Gulliver Essay Example For Students

Gulliver Essay Travels By SwiftJonathan Swift was born in Dublin on November 30 in 1967. Swifts father wasan English lawyer died while his wife was pregnant to Jonathan. Right after hewas born, his mother left him to be raised by his brother. He graduated fromTrinity College and started a masters degree, but left to join the GloriousRevolution. The object of this revolution was to convince James II (King ofEngland) to abdicate the throne. Swifts last years were a torment. Hesuffered awful bouts of dizziness, nausea, deafness and mental incapacity. Infact, Swifts harshest critics tried to discredit this book on the groundsthat he was mad when he wrote it. But he wasnt. The Travels were published in1726 and Part IV, which raised the most controversy, was written before Part IIIand Swift did not enter a mental institution until 1745. Swift was dean of St. Patricks Cathedral in Dublin when his novel came out. Since in this bookhe wrote about political figures, he published the book anonymously. It didnttake long for people to discover that the author was Jonathan Swift. Not onlyhad he been involved in some important and heated political events of the time,but he was also a well-known political journalist and satirist whose style wasquite distinctive. Gullivers Travels is the tale of Lemuel Gulliver as hevoyages to the strange lands of Lilliput, Brobdingnag, the kingdom of Laputa,and the land of the Houhnnms. (WHIN-NIMMS) Gulliver is the most importantcharacter in this novel. Hes the author of the Travels. Hesfrustrating to deal with for a number of reasons. 1. Hes not steady; hechanges in relation to the places he visits and the events that befall him as hevoyages. 2. Hes often a victim of swifts satire. This means you have to beon your guard against what he says, even though hes the guide, you cannotfollow him everywhere. 3. Its impos sible to feel relaxed with Gulliver. Swiftwont let us trust him enough for that. 4. Because Gulliver directs a lot of hishostility toward us- readers beyond reform- we in turn feel hostile toward him. 5. Looking at Gulliver is a lot like looking in a mirror. We are by turnsfascinated, attracted, disgusted, and ashamed. You first meet Gulliver at theend of his story, in a letter hes written to his publisher. By nowGulliver is out of his mind: hes raving, hes nasty, he lies, hes proud beyondthe limits of pride. But he wasnt always. He grew up in Nottinghamshire, thethird of five sons in a respectable, middle-class family. While in school heheld jobs: as an apprentice, he proved his competence; as a physician, he wasable to get work on ships, which had been his lifelong dream. The first place hetravels to is called Lilliput. People here are six inches high and Gulliver, incomparison is a giant, or a man mountain as they call him. This section ofPart I is essentially an allegory of English politics in the early 18th centurywhen the Whigs and the Tories were fighting over control of the country. Hismission here is to aid the Lilliputians in their war against blefuscu (Lilliputrepresent s England, Blefuscu, France) Gulliver literally seizes the enemy fleetand strides across the harbor with it back to Lilliput. For a short time hesa hero. But he urinates in a fire that saves the royal chambers, but he isimpeached for disobeying an ordinance prohibiting public urination. He escapesand then goes home to England. Part II begins in Brobdingnag. Gulliver here isseen cruel and vindictive just like the Lilliputians. One day hes at anouting with the King and Queen and his house a box is kidnapped by a birdand dropped in the sea. Its recovered by an English ship and he moves back toEngland. Part III, Gulliver goes to the flying island of Laputa and some of itsnearby colonies. Gulliver recedes in Part III. Not much happens to himpersonally, for the most part he recounts what he observes in the way ofscientific experiments. Swift uses Gulliver to relate deadpan what he himselfconsiders to be foolish attitudes and activities. Gulliver goes mad in Part IV. .uaa7ebb6b7e5df29a0da16a0be85e3732 , .uaa7ebb6b7e5df29a0da16a0be85e3732 .postImageUrl , .uaa7ebb6b7e5df29a0da16a0be85e3732 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uaa7ebb6b7e5df29a0da16a0be85e3732 , .uaa7ebb6b7e5df29a0da16a0be85e3732:hover , .uaa7ebb6b7e5df29a0da16a0be85e3732:visited , .uaa7ebb6b7e5df29a0da16a0be85e3732:active { border:0!important; } .uaa7ebb6b7e5df29a0da16a0be85e3732 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uaa7ebb6b7e5df29a0da16a0be85e3732 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uaa7ebb6b7e5df29a0da16a0be85e3732:active , .uaa7ebb6b7e5df29a0da16a0be85e3732:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uaa7ebb6b7e5df29a0da16a0be85e3732 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uaa7ebb6b7e5df29a0da16a0be85e3732 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uaa7ebb6b7e5df29a0da16a0be85e3732 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uaa7ebb6b7e5df29a0da16a0be85e3732 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uaa7ebb6b7e5df29a0da16a0be85e3732:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uaa7ebb6b7e5df29a0da16a0be85e3732 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uaa7ebb6b7e5df29a0da16a0be85e3732 .uaa7ebb6b7e5df29a0da16a0be85e3732-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uaa7ebb6b7e5df29a0da16a0be85e3732:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Will EssayPresented with the Houyhnhnms and the Yahoos, Gulliver tries desperately tobecome a Houyhnhnm, an animal governed entirely by reason. He cannot, of course. Gulliver isnt able to see the Yahoos as Swift intends them to be seen- asrepresenting the worst traits in human nature, and the lowest level to which hemight sink. Gulliver sees the Yahoos as mankind, period. Gulliver alsomisapprehends the Houyhnhnms. It is only to Gulliver- not to Swift- that thesecreatures represent a human ideal. Gulliver, neither Yahoo nor Houyhnhnm, canfind no species to which he belongs, and so goes mad. The overarching theme ofthe novel can be said to be the question, What is it to be human? In thisbook you are exposed to a host of creatures and situations and systems that alsohelp you wonder such themes like Human nature is petty What is good government?What are the values of reason? What are the limits of reason? And The sin ofpride is the most dangerous sin of all The style of this novel is composedchiefly of satire, allegory and irony. The book is very entertaining and it ?swritten to vex you, to startle you into deep reflection and to invite debate.