Civilization And Prejudice Essay, Research Paper

Civility, as stated in the Webster?s Dictionary, as polite or courteous is represented in the novels Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin and in Part IV of Gulliver?s Travels by Jonathan Swift. Civilization, as seen in the novels Pride and Prejudice and Gulliver?s Travels, is depicted as an act of human nature as compared to the act of savages. Human beings can be civilized and uncivilized depending on the way the reason things out or the way they act in a certain situations. The following essay will contain several ways in which civility is represented in the two novels.

Human beings may be civilized in the way they act but the way they think may be contradictive or uncivilized. In Pride and Prejudice the characters may act civilized in all human ways but really they are uncivilized in the way they think because they live in a world that seems too perfect, yet they are not satisfied with it, ?the more I see of the world the more I am dissatisfied with it and everyday confirms my belief of the inconsistency of the human characters?? . In Gulliver?s Travels, Gulliver believes the exact same thing when he says, ?when I happen to behold the reflection of my own form in the lake or fountain I turned away my Face in Horror and detestation of myself; and could better endure the Sight of a common yahoo, than of my own Person(243) . Yahoos may be represented as uncivilized savages in Gulliver?s Travels yet the civilized human being of Pride and Prejudice act as savages in other ways.

Yahoos are creatures that demonstrate the nature of human sinfulness. They are represented as evil, savage and vicious animals without feeling or emotion. Swift describes them as filthy and are supposed to represent the corruption of mankind.(internetwww.) In Pride and Prejudice, Mr.Collins acts as a ?yahoo? because he chooses a wife whether he loves her or not. He acts on impulse and does not consider his feelings. This is evident when Mr. Collins first proposes to Elizabeth and later, once Elizabeth refuses, he

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turns to her best friend and proposes to her, ?the next morning he proposes marriage to Elizabeth and of course he refuses him summarily. Then she is flabbergasted to learn that Charlotte has accepted

Mr.Collins subsequent proposal to her.? The characters in Gulliver?s Travels, living on the island are literally known as ?yahoos? because they act like savages, they have no feeling simply because they were raised in a jungle and were never taught how to have human emotion. Not only do ?yahoos? have no emotions and act in an uncivilized manner, but the so-called human beings act as yahoos in other ways as well.

The human beings of the novel Pride and Prejudice are known as greedy people in a way that all they cherish is the materialism of wealth, ?a truth universally acknowledged that a single man is in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.? This shows that even though men may have a fortune they want a wife to make their fortune wealthier. The same can be said for the yahoos of Gulliver?s Travels but in a different extreme perspective, ?For if you throw among five Yahoos as much Food as would be sufficient for fifty, they will, instead of eating peaceably, fall together by the Ears, each single one impatient to have all to it self;?? These yahoos are greedy in ways that they were never taught any manners but there is nothing that can explain the greediness of human beings that are raised in an upper class society.

There is a contrast in the way the characters live in both of the novels. In Gulliver?s Travels the characters are from the lower class range and enjoy the outdoors/nature, and the savages and the horses actually live outdoors whereas the characters in Pride and Prejudice are always indoors and we rarely see them outdoors. This is seen in Gulliver?s Travels throughout most of Part IV when Gulliver is stranded in the woods with the savages and the Houyhnhnms. In Pride and Prejudice the characters are always indoors and only once were they outdoors when they had a party for their daughter.

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Gulliver?s first encounter with the Houyhnhnms is an uncivil one in such a way that the horse sees Gulliver and circles around him over and over again and stares at him to see what Gulliver?s reaction

would be. Since Gulliver did not react violently the horse realized that Gulliver was a civil human being and would not harm him, ?But this Animal seeming to receive my Civilities with Disdain, shook his Head, and bent his Brows, softly raising up his right Fore-foot to remove my hand.? . Perhaps civility is a human trait, one that covers the harsh acts that comes with human nature and the horse realizes that humans can be civilized. In Pride and Prejudice the horses are used as a means of transportation and are considered uncivilized mainly because they are not human beings. This is evident when Jane is invited to the home of Mr. Bingley. Her only means of transportation is the horse.

