A Blind Search

1595 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The interpretations of Gulliver's travels by Jonathan Swift

Utopia is a term coined by Thomas More from his novel Utopia. Utopia has two possible meanings: the Greco-definition of “good place” or the Anglo-definition of “no place”. Many argue that Johnathan Swift aimed to represent the “no place” definition in Gulliver’s Travels. However, others believe that Swift aimed to represent the “good place” definition. This essay will focus on the “no place” definition and how Swift supported it. Swift does this by using Gulliver and the Houyhnhnms as satiric tools to represent the “no place” definition of utopia, meaning that it cannot exist in the real world and is unattainable.

In order to better understand the utopia Swift was aiming to describe, knowledge of eighteenth century theories on utopias are needed. Nicole Pohl describes two types of utopias derived by Richard Saages:

“utopias that are strictly regulated by the state/government in all aspects of

human life and society (‘archistic’) and utopias which are based on the

idea of absolute freedom and self-regulation (‘anarchistic’)”(Pohl 3).

We see both of these types in Gulliver’s Travels, although one of them failed at becoming a Utopian society. The Brobdingnagians represent an archistic utopia, while the Houyhnhnms represent the anarchistic utopia. However, the Brobdingnagians failed at becoming a utopia. Despite having a king with strict laws, beggars and murderers are still present. Nonetheless, when disregarding the Houyhnhnms, the Brobdingnagians were the closest to becoming a utopia. Swift took these two popular types of utopias and used them as examples in Gulliver`s Travels. He did this to enlighten the reader to the utopias faults and fraudulence. These utopias exist as a hope for happiness outside of the known world; Swif...

... middle of paper ...

...er, hoping to make eighteenth century England a better place. Swift hoped to make Don Pedros out of us all. Swift hoped we would be kind for the pleasure of being kind, not for the chance at a utopia.

Works Cited

Johnathan, Swift. Gulliver’s Travels. New York: Oxford University Press Inc., 2008. Print.

Keesey, Donald. " The Distorted Image: Swift’s Yahoos and the Critics." Papers on Language & Literature 15.3 (1979): p320. Literary Reference Center. EBSCO. Web. 15 Mar. 2011.

Pohl, N. "The Quest for Utopia in the Eighteenth Century. " Literature Compass 5.4 (2008): p685-706. British Library Document Supply Centre Inside Serials & Conference Proceedings. EBSCO. Web. 30 Mar. 2011.

Radner, John B. "The Fall and Decline: Gulliver's Travels and the Failure of Utopia. "Utopian Studies 3.2 (1992): p50. Literary Reference Center. EBSCO. Web. 14 Mar. 2011.

Show More
Related

  • Blindness In Sophocles Oedipus The King

    999 Words  | 2 Pages

    Everyone is blind, in one way or another. Society claims, if a person sees with their eyes, they have the ability to clearly see the world around them. However, the ability to see physically, may blind a person from being able to see the truth. Sophocles introduces this idea of physical versus mental blindness in the play, Oedipus the King. The reader follows Oedipus on his search for the truth. Through juxtaposition Sophocles shows, the metaphorical blindness of the main character in contrast the

    Read More

  • Oedipus Rex: The Search for Truth

    2217 Words  | 5 Pages

    THESIS STATEMENT Throughout Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex, Oedipus frantically searched for the truth, but due to his pride, remained blind to his own connection to the dire plague that infected Thebes. PURPOSE STATEMENT Through critical analysis of Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex, the work Oedipus Rex, and other research it is affirmed that Oedipus searched for the truth but due to his pride could not see his connection to the plague that infected Thebes. INTRODUCTION Everyone desires to know the truth. It

    Read More

  • What Effect Does Color-blind Racism Have on Minorities in Society Today?

    2186 Words  | 5 Pages

    society. I framed my research in search for information that shows the change of racism since Civil Rights Movement era. Research Question: What effect does color-blind racism have on minorities in society today? Annotated Bibliography Citation: Awad, Germine H., Kevin Cokley, and Joseph Ravitch. "Attitudes Toward Affirmative Action: A Comparison Of Color-Blind Versus Modern Racist Attitudes." Journal Of Applied Social Psychology 35.7 (2005): 1384-1399. Academic Search Complete. Web. 15 Nov. 2013. Annotation:

    Read More

  • Self-Discovery and the Pursuit of Truth in Sophocles' Oedipus

    1141 Words  | 3 Pages

    own life and heritage. He begins with the reasonable search for the motive behind the wave of death and destruction that has overcome Thebes. This leads into his search for the man who murdered Laius, and finally to Oedipus questioning his own innocence and origin. The final stage of his search is where he becomes most fervent, regretfully not considering the magnitude of the effect his discovery will have on him. In order to assess Oedipus’ search for truth, one must first look at each transformation

    Read More

  • Theme Of Blindness In Oedipus The King

    1200 Words  | 3 Pages

    with hubris leading into his figurative and literal blindness throughout the book. The author, Sophocles uses a blind seer to convey the sense that a physically blind man can know more about the issues concerning Thebes over their respected rulers Oedipus, and Jocasta who were not physically blind like the blind seer. Oedipus was not only just blind to the issues concerning Thebes he was blind to almost everything else. Then when the truth comes out blindness is even emphasized more with Oedipus blinding

    Read More

  • Destiny, Fate, and Free Will in Oedipus the King

    584 Words  | 2 Pages

    by the Greek philosophy that his play is based on and the obvious intentions of Sophocles when he wrote this play. If he had been more perceptive of his surroundings, and listened to the advice of his wife/mother when she told him to give up the search he could have lived happily ever after. His single-minded personality and intense emotion made him unable to avoid the suffering he endured. This personality is best exhibited when he speaks with Teresias about who the murderer is.

