demo who throws people into bitterness and the abyss of darkness by waging wars. To put this further, it’s read as the basic creed: “that all true believers break their eggs at the convenient end.” Neither party had understood the religious doctrine but insisted on their own comprehension. The author brings forth the hypocrisy of religions.

It is the same case with regard to party conflicts. Officials of Lilliput divided into two parties. They distinguished themselves by the high heels and low heels of their shoes. They

have almost everything in common but not the height of the heel. The author tends to suggest that party conflicts usually arise from insignificant incidences.

2.2 Relocation

The simplification is often accompanied by a simultaneous relocation of the “action” to an environment that is more consistent or subconsciously supportive with the transformation. In view of this, I’d like to undertake some analysis about relocation in Gulliver?s travels in respect of geographical place and the narrator’s position.

Looking through the four stories, it is not hard for us to recognize that the stories are all set respectively in islands but not on certain continent or any other places. Thus, we may get some clues in the author’s choice of geography setting. The target of the whole novel is British society. In order to let readers know that the ugly society he describes and blames in the novel is actually British society, he creates four islands as the place where the four stories occurs. In this way, readers may associate those places with England since they are all islands.

As to relocation in terms of the narrator’s position, it is a crucial factor in the development of the stories for different position or status determines the narrator’s perspective. For example, staying with paupers, he may be able to know what the poor people’s life is like while default the upper class’s society. Being always along with the king may keep the lower class’s life from his sight. Here, Gulliver, in the four stories, was kept by someone with certain social status and reputation. By doing so, Gulliver can have a complete picture of the whole society, down to the grass roots and up to the king. This helps to sketch a more vivid society that resembles British.

Either the relocation of geographical place or the position of the narrator is aimed to deliver hints to the readers reminding them the similarities to Britain without exposing himself to the public.

3. Hyperbole

The word “hyperbole” originates from Greek “huperbple”, which means overstatement. Actually, hyperbole is just the deliberate use of overstatement of exaggeration to achieve emphasis. Oxford Advanced Learner?s Dictionary of Current English defines hyperbole as “exaggerated statements made for the effect and not intended to be taken literally”. In …… 此处隐藏：3127字，全部文档内容请下载后查看。喜欢就下载吧 ……