Swift’s satire in Gulliver’s Travels                         

Jonathan swift was born in Dublin, Ireland on November 30, 1667. Jonathan swift was known as anglo - Irish satirist, poet and pamphleteer. Swift was also famous for his “Gulliver’s Travels’’, “The battle of the books’’, “A tale of a tub”. Swift is probably the prose satirist in the English language. But he is not more famous for his poetry. Swift is also famous of two style of satire:-

1. The Horatian:-

2. Juvanalian style:-

Definition of satire:-

“Satire is a genre of literature, and sometimes graphics, and performing art, in which wises, follies, abuses and shortcomings and held up to ridicule ideally with the intent shaming, individual corporation, and society itself into improvement”.

There are two types of satire:-

1. Comic satire:-

2. Corrosive satire:-

                   Gulliver’s Travels is the best example of his satirical work. There are so many satirical elements described in the Gulliver’s Travels by swift. In its day Gulliver’s Travels is very famous and unique. It was not written for amuse. Some people think that satire is the weapon of exaggeration. And exaggeration is only one facet of his satiric method. Swift was thorough a satirist that some of his readers misread the part of houyhnhnms.

                             Swift was a prolific writer, notable for his satire. Swift uses Gulliver’s to satirize vivid aspects of England and English society .In other way Swift through the character of Gulliver, criticize the religious enmity of within English and society by informing us about the hatred between the Lilliputians. Swift also satire on the over plentifulness of “Projector” in English. Swift is also satirize anyone who chooses a philosophy over reality. We can also say that Gulliver’s Travels was written during the restoration period. The way this book is written presents political theme from that time including satire. Gulliver’s Travels is an epic satire.

                      Swift has been using satire as a medium for a quarter of a century in Gulliver’s Travels. His life was full of melancholy and satire was his defense against human world and his enemies. In its serious function, satire is a medium between two perceptions. The unillusioned perception of people as they actually are and the ideal perception of people as they ought to be. Jonathan swift is the second type of hater and Gulliver’s Travels is his greatest satirical attempt to “shame men out of their vices”.

                          The selection of metaphor in each voyage presents more particularly the vivid points of Swift’s satirical vision. The effect of scale of life in Lilliput is to strip human affairs of their grandeur. This idea is continued in the second voyage, in the character of Gulliver who is now in Lilliputians in brobdingnagins. And where the Lilliput highlights the meanness of human pride and the brobdingnagians also highlight the grossness of human, this satirizing pride in human appearance. In the activity of Grand Academy of Lagado, the dangers and wastefulness of pride in men reason uninformed by common sense satirized by Swift. We can say that the final choice of the houyhnhnms as the representational of reason unlimited by excessive emotion serves a double role for Jonathan Swift’s desire.

Jonathan Swift’s satirical work:-

                   Swift’s power of his satirical writing have earned Swift a reputation and position as a greatest prose satirist in English literature. “Gulliver’s Travels” is his world renowned masterpiece. “Modest Proposal” is also famous satirical work. “A death of a late famous general” is the best satirical elegy written by Swift. Swift also famous for his satirical poems.                  

Swift’s allegorical satire in “Gulliver’s Travels” :-

“Swift was a wild human that worried all humankind……….”

                    Our main concern it about satire. So let’s have a look on the satire and irony. Lilliput is also full of satires. Swift also satirize the intrigues against other political parties, pride of human evil of taboos in Lilliput are the main points of satire. We can say that misanthropy hide behind the satirizing people. 

                                Swift satirically remarked of all most all second class work like farming and etc. According to higher class people. Swift says that,

“I have ever hatred all nations, profession, and

Community but principally I hate and detest

That animal called man…..upon this great

Foundation of misanthropy the whole building of my “Travels” is created.”

                   Every customs, place, expressions and feelings of voyage are satiric. One can say that Gulliver’s Travels is not simple but very mock satire on people and hypocrite. The character of Flimnap and others, narrow-minded communication of the man of 1^st voyage , all these things satirized by Swift.

                           In book IV, Gulliver has come to the horses. They have pure reason but they are not human. We know they are not human but they seem and ideal for humans-until Jonathan Swift represent them as feelingless creatures, dull and unhuman. Because that M. H. Abrams sats the

“Gilliver’s Travels is a satire again Mankind.”

                                The six inches’ tiny people’clown of a Brobdingnag and his trivial mentality, lazy king of Laputa and yahoo’s ridiculous behavior, yahoo’s appetite for food and clothes also described satire in Gulliver’s Travels. Swift also represents the real England by giving biting or sarcastic remark,

“………….heap of conspiracies, mueders, massacre, revolutions, banishments, the very worst effects that avarice fiction,

Hypocrisy, perfidiousness, cruelty, rage madness hatred, envy, lust, malice, or ambition could produce………………”

                               Critical remark on Gulliver shows that Swift critically satirise England little in their thoughts and ideas.

                              Swift has made gigantic figures, six inches height, more moral people and in fourth voyage more lecherous and dangerous yahoos to criticized and satirized whole human society. Swift indirectly criticized the arrogant European imperialists who treat the people through brutality.

                             In “Gulliver’s Travels” Swift is not only creat a satire of allegory but he also satirise allegory of politics. Swift’s “Gulliver’s Travels” is the great satire that covers politics, morality, human values, society, limitations. He has cleared all the satirical aspects in a unique and different way. It is really bitter satire of human and society.

Swift’s  social satire in “Gulliver’s Travels”:-

 We can say that Swift is a social satirist and “Gulliver’s Travels” is the best example of his social satire. Swift every time satire on social aspects. There is a satire on politics, human psysiognomy, intellect, manners and morality. In the 1^st voyage Swift satire on politics and political tacticed in England through Lilliputians. In the second voyage to Brobdingnag Swift satire on human body.

