During Swift’s time the monarchy had a direct influence, even in the realm of law
although there was a growing bureaucracy developing. This is satirized in “Gulliver’s
Travels” by the Lilliputians who take extensive inventory of all of Gulliver’s possessions
and are prone to making “official” edicts governing the lives of Gulliver and the rest of
the citizens. At one point, amazed with the gall of the little people, Gulliver remarks “I
could not sufficiently wonder at the intrepidity of these diminutive mortals, who durst
venture to mount and walk on my body, while one of my hands was at liberty, without
trembling at the sight of prodigious creature as I must appear to them” (Swift, Gulliver's
Travels). This overwhelming self-importance is key to Swift’s satire in “Gulliver’s
Travels” as even the most minute issue is made to be of vast political and bureaucratic
importance.
Another example of this theme is the episode in which a war broke out between
Lilliput and Blefuscu because of the proper way to break eggs after an Emperor many
years before cut his finger on an eggshell. This makes the squabbles that resulted in great
strife in England seem equally as silly, especially since so much of the debate was based
on the “proper” way to interpret which end of the egg was the smallest.
In the second book, the roles are reversed: Gulliver becomes the small one and the
Brogdinnags are, now, the giant ones. Swift is able to not only set up a contrast between
the two, but capitalize on the trust the readers gave Gulliver in the first Book by making
him lose control.
Gulliver's views on the government are gradually revealed and we can observe that he
seems more and more closed off. In an effort to gain favor with the King, he tells him
about the wonder of gunpowder after which the king reacts in, what seems to the reader, a
noble and intelligent way:
“The King was struck with horror at the description I had given of those terrible engines,
and the proposal I had made. He was amazed how so impotent and grovelling an insect as
I (these were his expressions) could entertain such inhuman ideas, and in so familiar a
manner as to appear wholly unmoved at all the scenes of blood and desolation, which I
had painted as the common effects of those destructive machines, whereof he said some
evil genius, enemy to mankind, must have been the first contriver.” (Swift, Gulliver's
Travels). Here, Swift is not only satirizing the "wisdom" of weapons of war, but of the
deep feelings Gulliver has for his country.
As we've mentioned before, Gulliver symbolizes the pride of the English citizens,
which is reflected in this second book as Gulliver attempts to keep his European pride.
Unfortunately, this begins to make him look more like a fool. As the book progresses he
is blinded by his pride and his refusal to see things from other points of view becomes his
downfall. When confronted with the good king's opinions which are opposite to his, he
simply recognizes them as the cause of the good king's closed-mindedness, not realizing
that it is his very own closed-mindedness which doesn't allow him to recognize the good
king's opinions.
In the third book Gulliver is confronted with a society that values abstract ideas above
common sense. This voyage is one of the most satirical of the whole book. In this voyage
Swift criticizes the Royal Society of England, in which he says is composed of useless
philosophers, inventors, and scientists. The floating island signifies that the inhabitants
are composed of the same airy constitution as the environment (Long 276). Projects
done by such people are summed up by "the Universal Artist," who directs his followers
to turn useful things into the exact opposite, which results in useless achievements. Some
of the experiments held were to create tangible air, wool-less sheep, and horses with
stone hooves. The flying island itself expresses not only the desertion on the common
earth of reality but their conversion of the universe to a mechanism and of living to a
mechanical process (Bloom, Interpretations 53).
We can say that Laputa symbolizes the absurdity of knowledge that has never been
tested or applied, the ludicrous side of Enlightenment intellectualism. They are tormented
by worries about the trajectories of comets and other astronomical speculations: their
theories have not made them wise, but neurotic and disagreeable. The Laputans do not
symbolize reason itself but rather the pursuit of a form of knowledge that is not directly
related to the improvement of human life.
Finally, in the fourth and final book, Gulliver travels to the land of the Houhynhnms.
After he reaches land, Gulliver comes across a pack of Yahoos, who are brutish
humanlike creatures who serve the Houhynhnms, and is instantly appalled by them.
There he quotes, "Upon the whole, I never beheld in all my travels so disagreeable and
animal, or one against which I naturally conceived so strong an antipathy" (Swift,
Gulliver's Travels). This statement is at best ironic, because Gulliver never saw the
resemblances between the Yahoos, and himself. The Yahoos are portrayed as savages
with human characteristics, mocking the mankind. The Yahoos were so greedy, that they
would fight over enough food to feed an entire army of fifty soldiers, just to keep it to
themselves. They would poison their own bodies, by sucking a root, similar to alcohol, to
reach a high. The female population of the Yahoos are also given characteristics of the
ladies of the royal stature. Their gestures of hiding behind bushes and trees, looking at the
passing by males, gives the impression of a woman hiding her face behind a fan, while
looking flirtatiously over her shoulder. The smell associated with the female Yahoos, is
similar to the perfume ladies wear to attract men (Brady 108).
Afterwards, he encounters the Houyhnhnms, rational-thinking horses who rule, and he
immediately realizes the common characteristics he has in common with the Yahoos. He
states, "my horror and astonishment are not to be described, when I observed, in this
abdominal animal, a perfect human figure" (Swift, Gulliver's Travels). In presenting the
Houyhnhnms as Gullivers role-models Swift invites the reader to fall into the trap of
thinking that the Houyhnhnms are the perfect form of being. In this respect one would
think that they would have the most open minds, yet they do not.
The race of Houyhnhnms also have a peculiar form of government: a pure democracy.
This government is very closed-minded and this can be observed in their treatment of the
different breeds. It is impossible for a horse of a particular colour to advance through the
ranks, since the concept of advancement does not exist. The head horses will always rule,
no matter how cunning or wise a minor horse may become. That is because the society
has already made up their minds. The Houyhnhnms are unwilling to accept something
that is different from them, showing ignorance by doing so.
The Houyhnhnms have no names in the narrative nor any need for names. That is
because they are virtually interchangeable and have little or no individual identity. They
lead lives which seem happy and harmonious, although quite lacking in vigor, challenge
and excitement. This apparent comfort may be why the author chooses to make them
horses rather than human types like every other group in the rest of the book. He may be
hinting that they should not be considered human ideals at all.
In conclusion, in his novel, Jonathan Swift travels through Gulliver through four
different countries, each representing a corrupt part of England. Swift criticizes the
corruption of these parts through his satire, and focuses on government, society, science
and man. He also mocks the naïve man who is unable to figure out the double meaning of
things. Gulliver's gullibility symbolizes the irony of the English system.
Bibliography:
Swift Jonathan, Gulliver's Travels
Brady, Frank (ed.), Twentieth-Century Interpretations of Gulliver's Travels',Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1968.
Harold, Bloom (ed.), Modern Critical Interpretations of Gulliver's Travels. NY: Chelsea House Publishers, 1986.
Long, William J. "Jonathan Swift," English Literature. Boston, Mass.: Ginn and Company, 1964.
