In Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels, Gulliver learns that experiencing different cultures and ways of life changes a person’s views when he experiences: outside opinions of his homeland, different everyday customs, and different societal priorities. These three things fundamentally change Gulliver as they change anyone with an open mind. From the king of Brobdingang’s harsh criticism of the British Empire to Lilliput’s seemingly bizarre way of life to the Houyhnhnms’ nearly flawless formula for successful society, Gulliver experiences things that change his outlook on life. In other words the outside opinions of England, different everyday customs, and different societal priorities of the lands Gulliver journeys to change the intelligent and curious Gulliver forever.
To begin, Gulliver’s views change when he hears outside opinions of his homeland. When Gulliver first sets sail he is a proud English explorer. After all, living in the British Empire, the world’s primary superpower during Gulliver’s time, was something many Englishmen took pride in. However, all of this changes on Gulliver’s second voyage when his curiosity takes him to Brobdingang, a land of giants. Gulliver is discussing his way of life and his native people with the king of Brobdingang. In response to Gulliver’s description of the English, the king says he “cannot conclude but that the bulk of your natives to be the most pernicious race of little odious vermin that nature ever suffered to crawl upon the surface of the Earth”. He points out the violent nature of the British Empire in a way that Gulliver had most likely never viewed his beloved homeland. This makes Gulliver wonder if his culture really is backward and barbaric. Another example of an outside...
... middle of paper ...
...r societal organization and qualities of the Houyhnhnms because it changes the way he assesses human society.
Gulliver learns that experiencing new cultures changes a person’s views when he is exposed to outside opinions of his homeland, experiences different everyday customs, and is introduced to different societal priorities. The perceptions the king of Brobdingang and the Houyhnhnms have on England change Gulliver’s own perception of his homeland. The bizarre customs in Lilliput make Gulliver question the absurdity of his own customs. Finally, the advanced societal organization of the Houyhnhnms fundamentally transforms Gulliver’s view of the human race altogether. Thus, in the grand scheme of it all, the author illustrates that any open-minded person who travels the world and observes life through the lens of a different society will never return home the same.
A major theme that is seen during the Gulliver’s final adventure is the reversal of roles. For the first time in the novel, Gulliver’s crew forms a mutiny and throws him overboard. On this island, we are introduced to Houyhnhnms and Yahoos. Gulliver first meets the Yahoos; a group of humans that act like farm animals and have the brain equivalent of a horse. Meanwhile, the Houyhnhnms are an intelligent race of horses that have their own language and use the Yahoos as cattle. When reality is presented with a different face it allows the reader to make less biased opinions based on previous beliefs. Most people are completely fine with how people treat cattle as a source of food, but when we see the
Lemuel Gulliver describes a wildly fanciful dream from a perspective that, when analyzed, illustrates his conceited character and ignorance at his surroundings. Throughout his dream, Gulliver expresses how much more civilized and privileged his race is compared to the Yahoos, yet does this in a factual way that does not hint at contempt. Similarly, he does not seem to realize how abnormal his situation is throughout the dream, and casually remarks on each aspect of his environment without actually paying attention to details or what is really going on. Despite how seemingly self-absorbed Gulliver appears in his account of his dream, at the end he does reflect on his own life compared to the Yahoo's, and he makes the connection of how closely related his species and their's are (Swift 2473). This connection gives insight into Gulliver's mind, and shows that Gulliver may possibly be more aware then he seems.
