Assignment - 4

By - Anurag Sundram
TOPIC​ : G
​ ULLIVER'S TRAVEL AS A SATIRE​. 

Gulliver’s Travels” is a great work of social satire. In “Gulliver’s Travels”, there is a satire on
politics, human physiognomy, intellect, manners and morality.

In the first voyage to Lilliput, Swift satirizes on politics and political tactics practiced in
England through Lilliputians. He satirizes the manner in which political offices were awarded
by English King in his time. Flimnap, the Treasurer, represents Sir Robert Walpole. The
ancient temple, in which Gulliver is housed in Lilliput, refers to Westminster Hall. The three
fine silk threads awarded as prizes to the winners refer to the various distinctions conferred
by English King to his favourites.
The Lilliputians were highly superstitious:

“They bury their dead with their head directly downwards because they hold an opinion that
after eleven thousand moons they are all to rise again.”

Swift’s satire becomes amusing when Gulliver speaks of the conflict between the Big
Endians and the Little Endians. In this account Swift is ridiculing the conflicts between the
Roman Catholics and the Protestants. High Heel and Low Heel represent Whig and Tory –
two political parties in England.

In the second voyage to Brobdingnag, there is a general satire on human limitations.

“The most pernicious race of little odious vermin that nature ever suffered to crawl upon the
surface of the earth.”

Swift here ridicules human pride and pretension. The sight is, indeed, horrible and
disgusting. Among the beggars is a woman with a cancer in her breast.

“It stood prominent six feet, and could not be less than sixteen in circumference … spots and
pimples that nothing could appear more nauseous.”

There is a man with a huge tumor in his neck; another beggar has wooden legs. But the
most hateful sight is that of the lice crawling on their clothes. This description reinforces Swift
views of the ugliness and foulness of the human body.

Thus we see that “Gulliver’s Travels” is a great piece of art containing social satire in it.
Every satirist is at heart a reformist. Swift, also, wants to reform the society by pinpointing
the vices and shortcoming in it. And he very successfully satirizes on political tactics,
physical awkwardness, intellectual fallacies and moral shortcomings.