AP ENGLISH - ANALYSIS of Francis Bacon, Jonathen Swift, and George Orwe By Francis Bacon "Of Revenge" 1.

Why can revenge be defined as "a kind of wild justice"? What is wild about revenge? What about it is just?

Revenge according to Bacon is a wild justice because it offends the law by !utting it out of effect and to violate the very !ur!ose of it. "et it also allows for an ability to !lace fairness in a given situation by allowing a victi# to be even with his ene#y. 1. What argu#ents does Bacon #ake against revenge? $re his objections !ri#arily #oral or !ractical?

Bacon states that if a #an does ill will by nature than it is wrong to be s!iteful for his love for hi#self over others. $s well he also suggests that it is necessary to bare !ain and evil through his %uote of &ob. 'hese therefore show #oral argu#ents. 1. What do Bacon(s historical and biblical allusions contribute to his ideas about revenge? Why do you think he includes these allusions?

Bacon(s historical and biblical allusions allow for an ability to co#!are situations with those that were !recedents for his !hiloso!hy. By doing this he is able to justify the benevolence in his theories by establishing such e)!eriences with good #orals. "Of *ove" 1. +s Bacon(s !ur!ose to warn us of the dangers of love? 'o encourage us to devote ourselves to love? ,o#ething else?

Francis Bacon atte#!ts to define *ove(s effects on #an and its i#!act through its e)istence. *ove is inevitable to #an as he clearly states towards the beginning of his essay. Bacon concludes that love can hel! #ake the world a better !lace or its #isuse #ay corru!t #ankind.

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Why does Bacon %uote the state#ent "'hat it is i#!ossible to love and to be wise"? Why does he associate love with flattery? -o you agree?

Bacon uses the %uote to establish the fact that love #ay disru!t rationality. By relating love with flattery Bacon e)!lains of loves corru!ting abilities. + believe that only through the receiving !ersons #ay their love be truly defined. 1. -oes Bacon contradict hi#self? -oes he give evidence to su!!ort his argu#ent? .ive e)a#!les of both.

Bacon does contradict hi#self by first saying that a #ad degree love is felt by all of #an and yet then tells of two #en who are e)ce!tions to this. /e also uses the feelings of others towards love as evidence to su!!ort of his theory as shown through the !revious %uote. 1. What is the relationshi! of the final sentence to the rest of the essay? /as Bacon discussed the 0 ty!es of love?

'he last sentence re#ains !art of the evolutionary thought1revelation that Bacon has dealing with love(s effects. Bacon does indeed discuss the three ty!es of love but e)!lains the# in a continuous thought by leading one into the other. 1. 'ake Bacon(s 1 !aragragh essay and #ake it a #ulti2!aragra!h essay. Where would you divide the !aragra!hs? Why? What is gained and lost by using 1 !aragra!h?

+ would se!arate "+t is a strange thing to note the e)cess of this !assion " to start a new !aragra!h and #ake another !aragra!h starting with "$s for the other losses " 'hese two !oints se!arate the ideas of an introduction to love(s e)istence and carries over to love(s !ossible #isuse and the losses incurred through this !rocess. What is gained by using one !aragra!h is a non2sto! idea that love is both e#bracing yet also dangerous and overall #ore co#!le) than what it a!!ears to be. 1. /ow would your e)!erience of the essay be different if Bacon had eli#inated all contradictions 3 %ualifications? Would you gain #ore? *ose #ore? Why? Where do you stand on the issue?

+f Bacon had eli#inated the contradictions and %ualifications of love he would also be guiding the reader too #uch on how he !erceived love(s effects. 'herefore he would rid of the reader(s ability to incor!orate e)!erience with theory and co#e

