Read about Literature
Swift’s Views on Human Behaviour
Swift was often criticized of misanthropy based on his satirical writings in “Gulliver’s Travels” and his other works. However Swift uses the his book Gulliver’s Travels as a way to make a mockery of what western society (particularly England) had become and to warn against excess of any one form of thought not to show a personal hatred of mankind. He uses allegory, satire and exaggeration to figuratively beat his point into his readers; humans in his mind were nowhere near what he thought they could be yet this does not mean he was misanthropic. The fourth section of “Gulliver’s Travels” deals with the risks of becoming too reasonable, that is to spend all ones effort to logical and reasonable pursuits. Swift was specifically warning that the “Age of Reason” in which he lived could be taken too far, and that would be as detrimental to mankind as if they were to return to primitive states.
Thoreau’s Consideration of The Railroad is a Blessing, a Curse, and a Symbol.
For many years, the train and railroad was seen as a symbol of progress, not only in America but also in the entire world. For Henry David Thoreau this is not true, the train in his mind symbolized everything wrong with humanity: its greed, destructiveness, and its ignorance. He knew of and profited from the railroad’s good qualities, but hated and feared it for its bad. The railroad was a path to nowhere, a fiery and destructive beast, the end of agriculture and much more. For Thoreau, the railroad was also the destructor of nature and as time has shown, he was right. Although most people consider Thoreau’s view of the railroad tracks and the train to be one, this is not true. For him, the train itself and the railroad tracks were two very different things. Each symbolized different parts of humanity’s qualities.
Einstein’s Dreams by Alan Lightman
This book asks the questions what would Einstein’s dreams be like leading up to the publishing of the Theory of Relativity. Lightman is kind enough to give us quite a few short stories that are written in a powerful and insightful way.
The stories includes scenarios such as what would happen if time ran at different speeds in different towns. Although the stories on the surface sound fanciful and utter rubbish they dig deep into modern society and in a very subtle way critique they way people live their lives. Lightman also brings up many of the doubts people have in their lives and portray both the questions and answers in an insightful and entertaining way.