In his travels, Gulliver found that other societies were better than European societies, especially that of the Houyhnhnm’s. Gulliver admires the Houyhnhnm’s, and believes their virtuous society is better than that of Europe, especially their lack of vices (Swift, 224). This admiration, of other societies has not been seen in the writings of real European explorers but the mythic Hythloday in More’s Utopia expressed it in More’s Utopia. Utopia and the Houyhnhnm’s societies had are similar in that they both express the writers idea of how a better society could be ran and are critiquing European society at the time. Both of these writings focus heavily on the virtues in foreign societies and the abundance of vices in European society. The lack of illness in the Houyhnhnm’s society is another way Swift uses his writings to discuss his frustration with the world (Swift, 231). In multiple societies Gulliver visited he saw cases where doctors were either working to fix illnesses or where there was no illness at all (Swift, 173) (Swift, 231). If Gulliver were to have come across Utopia in his travels he would have described it in a similar way to the way he described the Houyhnhnm’s, with respect and
In the writing's of the Jonathan Swift we can clearly see issues and concepts with regard to morality, ethics and relations come into play in our society and in Gulliver's Travels, Swift brings those issues to the for front for everyone to see and analyze. The very concepts and beliefs that man holds dear Swift attacks and strongly justifies his literary aggression thought the construct of the society of the Houyhnahnms who truly leads a just and humane society that we as humans (Yahoos) have the faintest concept of. As I will later point out, Swift also deals with human ignorance and the overall belief that nothing in this earth can be more civilized and exert more reason then us. He uses the characters of the Houyhnahnms to demonstrate our inadequacies and overall failures to exert and practice true reason. Issues such as war, corruption, rape, homosexuality, lying (false representation), slavery, bribery, greed, and murder does not exist in a society that understands the true meaning of reason. We can clearly see the metamorphosis of Gulliver from is departure from his wife and children to being mutinied to his initial encounter with the Yahoos as well as the Houyhnahnms, to his experiences over a 5 year period in his interactions with the Houyhnhnms to his departure and return home to his wife and kids we can clearly see the change from a man (yahoo) to a Houyhnhnm (in spirit). So as we take a closer look at Gulliver's travels, we will see that the Voyage of the Houyhnhnm is about change, understanding, and clarity of oneself, his beliefs, morals and values.
Gulliver's Travels is one of the most beloved satires of all time (Forster 11). Yet, careful analysis shows it to be very complex with not one definite interpretation. A very surface reading may leave one feeling that the point of the book is "don't be Yahoo." This is the message that David Ward feels Gulliver the character is giving and says that it is no more complex than Orwell's, "four legs good, two legs bad." But this grows out of the fact of Gulliver's nature. A synthesis of the opinions of the writers I read paints Gulliver as an average man of average courage, honesty, compassion, and intellect, a typical Englishman. But there is nothing typical about Gulliver's Travels.
On the surface, Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver's Travels appears to be a travel log, made to chronicle the adventures of a man, Lemuel Gulliver, on the four most incredible voyages imaginable. Primarily, however, Gulliver's Travels is a work of satire. "Gulliver is neither a fully developed character nor even an altogether distinguishable persona; rather, he is a satiric device enabling Swift to score satirical points" (Rodino 124). Indeed, whereas the work begins with more specific satire, attacking perhaps one political machine or aimed at one particular custom in each instance, it finishes with "the most savage onslaught on humanity ever written," satirizing the whole of the human condition. (Murry 3). In order to convey this satire, Gulliver is taken on four adventures, driven by fate, a restless spirit, and the pen of Swift. Gulliver's first journey takes him to the Land of Lilliput, where he finds himself a giant among six inch tall beings. His next journey brings him to Brobdingnag, where his situation is reversed: now he is the midget in a land of giants. His third journey leads him to Laputa, the floating island, inhabited by strange (although similarly sized) beings who derive their whole culture from music and mathematics. Gulliver's fourth and final journey places him in the land of the Houyhnhnm, a society of intelligent, reasoning horses. As Swift leads Gulliver on these four fantastical journeys, Gulliver's perceptions of himself and the people and things around him change, giving Swift ample opportunity to inject into the story both irony and satire of the England of his day and of the human condition.
Of all the fictional peoples that Gulliver meets during his travels, author Jonathan Swift created a race of individuals who were consumed by living completely by reason and rationality. Gulliver finds this particular race as possibly the most favored of all the peoples that he encounters. “In his love of the Houyhnhnms, Gulliver accepts an idea of perfection which makes it impossible for him to understand or participate in human life” (Nichols, 1154). According to Gulliver the Houyhnhnms have no point of being problematic, but in fact he refers to these individuals as different from humans because they are “mingled, obscured, or discolored by passion and interest” (Swift, IV, 8). It is this admired quality which makes Gulliver want to make this fascinating land his home. This paper will discuss the characteristics of Swift’s Houyhnhnms, the good and bad aspects of their life of reason, and the different characteristics of the Yahoo’s, in comparison.
Lemuel Gulliver recounts his findings over four of his most impactful voyages in Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels. In Gulliver’s Travels, Gulliver gives his own candid account of all significant characters encountered and manages to fall into almost every influential person’s favor. Swift tactically shapes Gulliver’s encounters with characters from varying backgrounds to compare the behavior of the esteemed nobility with the behavior of commoners. Swift has Gulliver alter his demeanor based on his present surroundings to appeal to those around him and maintain his pride. By doing so, Swift intended to didactically explain his contempt for nobility, his misanthropy, and the dangers of pride.
In Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels, Gulliver learns that experiencing different lifestyles he thought were better than his own actually makes him appreciate his own life with a more meaningful disposition through his journeys to Lilliput, Brobdingnag, and the Country of the Houyhnhnms. Gulliver’s journey to Lilliput effectuated forlorn feelings of his home. Likewise, Gulliver’s trek to Brobdingnag assists in his realization that changing perspectives also alter his attitude towards his homeland. Finally, Gulliver’s expedition to the Country of Houyhnhnms, where horses act civilized on and people act like wild animals. Gulliver soon learns that through his mystical journeys that changing the perspective in which he views the world reverses feelings of gratefulness towards his home. Gulliver’s first journey set sail to the Lilliputians on May 4th, 1699.
For centuries, philosophers debating human nature passionately have been all trying to reach a concise conclusion when faced with certain questions; Are we nothing more but civilized savages bearing ill will that lurks beneath the surface? Or do we enter this world as gentle spirits who become lost and corrupt along the way? They are questions that have yet to be answered, yet their themes are still heavily explored throughout human history and appear in many of man kind’s artifacts, such as art and literature. One of these examples lies within the context of Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, a story in which a band of young boys survives a plane crash and is marooned on a deserted island without adult supervision. They eventually form together under a chosen chief, named Ralph, and attempt to govern themselves, with ultimately disastrous results. The novel evokes the themes of two philosophers- Thomas Hobbes, who believed that mankind is essentially in a constant state of war and requires laws and government to dictate his behavior, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who believed that men are “noble savages” corrupted by civilization and the laws and government inherent in it. Based on the characters and plot in the Lord of the Flies, Hobbes’ belief is the correct one, as Golding depicts the boys slipping further and further away from civilized behavior and turning into savages.
In Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver's Travels, satire is ever-present: in plot, character and setting. Dystopia and utopia set the story, with grotesque added to sharpen character facets. The title character narrates the novel, and all actions are told through his point of view. His voyages expose him to extraordinary and absurd circumstances, used as fodder for mockery, and all throughout Gulliver’s travails society is ridiculed, and a bitter light is cast on humanity. Character growth is not spared: in the beginning Gulliver is much one-dimensional, and as he changes, Swift uses his growth as another ancillary conduit to let loose more satirical prowess. In the world as painted by Swift, Dystopia and Utopia are not what they seem: all through the changes happening in the novel, corruption and deceit brings rewards; moral rectitude brings emptiness and misfortune.
Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels presents a narrator, Lemuel Gulliver, who recounts his various sea voyages to fantastical lands. During each voyage, Gulliver encounters different societies and customs to which Gulliver must adjust to. in order to be accepted into their society The entire novel serves as a commentary on how people everywhere have a tendency to abuse the power given to them.
Lilliput, Brombdinag, and the land of Houyhnhnms are the most relevant satire in Gulliver’s travels. Jonathan Swift uses these places to “roast” the European society. Swift desires for Europeans to realize their flaws and develop them. Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels is a marvelous adaption of English society flawed.
Traveling around the world can open your eyes to many new discoveries. Jonathan Swift was a well-known author during the 1600 and 1700’s. Many of Swift’s pieces were based on his experiences during his travels. “For most general readers, the name Jonathan Swift is associated only with his satiric masterpiece Gulliver's Travels. They are not aware that, in addition to it and hundreds of poems, he wrote a great deal of nonfictional prose, much of it of considerable interest, significance, and excellence” (Schakel).
In Gulliver’s Travel, a novel written by Jonathan Swift, there are many political themes and satirical descriptions of the English government. During Swift’s time, the early 1700s, the Tory government and the Whig government opposed each other. Hoping that they would appoint him to the Church of England, Swift joined the Tories, but he was not appointed to the position by the Queen. When Tory government was in trouble for treason with the French, the Whig government took over, and Swift left politics to publish Gulliver’s Travel to show the disagreements between the two parties and between the Protestant English and the Catholic French, who did not agree on religious values. Swift wrote Gulliver’s Travel also to show his idealized vision for the English society. In the novel, Swift criticizes the government as he narrates the adventures which Gulliver experiences at different islands with foreign and unique groups of people. In a way, Swift creates utopian societies at the Lillitupian Island and the Brobdingnag Island to exhibit the imperfection of government that existed in England. As Gulliver, Swift’s main character, interacts with these societies, he criticizes some of their customs and laws. He notices that these societies are not utopian from his perspective. Although there are many themes throughout Gulliver’s Travels, this paper will focus on part one and two examining the utopian societies Swift creates for Gulliver to experience through his interactions with the Lilliputians and Brobdingnagian people system of government.