about with a revelation on the subject as he has. + believe that love is both a blessing and !unish#ent at the sa#e ti#e yet its !ro!er universal usage allows for the world to unite in a way beyond that which we #ay !erceive. "Of "outh and $ge" "outh4 Positive: 5 $ble to be #ore i#aginative 5 6ore fit to !ut ideas into action 5 7ontinue to strive for new !rojects 5 Fluent in s!eech Negative: 5 'hey do #ore than they can handle 5 'hey don(t consider the degree of their actions 5 'hey !ursue ideas which have little chance 5 8se e)tre#e #ethods $ge4 Positive: 5 8tili9e reason 5 /as greater understanding about the world(s workings 5 :#!loy #ore conservative ideas and #ethods 5 6aintain #ore authority Negative: 5 Object too #uch 5 *inger on a subject too long 5 ,eldo# venture towards new ideas 5 Believe their little actions are successful 1; /ow did Bacon organi9e each essay? $re their si#ilarities in each of his essays? ,tructure +#agery ,ynta) -iction? 8se of #eta!hors? Figures of s!eech? 8se e)a#!les to su!!ort your discussion. 8se at least < ele#ents or techni%ues. Bacon starts off each essay in the for# of a continuous thought which evolves through the !ossibilities which branch off fro# this thought. /e utili9es contradictory views towards the issue in order to !er#it a state of uncertainty and to ulti#ately allow for the reader to believe in a guided !oint of view. $s well he uses %uotes and e)a#!les to illustrate his !oint. 'he structure of all of Bacon(s essays are relatively the sa#e. /e begins with a general state#ent and gradually begins to !resent contradictory views. 'his can be seen in "Of "outh and $ge" when Bacon says ".enerally youth is like ... not so wise as the second...$nd yet the invention of young #en is #ore lively than that of the old...". /e then uses %uotes and e)a#!les to !rove his theories in order to co#e to a conclusion. -iction !lays a vital role in assisting Bacon to !ortray both the

ti#e !eriod of the writing as well as further !ersuasive techni%ues. /is use of "innovate" "#ediocrity" and "!ree#inence" stress #eaning into the words of the writing to hel! su!!ort his theories. +#agery lightens the !erce!tion of the issue in %uestion by illu#inating actions in order to !ortray the# !ersuasively to the reader. Bacon uses e)a#!les in !articular through his !re!lanned word choice. ,ynta) of his essays include co#!le) sentences which elaborates thoroughly on his o!inions and thoughts on the issue. Organi9ation is key to Bacon(s essays by setting u! the writing by #aintaining a consistent !osition to the issue and its faults. 'hen the use of e)a#!les such as the !assage fro# &ob in "Of Revenge." &onathan ,wift "$ 6odest =ro!osal" 1. What i#!licit assu#!tions about the treat#ent of the +rish underlies ,wift(s !ro!osal? -o e)!ressions such as "just dro!!ed fro# its da#" and "whose wives are breeders" give the reader a clue? +n !articular &onathan ,wift is suggesting that these !eo!le are i#!overished and #ust rely on su!!ort of decent !eo!le to obtain a living. 'hese !eo!le are therefore suggested to be ho#eless or very !oor and not in the best !hysical sha!e. >. +n this essay ,wift assu#es a !ersona? that is for the !ur!oses of the !ro!osal he #akes he !retends to be a different !erson. -escribe the characteristics of that !erson. =oint out the !laces in the essay that reveal the#. 'he !ersona that ,wifts !icks u! beco#es a !erson that sarcastically addresses a !roble# which is in need of concern for the issue of the +rish children. /is sarcastic inhu#ane ideas are thrown out as jokes which further bring attention to the issue. 'he first #o#ent which throws off the reader begins when the !ersona critici9es his own !eo!le by labeling the wives as breeders in !articular. 'he sarcas# dee!ens through the radical idea of eating the children to solve the over!o!ulation !roble#. 0. What kinds of counterargu#ents to his own !ro!osal does this !ro!oser antici!ate? /ow does he answer and refute the !ro!osals that #ight be considered alternatives to his? ,wift acknowledges every as!ect of the over!o!ulation !roble# and addresses each issue to !ro#ote his own even #ore through a logical idea. "et in the ending !aragra!h ,wift also acknowledges other !ro!osals by "wise #en" and res!onds by telling the# to kee! in #ind the !roble# of both feeding the current hundred thousand useless !eo!le and incites the !eo!le to find an answer to the !roble# %uicker than the current status %uo on the issue. @. +n several !laces however ,wift reveals hi#self the outraged witness of :nglish cruelty and indifference. Aote the languange that see#s to reflect his own feelings.

