Edwardo Hernandez
Every society has an identity that is shaped by the moral behavior of its citizens and the rules and regulations imposed by its government. In Gulliver’s Travels Swift uses each part to form a basis upon which to criticize allegorically land symbolically the behavior of his own government and the people at that time.
The sections describing his voyage to Lilliput and Laputa portray the simplemindedness, greed, and ignorance in Swift’s society. These two sections are the most critical of aristocratic governments and are sections that convey his beliefs about England’s government policies. The sections that describe the society of the Brobdingnagians and the Houyhnhnms can be interpreted how Swift feels his country ought to be governed. These sections deal with societies that try to follow a fair way of living, and ruling, even if it may seem imperfect at times.
The first voyage to Lilliput is one that captures our attention because of their quick and creative action they take in capturing this giant who lands on their shore. We are fooled by the image of their size into thinking that they are harmless and that their reaction is justifiable since they are faced with something foreign. As the story progresses, however, we realize that their size does reflect their vanity and deceitful ways, and that “their vices, their appetites, their ambitions, and their passions are not commensurate with their tiny stature” (Monk 73).
As Gulliver learns more about the Lilluputian culture he can observe how absurd some of their ideas are. The elections of government officials consist of who has better rope balancing skill’s, a ridiculous and arbitrary way to choose someone for office. There are a couple of things that Swift might be trying to say allegorically. Swift might be referring to British government, where officials were chosen in a similar way. They were not chosen by balancing on a tightrope but they weren’t chosen by having valuable skills or an understanding of the people’s needs. The ministers were chosen in an arbitrary way. Another interpretation could be that Swift was trying to give his own view concerning the balance needed between the king, the aristocracy and the people. Swift also believed that the individual should try to avoid joining the extreme of any political party, here the Tory or Whigs who were the two political parties in England at that time (Voight 13).
The Lilliputians forced Gulliver to swear and obey certain rules. They did this without realizing that Gulliver could crush them at any moment. In this way Swift satirized the British society, as it believed itself to be more powerful than it really was. The British government imposed harsh laws on its own people and tried to bully other countries without realizing that at any moment someone stronger could defeat them. They had the conception of being the most powerful country in the world.
After Gulliver refuses to help in the invasion of the Blefusco he is accused of treason. This another way in which Swift satirizes the inhumanity of English royalty. The Lilliputians also persecute many members of their society over something very insignificant, like on what side to break an egg.
Also, the Lilliputians want to exploit Gulliver as much as they can, and when he refuses they come up with a plan to punish by blinding him. The English society is like the Lilliputians in that respect, in that they wanted control over more people and more land, and those who opposed their views were subject to terrible punishments. When Gulliver’s Travels was written, Europe was a dominant power and England, despite its small size, was a country which defeat almost any nation that posed a challenge. (Tuveson 45).
The voyage to Laputa gives Gulliver a different perspective. In this country their way of life is based more on theory than practice. Unlike the Lilliputians who were a society based more on actions than theory, the inhabitants of Laputa devote too much time to the creation of new theories. Swift emphasizes the need for balance between theory and reasonable practice. Here we encounter a government that floats over its kingdom. This image of a floating island is a physical representation of just how oblivious the English government was to the concerns of the people (Vickers 80). After being introduced to this idea Swift then focuses on reasoning and its importance in governing. The people of Laputa place great emphasis on mathematics and music that seems reasonable until we realize that these ideas have no practical application for the people.
When Gulliver is introduced to the king, he encounters a very odd situation. The king’s servants slap him with a flapper when it’s his turn to speak and they slap the listener when it’s their turn to listen to keep people having a conversation from wondering off into their own thoughts. Hence, we see that the king and the nobility who inhabit the island have no real concern besides their thoughts and theories. Swift satirizes the aristocracy of his own land because in reality the English rulers didn’t concern themselves with the needs of the lower class.
Although the scholars of Laputa are constantly thinking and coming up with new ideas they are unable to come up with something useful. When Gulliver visits the land of Lagado he converses with one of the lords who explains to Gulliver that the chaotic state of the land started forty years ago. The lord explains that at that time some people traveled to Laputa and came back with ideas in mathematics and art. Gulliver also learns that it was these new ideas and new techniques which had left the land in ruins. In this part we see that reasoning is a virtue that not everyone poses, although it is something so basic. The Laputans’ devotion to the life of the intellect leads them to follow theory a the expense of sound practice, something that is obvious when an abstracted tailor makes him a suit of clothes by first measuring him with quadrant and compass (Gilbert 122).
Swift also satirizes the scientists’ of his time who believed that all their ideas were correct, and who condemned the ideas of those before them. Swift was living in times of scientific changes when “modern science . . . was exulting in the certainty resulting from its new experimental and mathematical bases and complacently condemning the errors of the ancient . . . “(124). Swift satirizes the reasoning behind the academics of his time. The academics in Laputa can’t come up with anything useful for their people. Swift does not criticize the methods or the idea of experimenting but rather the useless results obtained.
In Gulliver’s visit to Glubdubdrib he is able to speak with any historical figure that he liked. When Gulliver describes his conversations with these historical figures he speaks of them with reverence. Throughout this section Swift gives us his view of the importance of reason and just how useless modern ideas and practices can be without it.
In the land of the Brobdingnag Swift introduces a different form government and a different way of living. In this section the conversation with Gulliver and the king gives us an insight into how a governing official should be. During his conversation with the king Gulliver learns that the kingdom is run by someone who follows moral values and someone who knows the importance of history, poetry, and mathematics (Nokes 123).
