The satirical travel narrative Gullivers Travels was written by which author?

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: Jonathan Swift

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
Gullivers Travels is a classic work of English literature, famous both as a children s adventure story and as a political and social satire. Competitive exams and literature quizzes frequently include questions asking for the author of this book because it forms part of the standard canon of eighteenth century English writing. Recognising that Jonathan Swift wrote Gullivers Travels demonstrates familiarity with major literary figures and their works.


Given Data / Assumptions:

  • The title given is Gullivers Travels.
  • The options list well known authors from English and European literature.
  • The task is to identify which author wrote this satirical travel narrative.
  • We assume the question refers to the original English prose work first published in the eighteenth century.


Concept / Approach:
The core concept is factual recall combined with a basic understanding of literary history. Jonathan Swift was an Anglo Irish writer and clergyman known for sharp satire. Gullivers Travels uses imaginary voyages to lands such as Lilliput and Brobdingnag to comment on politics, human nature and society. Other authors in the options list, such as Charles Dickens and Alexander Dumas, belong to later centuries and different genres. By matching the style and period of the book with Jonathan Swift s life and work, we can choose the correct answer.


Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Read the title carefully and recall that Gullivers Travels describes the journeys of Lemuel Gulliver to various strange lands. Step 2: Remember that the book is not just a children s tale but a biting satire of politics, science and human pride, which aligns with Jonathan Swift s known style. Step 3: List some of Swift s other works, such as A Modest Proposal, to strengthen the association between his name and satirical writing. Step 4: Compare with Charles Dickens, who wrote Victorian novels like Oliver Twist and Great Expectations, and Alexander Dumas, who wrote adventure stories such as The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo. Step 5: Conclude that among the given names, Jonathan Swift is the only correct author of Gullivers Travels.


Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, consider the time period in which Gullivers Travels was written. It was published in the early eighteenth century, much earlier than the Victorian era of Dickens. Jonathan Swift s life and career as a satirist match this period perfectly. Standard literature histories always list Gullivers Travels as his major prose work. No credible source attributes this book to Charles Lamb, Charles Dickens or Alexander Dumas, which confirms that Jonathan Swift is the only valid choice.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Charles Lamb is known more for his Essays of Elia and for Tales from Shakespeare, not for writing Gullivers Travels. Charles Dickens wrote long Victorian novels about social conditions in nineteenth century England; Gullivers Travels is not one of his works. Alexander Dumas was a French novelist who created adventure tales like The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo, not this English satire.


Common Pitfalls:
Learners sometimes confuse authors simply because all names look familiar from school textbooks. Another pitfall is thinking of Gullivers Travels only as a children s story and mixing it up with later adventure writers like Dumas. To avoid this, it is helpful to group authors by century and genre, remembering that Jonathan Swift represents early eighteenth century English satire, distinct from Dickens and other later novelists.


Final Answer:
Therefore, the book Gullivers Travels was written by Jonathan Swift.

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