Although both Pride and Prejudice and Gulliver?s Travels are two distinct novels, Gulliver from Gulliver?s Travels and Elizabeth from Pride and Prejudice both share the same traits; they do not realize the good in people until it is too late. In other words they are both prejudice. Gulliver was left to die on the island by the Mutinies. Before they left him on the island they searched his pockets for anything he had and even though they were performing one of the most despicable acts possible, Gulliver notes their civility. At the end of the voyage, Gulliver is rescued by a Portuguese captain(which had a bad reputation),

His Name was Pedro de Mendez, he was a very courteous and generous Person; he entreated

me to give some Account of myself, and desired to know what I would eat or drink; said

I should be used as well as himself, and spoke so many obliging things , that I wondered

to find such Civilities from a yahoo.

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Gulliver was on the island for two years and he thought that he would never see any civilization again, therefore when Gulliver encounters the captain he is blinded by such human goodness. He realizes

that the captain is more than civil; he is kind and thoughtful. He?s not just doing the proper thing by rescuing him, but acting out of true kindness. He is being treated with thoughtfulness beyond anything he has received from the Houyhnhnms. Gulliver did not realize that the captain was a nice man until they rescued him. Elizabeth Bennet, prejudged Darcy on Wickham?s opinion of him before she was able to find out for herself, ?Elizabeth is clearly a victim of her prejudice against Darcy, for she is completely deceived by Wickham?s story.?

Both the novels Pride and Prejudice and Gulliver?s Travels contain many acts of civilization but Pride and Prejudice is full of people acting with civility but with little genuine kindness. And yet civility as a means of uncivilization is the main subject of Gulliver?s Travels. Civilization, as seen in the novels Pride and Prejudice and Gulliver?s Travels, is depicted as an act of human nature as compared to the act of savages. Human beings can be civilized and uncivilized depending on the way the reason things out or the way they act in a certain situations Swift stated, ?never doubt that man should make use of reason to control bad instincts where he can not live by reason alone is neither possible nor desirable if we are to remain human beings. In other words, human beings should not live by reason alone because they will not get far in life. The characters of Pride and Prejudice do not act like savages in ways that they are uncivilized but in ways that they do not show any emotions that are necessary in ones life, such as love. Instead they live in a society that is materialistic, greedy and prejudice. In Gulliver?s Travels, the characters on the island are uncivilized in the way they act but are civilized because the horses can speak. Overall, all walks of life are able to act civilized in their own way.

Work Cited

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www.cwrl.utexas.edu/edu~babydoll/coursematerial/fall96/fallstudentwork/egpublic_html/gulliver2.html.

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Nature and civility in Gulliver?s Travels and

Pride & Prejudice

Monika Laskowska St# 1893908

ENGL1F91

Prof. Holmes

TA: Sonya

Date Submitted: Feb. 23, 99

Work Cited

Anonymous. Gulliver?s Travels.

www.cwrl.utexas.edu/edu~babydoll/coursematerial/fall96/fallstudentwork/egpublic_html/gulliver2.html.

Coles Editorial Board. Jane Austen: Pride and Prejudice Notes. Toronto: Coles

Publishing Company Inc, 1961.

Foster, M. A Casebook on Gulliver among the Houyhnhnms. New York: Thomas Y.

Crowell Company, 1984.

Gelshen, R. Instant English Literature:The Nineteenth Century. New York: A Byron Preiss Book, 1994.

Goonerafne, Y. Jane Austen. Cambridge: The University Press, 1970.

Greenberg, R. An Annotated Text with Critical Essays. New York: W. W. Norton &

Company Inc, 1961.

Wright, A. Jane Austen?s:A study in Structure. London: The Replica Process, 1961.

Nature and civility in Gulliver?s Travels and

Pride & Prejudice

Monika Laskowska St# 1893908

ENGL1F91

Prof. Holmes

TA: Sonya

Date Submitted: Feb. 23, 99

Work Cited

Anonymous. Gulliver?s Travels.

www.cwrl.utexas.edu/edu~babydoll/coursematerial/fall96/fallstudentwork/egpublic_html/gulliver2.html.

Coles Editorial Board. Jane Austen: Pride and Prejudice Notes. Toronto: Coles

Publishing Company Inc, 1961.

Foster, M. A Casebook on Gulliver among the Houyhnhnms. New York: Thomas Y.

Crowell Company, 1984.

Gelshen, R. Instant English Literature:The Nineteenth Century. New York: A Byron Preiss Book, 1994.

Goonerafne, Y. Jane Austen. Cambridge: The University Press, 1970.

Greenberg, R. An Annotated Text with Critical Essays. New York: W. W. Norton &

Company Inc, 1961.

Wright, A. Jane Austen?s:A study in Structure. London: The Replica Process, 1961.

