Gulliver’s Travels Political Issue.

M.A SEM: 1

SUBJECT: Paper no.2 The Neo- classical Literature

TOPIC: Gulliver’s Travels Political Issue.

ROLLNUMBER: 32

GUIDED BY: Heenaba Zala

 Department of English, Maharaja krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University.

Topic: Gulliver’s Travels Political Issue.

Introduction:

                ‘Gulliver’s Travels’ written by Jonathan swift in 1726. It is written about Gulliver’s journey, His exposure to different worlds. He is a protagonist and narrator of this novel. This novel divided in to four parts.

·         A VOYAGE TO LILIPUT

·        A VOYAGE TO BROBDINGNAG

·        A VOYAGE TO LAPUTA

·        THE LAND OF HOUYHNHNMS

In this four part Jonathan swift satire in different ways. This is a

Satirical novel in the very first part He talks about Liliputians. In this part Gulliver was giant and all Liliputian peoples are like small creatures. This is symbolized for power politics. In the second part Gulliver was small creature and all Brobdingnag’s people are Giant and they marginalized Gulliver and force him to do some work. In the third part when Gulliver reached that place he can’t trust on his own eyes because in that Land Island’s are flying in the air, and people lives their. And the forth part is the biggest satire on human beings because in this land lives Houyhnhnms and yahoos Houyhnhnms are horses and yahoos are human beings but in this island yahoos are marginalized by Houyhnhnms. Houyhnhnms ruled over the yahoos and they speak like human beings. So this is the biggest satire on humans.

                   So this is the basic information of this four part after

It let’s start detailed study of all this four parts with the analysis of Jonathan swift’s views on it. Swift’s satire is inspired by his hatred of mankind.

A Voyage to Liliput:

                   When Gulliver reach the place of Liliput. He is shocked because when he opens his eyes he was covered by tiny peoples all tiny peoples are sawing him shockingly and he was also shocked because they are too small for Gulliver and Gulliver was too big for Liliputian’s people. In the starts of this novel this part starts with this situation that Gulliver was not conscious about his self and where he was live now.  Liliput is a miniature empire with a little monarch who entitled himself as “Delight and terror of the universe” swift describe the life and customs of the Liliputian court, highly remindful of the picture he had seen in London.

"I attempted to rise, but was not able to stir: for as I happened to lie on my back, I found my arms and legs were strongly fastened on each side to the ground; and my hair, which was long and thick, tied down I the same manner. I likewise felt several slender ligatures across my body, from my armpits to my thighs. I could only look upwards, the sun began to grow hot, and the light offended mine eyes. I heard a confused noise about me, but in the posture I lay, could see nothing except the sky."

                   In this part Gulliver and Liliputian’s has main problem is about the size of their body. It is emphasizes physical power. That Gulliver has giant body it is symbolized power politics that because of this body he can do any thing with Liliputian people so some times he force them to do work for him. This is the political part of this event.

                   This novel is satirical novel that’s why in this novel swift also used some political elements like when Gulliver  reach to Liliput, Liliput’s king was come their and ask question about his self. and if king has doubt that Gulliver try to harm peoples that time he has right to killed him. Literature is reflection of the society so in this novel Gulliver symbolized as political power or an upper class people. They can do whatever they want to do no one can stop them or no power supreme to them. So in this part Gulliver has that power and he marginalized to the people of this Liliputians.

                   This is the political issue of this part. Gulliver is tied up. This shows futile attempts of Liliputians. They are unaware of their insignificance. They are in illusion that they have controlled Gulliver. With this Swift shows humanity’s pretentions to power and significance, importance. Gulliver’s enjoyment being a big fish in small pond.

                   Liliputians try to bring Gulliver to their heel is ridiculous because Gulliver can kill them simply by walking. A Liliputian teaches Gulliver their language. Here swift is mocking at humanity’s belief in its own importance. Gulliver tries to communicate in all the languages which he knows.

                    The Liliputians don’t have other plans. Whenever they discuss the alternatives the discussion ends in violent conflict. For them theirs is the only existing world. They are educated but like British people they also believe in superstitions.           

A Voyage to Brobdingnag:

                   In this part Gulliver was just like small creature and all Brobdingnag peoples are giants so it is the opposite of the first part. In the first part Gulliver has power to do any thing and in this part he lost his all power and he became small creature. Gulliver enslaved by the farmer. Master- slave relationship. The god like before the giants. In this part Gulliver struggles a lot. Gulliver fights with rats are adventures for him. The king sands three great scholars to examine Gulliver. They examined Gulliver’s shape and said that he could not be produced according to the regular laws of nature. Then they observed his teeth and said that he was a carnivorous animal. One of them said that he might be an Embrio or aborative birth.

                   With this part it is symbolically presents the value of middle class or lower class in this part swift express his views on difference between upper class people and lower class people. Gulliver is forced to dance before public. Like Europeans the brobdingnagians are happy to use power. The king makes fun of Gulliver’s culture. The England seems insignificant to the king. Gulliver is used as a plaything. With a microscopic view, Gulliver finds the culture imperfect. The personal importance of an individual identity is at risk. Gulliver’s position in England, in Liliput and now in Brobdingnag, he tries to maintain the illusion of his importance. In Brobdingnag the king tries to minimize the vices but they are not. The farmer, the dwarf are such examples. Gulliver speaks in English but the giants laugh at him

"There was a woman with a cancer in her breast, swelled to a monstrous size, full of holes, in two or three of which I could have easily crept, and covered my whole body. There was a fellow with a wen in his neck, larger than five woolpacks, and another with a couple of wooden legs, each about twenty foot high. But, the most hateful sight of all was the lice crawling on their clothes. I could see distinctly the limbs of these vermin with my naked eyes, much better than those of an European louse through a microscope, and their snouts with which they rooted like swine." 