Swift again uses the image of their size to convey a certain feeling. By describing just how gargantuan these Brobdinagian are Swift is able to make Gulliver seem insignificant. Swift gives us a view of humanity from a different angle where we are able to realize that mankind’s own sense of grandeur exists only because we have falsely assured ourselves of no world larger than our own (Rawson 160).
Although the people are living under someone who rules with justice there are still people who act of destructive self interest. The farmer who found Gulliver is a good example because he tried to exploit him by showing him in public and charging for it. Swift is trying to imply that even with a good established government there are still going to be people who don’t follow a life of morality.
Swift also satirizes the philosophers of his time who never got tired of admiring the human body. The philosophers of his time saw the human body as beautiful, perfect and intricate when in reality “our beauty is only apparent and our disproportion’s real” (Monk 75). Swift makes Gulliver and the reader ealizes just how imperfect and sometimes nauseating the human body can be. Gulliver sees the lousy bodies of beggars, cancerous breasts, huge pores, course hairs, and the horrible odors that came from women. Swift uses the good giants to strike an unexpected insult to human vanity and introduce a motif that he introduced in Laputa which is disgust, disgust not only to the human body but also to their ideals and their way of living (75).
Swift goes on to criticize the cruel ways of English dominion as Gulliver gives his description of European government to the king. Gulliver introduces the idea of gunpowder and the destruction that is possible by using it. Gulliver does not understand why the king refuses his idea or the king’s hesitation to expand his kingdom. The English behavior towards its neighboring countries is being satirized because England would not have hesitated to oppress another country by using harsh tactics, and at times English government did use senseless violence to expand their wealth (Leon 45).
The land of the Brobdingnagian is a land where everything that Gulliver does is reduced to the level of triviality and curiosity, because to the Brobdinagians he is nothing more than a miniature curiosity.
In the concluding chapter of Gulliver’s Travels Swift reaches a stage where he sees people as the moral inferiors of animals. This is a society controlled by horses who also seem vulnerable to the crazy humanoid Yahoos. Gulliver learns that the Houyhnhnms is a society with a very different language, set of beliefs, morals, and eating habits. Although the behavior of these creatures seems foreign he is still able to appreciate them more rather than the Yahoos. Although the Yahoos resemble human beings he is threatened and disgusted by their untamed ways. The horses follow a benevolent way of life even when they try to keep their feelings from playing a major role in their lives.The fact that the horses were very amiable, simple, and controlled help Gulliver understand them better. As Gulliver discusses morality with the Houynhnms Gulliver finally realizes his society is horribly flawed. The Houyhnhnms don’t understand the concept of love, but rather live in a way that only requires reasoning and the ability to survive and provide for themselves. Although they are creatures that don’t worry much about feelings they are not violent or insensitive creatures.
In the book of the Houyhnhnms Swift satirizes society by showing that even a society of animals can conduct itself in a more “humane” way than human beings.
The Houyhnhnms seem to be the embodiment of reason. They don’t know love, ambition, or grief, and they cannot lie (Monk 76). Swift uses Gulliver as a symbol for humanity, who is faced with both aspects of human nature. The Houyhnhnm land represents a plea for society to rise above its evil and achieve a level like the Houyhnhnm ( Dennis 60).
Swift however was also angry with the English people. He felt some academic’s discoveries ere mostly used to expand the power of those already powerful. Swift was trying to imply that many things had to change in society in order to come close to living sensibly. As Nigel Dennis explains:
Swift regards all liberty as an arrangement of severe disciplines: these are binding upon all persons from the king himself down to lowest subject . . . Freedom of speech is the prerogative of government by law established: it can be neither enjoyed nor demanded by the opposing minority so long as the powerful majority keeps its actions within constitutional bonds. Freedom of belief may exist but it cannot be eradicated, and it should never be translated into freedom of worship.
Gulliver was supposed to represent humankind and most of the time he displayed ignorance and unreasonable ideals. Society as a whole has been unable to change much since there is still much corruption and unfairness in the world. In order to change it would be wise to view things from a different perspective as Swift did. Every society has a certain evil side. . But Swift was trying to say that we have to start by changing our evil behaviors individually
Works Cited
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Essays. Ed. Ernest Tuveson. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1968. 89-95.
Monk, Samuel H. “The Pride of Lemuel Gulliver.” Twentieth Century Interpretations of Gulliver’s Travels. Ed. Frank Brady. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1968. 70-79.
Orwell, George. “Politics vs. Literature: an examination of Gulliver’s Travels .” Modern Judgements: Swift. Ed. P.N. Furbank. St. Martins Press, 1967. 192-209.
Price, Martin. “Swift: Order and Obligation.” Twentieth Century Interpretations of Gulliver’s Travels. Ed. Frank Brady. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 89-95.
Seidal, Michael. World Books. 1988. 1040-1041.
Speck, W.A. Literary Critiques: Swift. New York: Arco, 1970.
Swift, Jonathan. Gulliver’s Travels. Ed. Robert A. Greenberg and William R. Piper. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc, 1973. 3-260.
Williams, Kathleen M. “Gulliver’s Voyage to the Houyhnhnms.” Ed. P.N. Furbank. St. Martins Press, 1967. 257-274.
—Profiles in Literature: Jonathan Swift. New York: Humanities Press, 1968.