&onathan ,wifts does show this unnatural ani#osity towards the :nglish. -es!ite the usage of cruel language toward his own !eo!le ,wift also directly s!eaks of :ngland in various instances. $n e)a#!le of this is shown in his state#ent of "...and whereby we can incur no danger in disobliging :ngland." <. 'hroughout the essay ,wift recites lists of facts #any of the# in for# of statisitics. /ow do these facts contribute to the !ersuasiveness of his argu#ent? /ow do they affect the reader? 'he facts1statistics create a !ersuasive at#os!here to su!!ort ,wift(s !ro!osal by dis!laying a logical idea and even a!!lying a sense of !racticality to this outrageous idea. 'his affects the reader by letting the# wonder if it really is !ractical and !roves that the idea was well thought out. 'his in turn creates a sense of guilt and outrage through the fact that this !ro!osal was logical and !erha!s even #ore logical than !ast !ro!osals. B. What social !ractices and attitudes of both the +rish and the :nglish does ,wift conde#n? ,wift conde#ns the lack of fast action that is needed to be i#!le#ented and changed in order to address the !roble# of over!o!ulation in +reland. /e also conde#ns the treat#ent of the !oor which subse%uently leads towards the worsening of not only their lives but i#!acting the lives of others Csuch as cri#e;. D. -oes ,wift offer any solutions for the !roble#s he attacks? /ow do you know? While being overly2sarcastic in his #ock !ro!osal he fails to add any true solutions to the !roble#s yet does address several key issues which need to be taken into consideration !rior to any solution(s e)istence. 'his is shown through various facts such as the fact that the children of these rejects grow u! as thieves if this !roble# is not sto!!ed and etc. E. When this essay first a!!eared in 1D>F so#e readers took it seriously and accused ,wift of #onstrous cruelty. 7an you think of reasons why these readers failed to recogni9e the ironic intent? 'he readers failed to understand or recogni9e the ironic intent because ,wift was so elaborate on his !ro!osal by including so #any facts and details that the !racticality of his !ro!osal #ay have outdone the sarcastic irony of the whole situation. F. 'o what e)tent does an ironic essay like this de!end u!on the author and reader sharing certain values without %uestion or reservation? 7an you discover any such values e)!licitly or i#!licitly !resent in ,wift(s :ssay? $n ironic essay like this is understandable and co#!rehensible on a greater e)tent due to the introduction of the !roble# as well as accurate !ro!osal. +t is necessary however that the reader is clear on the ani#osity that e)ists between +reland and :ngland as well as #uch other dabs of the internal conflicts between the nations. .eorge Orwell

",hooting an :le!hant" 1. *ist several actions of the Bur#ese that illustrate their feelings for :uro!eans.

'he Bur#ese !riests jeer at all :uro!eans on street corners they tri! the# in ga#es and s!it at :uro!ean wo#en when they walk by. 1. Orwell has two conflicting feelings which he describes as the "nor#al by!roducts of i#!erialis#." What are these two feelings?

'he two feelings are the hatred for the e#!ire which he served and the urge to bayonet the Bur#ese !riests in the gut Cwhich is his hatred for the Bur#ese as well;. 1. What da#age has the ele!hant already done by the ti#e Orwell is called?

'he ele!hant has already destroyed a hut wreaked da#age against nu#erous sho!s in the ba9aar killed a cow and killed a #an. 1. What ha!!ens when Orwell arrives on the scene and interviews !eo!le for details?

'he !eo!le give contrasting infor#ation which !rovides no hel! at all to Orwell in finding out where the ele!hant is at. 1. What convinces Orwell to send for an ele!hant rifle?

Orwell sends for an ele!hant rifle when he takes note of the dead #an who was crushed by the ele!hant. 1. What see#s to arouse the interest of the !o!ulation?

'he !eo!le at first were not interested the slightest bit at the sign of a ra#!aging ele!hant but began to crowd and #uster around Orwell when he went out to face the ele!hant with his rifle. 'hey wanted to see hi# shoot the ele!hant C!erha!s as a source of entertain#ent but definitely for food.; 1. What #akes Orwell feel like "an absurd !u!!et !ushed to the :ast?"

Orwell felt like a !u!!et !ushed to the :ast because it was not his will to be serving the e#!ire in the :ast or to be hated by the Bur#ese. For that reason he

felt as if he was being dragged and !ushed to do things he didn(t want to do Csuch as shooting the ele!hant by abiding to the will of the !eo!le;. 1. What is the lifelong struggle of every white #an in the :ast?

'he lifelong struggle of every white #an is to be free of their "duty" in the :ast and to head on back ho#e. 1. Why does the ele!hant take so long to die after he is shot?

'he ele!hant takes so long to die after he is shot because first of all ele!hants are strong large ani#als. $lso #an(s rifles have a difficult !enetrating their hides. *ast Orwell is a bad shot and had difficulty in hitting the critical !oints of the ele!hant. 1. $bout what do !eo!le disagree in the "endless discussions" that follow the incident? What does Orwell wonder about these discussions?

'he endless discussions are about whether or not Orwell was just in shooting the ele!hant. Orwell wonders if anyone really knew that he had shot the ele!hant under !eer !ressure by the crowd. 1. Why do you think that he takes a wea!on that is "#uch too s#all?"