                   In this part he tries to convince audience that upper class people always ruled over the lower class people they can’t understand the feelings of the lower class people. Use of this part swift says that if person has power than he can do anything and if person has no power than he can’t do anything.  

                   The imperfection is not of an organization or a law. The culture is imperfect. When Gulliver tries to tell the king immediately refuses. For Gulliver gun powder is an achievement but for the king it has no importance. In Brobdingnag the king tries to minimize the vices but they are not. The farmer, the dwarf are such examples. In Europe also they live with the illusion that no vices exist in their society.

                   So at the end of this topic we can say that this part is also related with power politics who explains about power that what is the importance of power and when Gulliver lost his power that time he has to face many problems in it.

A Voyage to Laputa:

                   A voyage to Laputa is also called as a floating island. This part is related with religion. In this part swift explain about Attacked by the pirates. Christian v/s heathen. In the religion of Christianity if people kindly or blindly believed in their religion that time they respected in to their culture but if any one saw doubt in it or not trust in their religion that time that person called as a heathen who has no religion.

"As every person called up made exactly the same appearance he had done in the world, it gave me melancholy reflections to observe how much the race of human kind was degenerate among us, within these hundred years past. How the pox under all its consequences and denominations had altered every lineament of an English countenance, shortened the size of bodies, unbraced the nerves, relaxed the sinews and muscles, introduced a sallow complexion, and rendered the flesh loose and rancid." 

           This island’s culture is different than any other two islands. This is a full of fantasy. This part shows swift’s imagination power that we can not just even imagine that these types of culture of island exist around the Earth but he creates this type of island. In this island deformed human beings, deformed culture. Gulliver faces problem because of language. In this island Laputa people’s power shown by their use of technology.

          Gulliver doesn’t like this. The floating island represents the distance between the government and the people. We can say that with this concept. The king’s concern for the people below but he never comes below to meet people. In this island every one busy in their own work no one has time for another one. Like Servants with flappers standing beside their master. Thinkers and scientists are busy in their day dreams. The society seems nonhuman. The life here seems abstract and absurd. Futile attempts of educated. It is not for the betterment of the society. Women should be taxed according to their beauty and their skill at dressing.

                   So at the end of this part we can say that this part is symbolic and it is satire on government and peoples distance. With the use of this part we can say that of the any country no government tries to conversation with their peoples. Government just passes out the law and rules and every people have to do with their rules. So at the end of this part we can say that it is a satire on governments system.

The Land of Houyhnhnms:

                   

                   Swift’s last part of Gulliver travels is biggest satire on human beings. In this part Houyhnhnms and yahoos lives with each other. Yahoos are human beings and Houyhnhnms are horses. Yahoos are marginalized by Houyhnhnms. Gulliver no longer cares for human society. He quickly learns the language of Houyhnhnms. Gulliver tries to change this atmosphere and he gives his country’s example for it. Gulliver tells them about his country where human beings rule and horses are trained to work for them. Houyhnhnms are not ready to believe Gulliver. In this land animals are rational and cultured. The shocking part of this part is the revelation of yahoo’s identity as human beings.

                  

"But the Houyhnhms, who live under the government of Reason, are no more proud of the good qualities they posses, than I should be for not wanting a leg or an arm, which no man in this wits would boast of, although he must be miserable without them. I dwell the longer upon this subject from the desire I have to make the society of an English Yahoo by any means not insupportable, and therefore I here entreat those who have any tincture of this absurd vice, that they will not presume to appear in my sight." 

Gulliver talks about war and gives reason for it that why do they war. Gulliver also informs them about law and order of his nation. Europeans described as yahoos. Their life style is different but their nature is the same. In this land human nature is full of greed and selfishness. Houyhnhnms have life of community. They don’t live personal life. Gulliver thinks of his people as European yahoos and he prefers to live with barbarians than with his own people. Swift is challenging the rational animals.

So at the end of this part we can say that this is the biggest satire on human beings. With this part swift express his views on human beings. He hates human being that’s why he writes about it and he creates this last part on horses and mans. In this part he presents Houyhnhnms are dominant personality.

Political issues on this four parts:

·        In the very first part this is about political symbolism, Gulliver was big and Liliputian peoples are small. Its symbol that government has power and every peoples are small. Because of it we can’t do anything against him. So we have to do what government instructs us. Gulliver is representing the government and Liliputians represent the common man in the world. With this part Swift express his views on common man and government.

·        In the second part, It is opposite of first part. Gulliver has power in the first part and in the second part he lost his power and after he lost he realized about common person and he face many problems in this part because in this part he is marginalized by Brobdingnag peoples. This part described that if person has power that time all persons are give respect them but when they lost power that time they lost their respect as a symbol of government.

·        In the third part this is as symbolize with a distance between government and their peoples. In this part political issue is that government not tries to listens problems of common people and they try to maintain the distance with peoples. Like in this island  is floating island so island is flying in the air so because of it people has to suffer a lot if they want to reach one place to another place they need a more time and they have to struggle with it. Like this way if any common person has to reach government’s place they have to ready for suffer and struggle.

·        In the forth part it is the satire on human beings. With this part swift try to presents the basic nature of the human being. He says that human beings are basically greed and selfish. They just think about their own self. 

Conclusion:

                    So at the end we can say that this all are the political issues in Gulliver’s travels. These four parts are based on human nature. With this four parts swift explain his views on humans, government and in the forth part he says Houyhnhnms means horses are better than humans. So this is the biggest satire on human beings. First two parts are presents a political background. That parts are opposed each other. So this all are political issues in Swift’s ‘Gulliver’s Travels’. J J J