Nature and civility in Gulliver?s Travels and

Pride & Prejudice

Monika Laskowska St# 1893908

ENGL1F91

Prof. Holmes

TA: Sonya

Date Submitted: Feb. 23, 99

Work Cited

Anonymous. Gulliver?s Travels.

www.cwrl.utexas.edu/edu~babydoll/coursematerial/fall96/fallstudentwork/egpublic_html/gulliver2.html.

Coles Editorial Board. Jane Austen: Pride and Prejudice Notes. Toronto: Coles

Publishing Company Inc, 1961.

Foster, M. A Casebook on Gulliver among the Houyhnhnms. New York: Thomas Y.

Crowell Company, 1984.

Gelshen, R. Instant English Literature:The Nineteenth Century. New York: A Byron Preiss Book, 1994.

Goonerafne, Y. Jane Austen. Cambridge: The University Press, 1970.

Greenberg, R. An Annotated Text with Critical Essays. New York: W. W. Norton &

Company Inc, 1961.

Wright, A. Jane Austen?s:A study in Structure. London: The Replica Process, 1961.

Nature and civility in Gulliver?s Travels and

Pride & Prejudice

Monika Laskowska St# 1893908

ENGL1F91

Prof. Holmes

TA: Sonya

Date Submitted: Feb. 23, 99

Work Cited

Anonymous. Gulliver?s Travels.

www.cwrl.utexas.edu/edu~babydoll/coursematerial/fall96/fallstudentwork/egpublic_html/gulliver2.html.

Coles Editorial Board. Jane Austen: Pride and Prejudice Notes. Toronto: Coles

Publishing Company Inc, 1961.

Foster, M. A Casebook on Gulliver among the Houyhnhnms. New York: Thomas Y.

Crowell Company, 1984.

Gelshen, R. Instant English Literature:The Nineteenth Century. New York: A Byron Preiss Book, 1994.

Goonerafne, Y. Jane Austen. Cambridge: The University Press, 1970.

Greenberg, R. An Annotated Text with Critical Essays. New York: W. W. Norton &

Company Inc, 1961.

Wright, A. Jane Austen?s:A study in Structure. London: The Replica Process, 1961.

Nature and civility in Gulliver?s Travels and

Pride & Prejudice

Monika Laskowska St# 1893908

ENGL1F91

Prof. Holmes

TA: Sonya

Date Submitted: Feb. 23, 99

Work Cited

Anonymous. Gulliver?s Travels.

www.cwrl.utexas.edu/edu~babydoll/coursematerial/fall96/fallstudentwork/egpublic_html/gulliver2.html.

Coles Editorial Board. Jane Austen: Pride and Prejudice Notes. Toronto: Coles

Publishing Company Inc, 1961.

Foster, M. A Casebook on Gulliver among the Houyhnhnms. New York: Thomas Y.

Crowell Company, 1984.

Gelshen, R. Instant English Literature:The Nineteenth Century. New York: A Byron Preiss Book, 1994.

Goonerafne, Y. Jane Austen. Cambridge: The University Press, 1970.

Greenberg, R. An Annotated Text with Critical Essays. New York: W. W. Norton &

Company Inc, 1961.

Wright, A. Jane Austen?s:A study in Structure. London: The Replica Process, 1961.

Nature and civility in Gulliver?s Travels and

Pride & Prejudice

Monika Laskowska St# 1893908

ENGL1F91

Prof. Holmes

TA: Sonya

Date Submitted: Feb. 23, 99

Work Cited

Anonymous. Gulliver?s Travels.

www.cwrl.utexas.edu/edu~babydoll/coursematerial/fall96/fallstudentwork/egpublic_html/gulliver2.html.

Coles Editorial Board. Jane Austen: Pride and Prejudice Notes. Toronto: Coles

Publishing Company Inc, 1961.

Foster, M. A Casebook on Gulliver among the Houyhnhnms. New York: Thomas Y.

Crowell Company, 1984.

Gelshen, R. Instant English Literature:The Nineteenth Century. New York: A Byron Preiss Book, 1994.

Goonerafne, Y. Jane Austen. Cambridge: The University Press, 1970.

Greenberg, R. An Annotated Text with Critical Essays. New York: W. W. Norton &

Company Inc, 1961.

Wright, A. Jane Austen?s:A study in Structure. London: The Replica Process, 1961.

