, Research Paper

The Satire of Jonathan Swift Revealed

During the 18th century there was an unbelievable turbulence of

commercialisation in London, England. As a consequence, English society underwent

important, ? alterations in attitude and idea? , in an effort to obtain the

self-respect and luster of royalty and the upper category ( McKendrick,2 ) . As a consequence,

English society held themselves in really high respects, experiencing that they were the

elect society of world. In his novel, Gulliver & # 8217 ; s Travels, Jonathan Swift

satirise this English society in many ways. In the novel, Swift uses metaphors

to uncover his disapproval of English society. Through in writing representations

of the organic structure and it & # 8217 ; s maps, Swift reveals to the reader that magnificence is

simply an semblance, a frontage behind which English society of his clip attempted

to conceal from world.

On his first ocean trip, Swift places Gulliver in a land of illumination people

where his elephantine size is meant as a metaphor for his high quality over the

Lilliputians, therefore stand foring English society & # 8217 ; s belief in high quality over all

other civilizations. Yet, despite his belief in high quality, Swift shows that

Gulliver is non every bit great as he imagines when the forces of nature call upon him

to alleviate himself. Gulliver remarks to the reader that before manus he, ? was

under great troubles between urgency and shame? , and after the title says

that he felt, ? guilty of so uncleanly an action? ( Norton,2051 ) . By uncovering to

the reader Gulliver & # 8217 ; s shame in transporting out a basic map of life, Swift

remarks on the ego imposed domination of English society. By humbling their

representative, the writer implies that despite the belief of the English to be

the most civilised and refined society, they are still human existences who are

slaves to the same forces as every other human being regardless of civilization or

race.

On the 2nd ocean trip, Swift turns the tabular arraies on Gulliver and topographic points him

among a race of elephantine people, the Brobdingnagians, where Gulliver is viewed as

the inferior. Due to his illumination size, Gulliver is able to analyze the homo

organic structure in a much more elaborate mode. Upon witnessing the undressing of the

Maids of Honor, Gulliver expresses his antipathy to their bare organic structures. They

were, ? really far from being a alluring sight? , and gave him, ? any other emotions

than those of horror and disgust? , because of the acuteness to which he was able

to detect their, ? class and uneven [ tegument ] , so diversely colored? ( Norton,2104 ) .

Gulliver besides negotiations

of their moles, ? here and at that place every bit wide as a trencher, and

hairs hanging from ( them ) thicker than pack-threads? ( Norton,2104 ) . Earlier in

the novel, upon witnessing the Suckling of a babe, Gulliver tells the reader

that upon seeing the adult female & # 8217 ; s breast he, & # 8220 ; [ reflected ] upon the just teguments of

[ his ] English ladies, who appear so beautiful & # 8230 ; merely because they are of [ his ]

ain size & # 8221 ; ( Norton,2088 ) . In demoing Gulliver & # 8217 ; s disgust at the sight of such

esteemed and beautiful adult females of Brobdingnag, Swift once more remarks on English

society through a in writing portraiture of the human organic structure. Fleet uses the Maids of

Honor as a metaphor to notice on the adult females of England, whom, among 18th

century English society, were believed to be the most beautiful of all the universe.

Showing that despite their evident beauty, they are non perfect, and endure

the same defects and imperfectnesss of visual aspect as any other adult females.

At one point during Gulliver & # 8217 ; s stay in Brobdingnag, Swift remarks about

straight on his antipathy for the ego imposed domination of English society over

all other civilizations. It happens when the King of the land, his Majesty, remarks

on, ? how contemptible a thing was human magnificence, which could be mimicked by

such bantam insects as [ Gulliver ] ? ( Norton,2097 ) . Here, Swift bluffly

criticizes the attitude of English society for sing themselves to be so

high in rank and distinction, by connoting that even the smallest and least

civilised animal could presume such a high grade of high quality.

Gulliver & # 8217 ; s Travels is a satirical novel of the 18th century English

society, a society with superficial thoughts of magnificence and aristocracy. Through

clever representations, Jonathan Swift successfully humbles this society & # 8217 ; s pride

and human amour propre. He reveals the defects it their thought by cut downing them to

what they are, human existences, which, like any other group of human existences is able

to make, hold simply adopted a superficial ego righteous attitude. In making so,

Swift makes a broader statement about world today. Despite all the ego

acclaimed progresss in civilisation and engineering, we are still simply human ;

enduring from the same forces and defects, urges and imperfectnesss as everyone

else.

Plants Cited

McKendrick, Neil. Brewer, John. Plumb, J.H. The Birth of a Consumer Society,

Indiana

Universtiy Press, Great Britan, 1982.

Swift, Jonathan. & # 8220 ; Gulliver & # 8217 ; s Travels & # 8221 ; . Norton Anthology of English Literature.

6th Ed.

M.H. Abrams, vol.1, New York: Norton, 1986.