    Read More

  • The Role Of Blindness In Raymond Carver's Cathedral

    2150 Words  | 5 Pages

    Adewunmi Adekola Marcella Remund English 210 Research Paper Essay 2 Draft 1 October 31st, 2014. Blind At Heart Darkness, helplessness, struggles, these are some words associated with being blind. Society attributes certain qualities to people due to their physical abnormalities without meeting or knowing them as individuals. These attributes are stereotypes that have been created over time and often due to the lack of knowledge and acceptance of difference. In “Cathedral” by Raymond Carver and the

    Read More

  • Examples Of Fate And Free Will In Oedipus

    912 Words  | 2 Pages

    ever decision he made further after being acknowledged of the prophecy. Oedipus didn’t have to set out for Delphi, that was a decision. He didn’t have to abandon cornith, kill several guys on his way to Thebes, get married, become king of Thebes, search for the truth of his birth, nor gouge his eyes out. Oedipus made all these decision. A prophecy is a prediction, prophecies are ironclad, and will come to pass no matter what you do. If prophecies are so ironclad then why was Zeus in Greek Mythology

    Read More

  • Treasure Island

    1209 Words  | 3 Pages

    Treasure Island, written by Robert Louis Stevenson, is about a boy named Jim Hawkins who goes on a search for Flint’s buried treasure. Jim Hawkins goes on this journey with Doctor Livesey, and Squire Trelawney, and they hire hands to help them. John Silver—a one-legged pirate also in search for this treasure—joins the crew as well, unfortunately. The other members of the crew, that they hired, planned mutiny. A battle between the pirates and Jim’s party takes place once they reach the island. There

    Read More

  • Oedipus Character Analysis Essay

    1328 Words  | 3 Pages

    prophecy that he will kill his father and marry his mother. Also, he will have children who will also be his siblings. In Oedipus the King, Oedipus exemplifies his anger, hubris and status in very specific ways. When Oedipus sends for Tiresias the blind prophet to inform him of what he knows about the murder. Oedipus becomes angry that Tiresias will not tell hi. He goes as far as to blame Tiresias as the cause of the murder. Oedipus suffers from hubris because he feels that he once saved Thebes from

    Read More

  • The American Dream

    2200 Words  | 5 Pages

    "Blacks & Ethnic Political Tolerance." Polity 9.3 (1977): 302-20. JSTOR. Web. 9 May 2010. <http://www.jstor.org.prozy.palomar.edu/stable/3234225?seq=4&Search=yes&ter m=sports&term=blacks&term=South&list=hide&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBa sicSearch%3FQuery%3Dsports%2BAND%2Bblacks%2BAND%2BSouth%26wc %3Don%26dc%3DAll%2BDisciplines&item=3&ttl=2701&returnArticleService= showArticle&resultsServiceName=doBasicResultsFromArticle>

    Read More

  • Creative Writing: A Walk In The Woods

    581 Words  | 2 Pages

    plan of action, and she eventually decided that she would need to find something to help her walk. Now that Hulga knew what she needed to accomplish, it was time for her to put her plan in motion. Hulga began to crawl around on one leg, nearly blind, trying to find anything that she could use as a makeshift crutch. Unable to find anything of use in the loft, she tried to feel her way back to the ladder. Hulga, quickly finding the top of the ladder, then had to figure out how she would descend

    Read More

  • Oedipus Weaknesses

    1270 Words  | 3 Pages

    uncover the truth of his birth. Oedipus’s purpose was to show the power of fate and warn readers not to race blindly in search for ones deepest desires. Sophocles uses a serious tone in order to demonstrate to his readers the dangers of seeing the truth. The first demonstration in the play is when King Oedipus meets the priest, and Oedipus says, “I’ll do anything. I would be blind to misery not to pity my people kneeling at my feet” (lines 14-15). This quote starts off the play with foreshadowing

    Read More

  • Analysis Pact for a Travel Website

    933 Words  | 2 Pages

    access our many different technologies . They tend to use different operating systems ( such as Windows 95, 98, NT, 2000, XP, X Mac , etc. ) , browsers ( such as Internet Explorer 5 or 6.7 Netscape, Mozilla , and Opera, coconut ( read screen user s blind ) ) and platforms (Windows, Apple , etc.

    Read More

  • The Downfall of Oedipus

    764 Words  | 2 Pages

    Oedipus Rex, he introduces to us Oedipus as king of Thebes only to end the play having this same king, as a blind beggar. His downfall is not linked to any other character in the play; so the only person to blame is Oedipus. Oedipus’s flaws resulted on having him end the play as a blinded beggar. Even though Oedipus is a victim of fate, his arrogance, attention to Thebe’s people and his search of certainty will be flaws leading to his tragic ending. His arrogance is one of the issues that ruined him

    Read More

More about A Blind Search

Open Document