Nature and civility in Gulliver?s Travels and

Pride & Prejudice

Monika Laskowska St# 1893908

ENGL1F91

Prof. Holmes

TA: Sonya

Date Submitted: Feb. 23, 99

Work Cited

Anonymous. Gulliver?s Travels.

www.cwrl.utexas.edu/edu~babydoll/coursematerial/fall96/fallstudentwork/egpublic_html/gulliver2.html.

Coles Editorial Board. Jane Austen: Pride and Prejudice Notes. Toronto: Coles

Publishing Company Inc, 1961.

Foster, M. A Casebook on Gulliver among the Houyhnhnms. New York: Thomas Y.

Crowell Company, 1984.

Gelshen, R. Instant English Literature:The Nineteenth Century. New York: A Byron Preiss Book, 1994.

Goonerafne, Y. Jane Austen. Cambridge: The University Press, 1970.

Greenberg, R. An Annotated Text with Critical Essays. New York: W. W. Norton &

Company Inc, 1961.

Wright, A. Jane Austen?s:A study in Structure. London: The Replica Process, 1961.

Nature and civility in Gulliver?s Travels and

Pride & Prejudice

Monika Laskowska St# 1893908

ENGL1F91

Prof. Holmes

TA: Sonya

Date Submitted: Feb. 23, 99

Work Cited

Anonymous. Gulliver?s Travels.

www.cwrl.utexas.edu/edu~babydoll/coursematerial/fall96/fallstudentwork/egpublic_html/gulliver2.html.

Coles Editorial Board. Jane Austen: Pride and Prejudice Notes. Toronto: Coles

Publishing Company Inc, 1961.

Foster, M. A Casebook on Gulliver among the Houyhnhnms. New York: Thomas Y.

Crowell Company, 1984.

Gelshen, R. Instant English Literature:The Nineteenth Century. New York: A Byron Preiss Book, 1994.

Goonerafne, Y. Jane Austen. Cambridge: The University Press, 1970.

Greenberg, R. An Annotated Text with Critical Essays. New York: W. W. Norton &

Company Inc, 1961.

Wright, A. Jane Austen?s:A study in Structure. London: The Replica Process, 1961.

Nature and civility in Gulliver?s Travels and

Pride & Prejudice

Monika Laskowska St# 1893908

ENGL1F91

Prof. Holmes

TA: Sonya

Date Submitted: Feb. 23, 99

Work Cited

Anonymous. Gulliver?s Travels.

www.cwrl.utexas.edu/edu~babydoll/coursematerial/fall96/fallstudentwork/egpublic_html/gulliver2.html.

Coles Editorial Board. Jane Austen: Pride and Prejudice Notes. Toronto: Coles

Publishing Company Inc, 1961.

Foster, M. A Casebook on Gulliver among the Houyhnhnms. New York: Thomas Y.

Crowell Company, 1984.

Gelshen, R. Instant English Literature:The Nineteenth Century. New York: A Byron Preiss Book, 1994.

Goonerafne, Y. Jane Austen. Cambridge: The University Press, 1970.

Greenberg, R. An Annotated Text with Critical Essays. New York: W. W. Norton &

Company Inc, 1961.

Wright, A. Jane Austen?s:A study in Structure. London: The Replica Process, 1961.

Nature and civility in Gulliver?s Travels and

Pride & Prejudice

Monika Laskowska St# 1893908

ENGL1F91

Prof. Holmes

TA: Sonya

Date Submitted: Feb. 23, 99

Work Cited

Anonymous. Gulliver?s Travels.

www.cwrl.utexas.edu/edu~babydoll/coursematerial/fall96/fallstudentwork/egpublic_html/gulliver2.html.

Coles Editorial Board. Jane Austen: Pride and Prejudice Notes. Toronto: Coles

Publishing Company Inc, 1961.

Foster, M. A Casebook on Gulliver among the Houyhnhnms. New York: Thomas Y.

Crowell Company, 1984.

Gelshen, R. Instant English Literature:The Nineteenth Century. New York: A Byron Preiss Book, 1994.

Goonerafne, Y. Jane Austen. Cambridge: The University Press, 1970.

Greenberg, R. An Annotated Text with Critical Essays. New York: W. W. Norton &

Company Inc, 1961.

Wright, A. Jane Austen?s:A study in Structure. London: The Replica Process, 1961.

Nature and civility in Gulliver?s Travels and

Pride & Prejudice

Monika Laskowska St# 1893908

ENGL1F91

Prof. Holmes

TA: Sonya

Date Submitted: Feb. 23, 99