Government Satire Then and Now
Throughout the course of time there has always been a government to watch over the people of this harsh world. Seeking order and justice, various civilizations have tried and failed to create the perfect government for its’ people and its’ legacy. However, when in search of this perfection, there often resulted numerous bad decisions, countless wars, and a plethora of figureheads leading the “progress” of government throughout time. Accompanying the blunders of government officials were the opinions of the people it served, which included critical assessment and much jest. The struggles of their leaders often sparked much satire of the institution itself and aspects of its’ imperfection. The most notable satirical account of government was made by Jonathan Swift in 1726 with his novel Gulliver’s Travels followed by common satire in contemporary culture on television shows such as Saturday Night Live and Family Guy. Then as well as now, many laughs were and are made at the expense of human mistakes carried out at the most public and official level of life--the government.
Swift’s satire of English government begins with the emergence of miniscule feet upon a monstrously large man washed up on the beach. In Gulliver’s Travels, a traveling doctor named Lemuel Gulliver is introduced to the customs and history of a race named the Lilliputians; their government practices interested him the most. Satire of English government is introduced in the discussion of the division of the Lilliputians made by the wearing of “high heels” and “low heels” by its’ people to separate their opinions of government. The “high heels”, also called the Tramecksans, have
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...ne. This teaches us that satire is an ever-present characteristic of life and government is a major target susceptible to the arrows of scrutiny from its’ people. Like its’ citizens, officials are flawed and make mistakes which are there for all to see and as long as there are officials in government making mistakes, there will be someone mocking their false regality and perfection they believe that they hold. From Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels to skits on SNL and segments in shows such as Family Guy, the imperfections of government have always provided comic relief to people around the world.
Works Cited
“It Takes a Village Idiot, and I Married One.” Family Guy. FOX. KTVI, St. Louis. 13 May. 2007.
Television.
Saturday Night Live. NBC. KSDK, St. Louis. 5 October. 2013. Television.
Swift, Jonathan. Gulliver’s Travels. New York: Signet Classic, 1983. Print.
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James Conroy argues that laughter in serious topics has been regarded through the ages as dangerous, deviant, and subversive; yet equally as refreshing, challenging, and constructive. Political humor is extensively used in almost all countries, but political satire is perceived differently from one country to another. The research question is as follows: what factors make political satire an effective tool that affects politics and policy? I argue that humor is more influential when blended with serious topics, such as international relations or politics. Laughter is a great means to put serious topics under the lenses of critical thinking. The use of humor, and political satire specifically can bring about serious political change. Humor can play all sorts of roles in the political process through being informative, educational and influential while keeping its captive entertaining
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.
“Satire is a sort of glass, wherein beholders do generally discover everybody’s face but their own” (Swift). Such beholders, as Jonathan Swift astutely emphasizes, are intended, through guidance of satiric narrative, to recognize social or political plights. In some satires, as in Swift’s own A Modest Proposal, the use of absurd, blatant exaggeration is intended to capture an indolent audience’s attention regarding the social state of the poor. Yet even in such a direct satire, there exists another layer of meaning. In regards to A Modest Proposal, the interchange between the voice of the proposer and Swift’s voice introduces another medium of criticism, as well as the opportunity for readers to reflect on how well they may fit the proposer’s persona. In such as case, the satire exists on multiple levels of meaning—not only offering conclusions about moral problems, but also allowing the audience to an interpretation of their place among the criticism.
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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.