Question

Which of the following statements are correct? A. Jonathan Swift's Robinson Crusoe is a tragic work. B. Swift's The Battle of the Books is a satire upon both the parties in controversy. C. Swift's Tale of a Tub is a satire on humanity. D. Swift's Gulliver's Travels shows his bitterness against fate and society. E. Swift's Tale of a Tub is a satire on the churches of the day.

• A. A, B and C Only
• B. B, C and E Only
• C. B, D and E Only
• D. D, E and A Only

Hint:

Swift wrote Gulliver's Travels, The Battle of the Books, and A Tale of a Tub; Robinson Crusoe is by Defoe.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1 : Understanding the Question:
This question presents five statements (A through E) concerning the famous Anglo-Irish satirist Jonathan Swift and his major literary works, asking us to identify the correct subset.

Step 2 : Key Formulas and Approach:
The approach requires verifying the factual accuracy of each claim against the known details of Jonathan Swift's life, his authorship, and the thematic targets of his major satires like A Tale of a Tub, The Battle of the Books, and Gulliver's Travels.

Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
$\bullet$ Statement A claims that Jonathan Swift wrote Robinson Crusoe and that it is a tragic work. This is incorrect because Robinson Crusoe was written by Daniel Defoe.
$\bullet$ Statement B states that Swift's The Battle of the Books (1704) is a satire upon both parties in the controversy. This is correct, as the text satirizes both the "Ancients" and the "Moderns" in the contemporary debate.
$\bullet$ Statement C asserts that Tale of a Tub is a satire on humanity. While it has satirical elements, Swift's primary, comprehensive satire on humanity is actually Gulliver's Travels, making Statement C less precise or incorrect in this context.
$\bullet$ Statement D claims that Swift's Gulliver's Travels shows his bitterness against fate and society. This is correct because the work, especially the fourth voyage to the land of the Houyhnhnms, is a biting satire on human nature and social institutions.
$\bullet$ Statement E asserts that Swift's Tale of a Tub is a satire on the churches of the day. This is correct because the story uses the allegory of three brothers (representing Roman Catholicism, Anglicanism, and Calvinist Dissent) to critique ecclesiastical corruptions.
$\bullet$ Combining the correct statements, we identify B, D, and E as the valid statements.

Step 4 : Final Answer:
Therefore, the correct statements are B, D, and E only.
The correct option is (C) B, D and E Only.