Guliver Essay, Research Paper

Satire on a Nation Jonathan Swift?s, Gulliver?s Travels satirically

relates bodily functions and physical attributes to social issues during England?s

powerful rule of Europe. Through out the story we find many relations between

bodily features and British and European society. Swift uses this tone of

mockery to explain to his reader the importance of many different topics during

this time of European rule. Swift feels that the body and their functions relate

to political as well as the ration of a society. Swift?s fascination with the

body comes from its unproblematic undertone which gives his audience

recognizable similarity to many issues such as political change and scientific

innovation.

Gulliver?s first adventure takes place in Lilliput. Gulliver swims to a

foreign shore after his boat and rowboat capsize due to a fierce storm. Washed

upon the shore, Gulliver finds himself tied to the grass surrounded by little

bodied people called the Lilliputians. The Lilliputians stood no more than six

inches high. During this time Swift recognized that England was also a kind of

six inch being that had great influence in Europe. Swift wrote Gulliver?s

Travel?s during a time when Europe was the worlds most dominant and

influential force. England, despite its small size, had the potential to defeat

any nation that might try to conquer them. Swift relates this phenomenon to the

small stature of the Lilliputians. They stood a mere six inches high but had the

power to siege the man-mountain Gulliver.

The capability of a nation consisting of miniature people, who are able to

capture someone ten-times their size can be seen as reinforcing the capability

of a small nation, such as England, becoming and remaining a great power. Even

though this is true, Swift entices a condescending tone to Gulliver?s

portrayal of the small Lilliputians, who easily fit into the hands of Gulliver,

yet still manage to threaten his life. Even though the Lilliputians are

piteously small in Gulliver?s eyes, they do not see themselves the same way.

To themselves, the Lilliputians feel they are normal and Gulliver remains the

outlandish giant. The unexpected infringement of giant Gulliver into the

Lilliputians well-developed society reminds the European society, that size and

strength are always relative, and there is no way for Europe to be certain that

a Gulliver-like giant, might not arrive and conquer them at any moment. This

encounter, between Gulliver and the Lilliputians would put Europe?s confidence

in its power in jeopardy. Swift made sure that this message got across to humble

the society of England.

In chapter three we see the advance of Gulliver in the Lilliputians society.

During the process of integrating Gulliver finds that their culture is based

around trivial issues. These trivial issues can be looked at as subsequent to

their small stature. Gulliver finds that their government officials are chosen

by rope dancing. To Gulliver and the reader these practices are ridiculous and

arbitrary, but to the Lilliputians who do not need extravagant things because of

their size, see these practices as normal. Swift uses this scene to satire the

British government at this time. The British government also elected their

ministers in a trivial manner. In order to receive freedom from the

Lilliputians, Gulliver must help them in battle. Gulliver ’s agreement to the

terms provided in his contract to stay on the island for his freedom came not

from exceeding force from the Lilliputians, for Gulliver could crush their

entire city with his colossus body size and weight compared to the Lilliputians.

The Lilliputians were so secure in their laws and rules, where they felt their

laws could even rule this great bodily giant with them. Noticeably the audience

sees that Gulliver can easily crush the tiny Lilliputians, but he decides out of

the kindness of his heart not to forcefully become free. Once this great body

inquires his freedom, there will be no way for these small humans to thrust

their laws upon him. Trying to control outside forces were also flaws that

Europe processed at this time.

When the audience sees that Europe was also controlled by human egos, this

makes his satire even more convincing and critical. In the next chapters, the

Lilliputians let Gulliver receive his freedom; at the same time they realize

what kind of political power they can gain from the somebody size of Gulliver.

Gulliver goes into battle with the Lilliputians and destroys most of the

Blefescan naval fleets, but not all of them. Gulliver is greeted as a hero,

because of his great demonstration of strength. The Lilliputians ask him to

recover the rest of the ships but Gulliver refuses to use his bodily strengths

to promote slavery or injustice. Clearly, Swift implies that Europe should also

not use its great strength to enslave or bring injustice to other nations.

The Lilliputians have been warring with the Blefescan City for many years.

They have been fighting over which side to break an egg. To any rational human

these arguments would be trivial. Swift reports these arguments with great

seriousness, because even though the arguments are trivial, they are also

relative to the size of the Lilliputian. Swift wants to get the point across

that conflict of any sort becomes a threat to the standings of the government.

Just as the Lilliputians have trivial arguments, Swift relates these problems

with Europe’s government. Swift makes reference to outside forces looking into

the story such as the reader, to conclude these arguments are ridiculous. On the

other hand outsiders view Europe’s conflicts just as ridiculous but very much

serious inside the nation.

A bodily function that has deep implications concerning Swift’s personal life

surfaced when Gulliver had no choice but to urinate on the Emperor’s wife’s room

when it caught fire. Gulliver’s urination on the palace is not merely an offense

to the Lilliputians’ sense of decency; it suggests that they are insignificant,

and therefore they respond with due indigence. Even though Gulliver’s urination

intends to prevent a disaster, it?s also an assertion of his ability to

control the Lilliputians in any way he likes, even by the simplest and most

profane actions. Swift uses this sequence of problems to show a personal issue

in his life. Swift was a man known for his uncleanness. By pointing this out in

his story, swift mocks his critics. Swift?s urination scene ridicules this

view, giving a satire within a satire.

In chapter eight we see the Lilliputians turn on Gulliver for deceiving them

in battle, and the utmost crime of urinating in public. The Lilliputians want to

take Gulliver?s eyesight, leaving him blind. Swift uses this portrayal of

sight to acknowledge, without eyesight; the strongest of countries can be

overturned. If Europe were to loose its eyesight on other countries in the

world, they would be vulnerable to be overthrown. Even though the Lilliputians

wanted to execute Gulliver it remains easy for him to talk his way out of the

situation. This is true for the fact that Gulliver is a threat to their whole

society, which they know. They let him escape because they would like to return

to their normal society in which they built, and with Gulliver gone their bodily

smallness is no longer a falsity in their society. Swift realizes that any

country being threatened by a potentially dominating country will react in a way

that that country no longer remains a threat to their society. The Lilliputians

are content with their smallness, when Gulliver is not around because everything

is relative when he is gone. Obviously we see that Swift has a fascination for

bodily functions by his use of relating these bodily functions to social issues.

Swift uses height, weight, length of hair, and eyesight to relate to the Europe

audience, his social interest. Swift fascinates with these bodily functions for

the simple fact that he directly tries to satire the European Government, which

is, ran by people operated by bodily functions. Just as the Lilliputians

responded to Gulliver in issues, reminds Europe they respond the same way. Using

these bodily functions helps the audience to better understand his satire, and

relate these issues to each of their lives. Swift reminds Europe that they have

limitations just as every bodily function lives and dies.