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A Tale of a Tub
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A Tale of a Tub

prose satire by Swift
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A Tale of a Tub, prose satire by Jonathan Swift, written between 1696 and 1699, published anonymously in 1704, and expanded in 1710. Regarded as Swift’s first major work, it has three parts: “A Tale of a Tub,” an energetic defense of literature and religion against zealous pedantry; “The Battle of the Books,” a witty addition to the scholarly debate about the relative merits of ancient versus modern literature and culture; and “A Discourse Concerning the Mechanical Operation of the Spirit,” a satire of religious fanaticism. In the preface to A Tale of a Tub, Swift explains the title that ...(100 of 201 words)

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