Orwell never wanted to shoot the ele!hant in the first !lace as he had !lainly stated over and over again. 'he wea!on he carried would not hurt the ele!hant if fired at it. 1. What !oint of view was this written in? /ow does this !oint of view #ake this essay so !owerful Cwhat %ualities;?

'he first !erson !oint of view #akes this essay so !owerful by reflecting u!on the contrasting e#otions that Orwell feels in doing his duty. 'he e#otions that he feels are only felt through this !oint of view. 1. Why does Orwell not want to shoot the ele!hant? /ow would you characteri9e his reasoning at this !oint?

Orwell(s reasoning at this !oint is under control but beco#ing a little !anicky. /e does not want to shoot the ele!hant because he reali9es that it is cal#ing down #ost likely.

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What !hysical danger does Orwell face in shooting the ele!hant? What is so unusual about his res!onse to this danger?

Orwell faces the !ossibility of #issing the ele!hant and being killed because he is such a bad shot. Oddly Orwell is inti#idated by the crowd because he felt !ressured by the !eo!le to act. 1. /ow #any ti#es #ust Orwell fire before the ele!hant falls? What does Orwell see# to reali9e at this !oint?

'he ele!hant falls after 0 bullets Ceven though Orwell !u#!s > #ore into hi# G!robably for kicksH;. Orwell felt !owerless at that #o#ent as he struggled to kill the ele!hant because he was unable to !ut it out of its #isery. 1. What are Orwell(s feelings toward the ele!hant?

Orwell feels #erciful and saddened by his decision to kill the ele!hant and atte#!ts to !ut the beast out of its #isery but fails. 1. /ow does the ele!hant(s slow death relate to the the#e of the essay?

'he ele!hant(s slow death reflects Orwell(s struggle to get out of his life and to develo! into so#ething he wants to beco#e. 'herefore the death of the ele!hant re!resents the the#e of the essay of trying to end a life where your fate is controlled by another. 1. +f you think of the ele!hant as a sy#bol of i#!erialis# how do the following details add to the story(s #eaning4 the ele!hant(s !hysical characteristics? 'he ele!hant(s ra#!age? 'he #asses shrieking for the ele!hant(s death? 'he death throes of the ele!hant? What would Orwell(s killing it for the fear of going to close sy#boli9e?

'he toughness of the ele!hant reflects the strength of the e#!ire the ra#!age re!resents its fury and ability to o!!ress a colony the #asses are the colonies shouting to be released fro# the e#!ire the death of the ele!hant is the resistance of the e#!ire to let go and Orwell(s fear of a!!roaching the ele!hant reflects u!on his fear of resisting his duty to the e#!ire. 1. Was Orwell(s reason for killing the ele!hant an acce!table one in his day? Would the death of the +ndian be a valid reason today for killing the ele!hant?

'his de!ends on the !ers!ective. For the +ndians this reason should !robably have been good enough for the ele!hants death but for the :uro!eans who devalued the +ndians a bigger reason would !robably have been needed. +n today(s standards it was !rotocol. 1. When Orwell goes down to the !addy fields who follows hi#? What see#s to be the #ood of these !eo!le?

'he crowd of !eo!le follow hi# around because they believe he is going to kill the ele!hant and want to see it. 'hey are e)uberant because of this. 1. /ow does the tone of this essay add to its #eaning?

'he so#ber tone of the essay which reflects u!on the tragic feeling leads u! to the inevitable. 'his in co#!arison to the the#e of the colonies and e#!ire hel!s to assist the the#e by saying it was inevitable. 1. What did this incident teach Orwell about the uses of !ower?

&ust because you have !ower doesn(t #ean that you are in control of fate. &ust as Orwell found out that the crowd controlled hi# he reflected it back to the issue of the e#!ire with !ower over hi# and the colonies. 1. What does Orwell(s behavior in this incident suggest were the effects of colonialis# on those coloni9ers who had a conscience? What ty!e of coloni9er does Orwell critici9e in re!orting the re#arks of the "younger :uro!eans" in the last !aragra!h?

'he coloni9ers who had a conscience felt their !ur!ose there were not for a good cause and wished to be out of service. 'hey held a certain degree of res!ect for the nation they were in and were free fro# the indoctrination of i#!erialis#. 'he younger :uro!eans were unable to see !ast the racist disres!ect they held for other "inferiors" due to their lack of e)!erience and isolation. 1. Based on the behavior of #ost of the natives what does the incident suggest were the effects of colonialis# on the coloni9ed?

'he coloni9ed were striving toward rebellion against the coloni9ers and were building u! their #orale to do so. 'hey resisted riots because of the !resence of the e#!ire but were beginning to gather.