                                 In the third voyage to Laputa Swift satire on human mind, and their intellect, and philosophy. In the houyhnhnms, there is a satire on moral short comings of mankind.

                                Thus we can say that Swift’s “Gulliver’s Travels” is a greatest masterpiece of art containing social satire. All the satirist is at heart a reformer. And Swift successfully satirises on politics, physical awkwardness and human itellact and moral shortcomings.

Swift’s  political satire in “Gulliver’s Travels”:-

                           As a satirist Swift satirize on many things in Gulliver’s Travels Book-I, like he satire on human greatness, England, dominant whig party, war with France. Swift supported France in the war but it is a fact that he also strongly satirises this war itself. Swift also satirize the needless bickering and fighting between the two nation.

                          Another example of political satire can be found in chapter 2 and 3. There are explicit satire of British Government in chapter-2.There are another form of political satire is realized in the first culture that is met by Gulliver. The nation of the Lilliput also satirized by Swift.

Comic and corrosive satire in ‘Gulliver’s Travels

  Jonathan Swift regarded as a master of comic & corrosive satire and there is no lacking of Gulliver’s Travels. There are many example of comic satire in the voyage to Lilliput. Swift has corrosive satire in the climax of part -2. Swift’s comic satire in part-3. There is also the element of corrosive satire in part -3.

·     1^st voyage of Lilliput Swift satire in a comic way like one outstanding passage of comic satire in this account and it is the passage dealing with the ‘high-heels and low heels’ and ‘big-endias and little-endias’.

·     In chapter-7 :- Swift satire on that Gulliver is in Blefuscu, lying on the ground to kiss the hands of the Emperor and the Empress.

·     In the voyage to Brobdingnag Swift’s comic satire evoke at the expense of Gulliver. Because Gulliver is reduced in status and becomes an object of the comic satire.

Jonathan Swift’s satire of nation:-

                       Swift satire on England and satirically relates body functions and physical attributes to social issues during English rule of Europe. To explain his reader the importence of many topics during the time of European rules Swift uses the tone of mockery.

                     Swift also satire on society of England and he shows the basic problems of human society through his journey. Swift satirize various class of society, war and power of perception. Swift continuous his satire of war when Gulliver meets a man who can bring to life important figures from the past.

Swift’s use of satire in “Gulliver’s Travels”:-

                 Swift can be describing as a useful device to bring out auther’s real intention.

In ‘Gulliver’s Travels’ Swift satirize the eighteenth century. Through this we can say that how Swift uses Gulliver to satirize the society of eighteenth century and England. Through this we can mark that Swift uses Gulliver as a object of his satire. In Gulliver’s Travels Swift describe Gulliver’s 1^st voyage is to Lilliput and he satirize the pigmy human beings. In Brobdingnag Swift satirize the meanness of giants. On the flying island of Laputa, he satirizes the scientists and philosopher. And in fourth voyage to very strange place houyhnhnms he satire on human beings like creature.

                                                                                       

                                    Jonathan Swift mastered the genre of satire. With the blending of dramatic irony and parody. We can saw the height of Swift’s genius in writing satires.

          There are three main type of satire:-

·     Horatian :-

·     Juvanalian :-

·     Menippean :-

Horatian satire mocks, Juvanalian aims to destroy and to provoke and Mennipean aims to spread its internal attacks at a large number of targets. Horatian satire is famous of all typs of satire. A kedy satire is that the audience is also laughing at their ownself. A voyage to Lilliput’ is one of the most popular Horatian satires.

For Juvanalian satire we can say that it is the very bitter type of satire and it not targets on painful and hurtful laceration. It target is organization, companies, individuals, social vices.

Menippean satire is more psychological. ‘Gulliver’s Travels’ qualifies as a Menippean satire. It satirise various aspect of society. We mark multi-faceted satiristic approach of swift in ‘Gulliver’s Travels’.

The court matters of Lilliputians in ‘Gulliver’s Travels’ which is the main part of political satire. Gulliver toured Laputa as the guest. He goes there as a low-ranking courtier and observed how ruin was brought about by the blind persuit of science without practical result. This was a satire on Royale society and bureaucracy and its experiments.

                          We analyze that each and every part of the ‘Gulliver’s Travels’ is full of satire and mockery. There is some irony of Swift: - the Lilliputians were tiny people with immense pride, Gulliver has huge figure, innocent and belittled. Swift, here, also satire on what he felt was whisg’s corruption in England at that time.

                     Philip Harth, in “The Problem Of Political Allegory In Gulliver’s Travels” claimed that people of that time definitely saw illusion in description of Swift about Lilliput. In which they put England, Flimnap with Walpole, low-heel and high-heel, whigs and tories, but they could not imagined the account of Gulliver’s advanture in the land of Lilliputians was intended as a consistent allegory of political history of England in the early 18^th century. This was true even of contemporary reaction of satire.

                  Jonathan Swift’s satire became more direct.  Swift satirically compares pigmy’s vanity with the humanity of Gulliver. Gulliver’s evolution of their learning was definitely meant by Swift to be ironic. His microscopic vision, paralleling the use of microscopes in Europe, it only exaggerated the ugliness. The satire of Jonathan swift was to view one’s own country and customs with Brobdingnagians. He was now able to recognize the human folly. Gulliver’s rage at the bird that seized food from Gulliver’s hands was also the example of satirical caparison done by Swift. Swift also satirizing Europe as a perfect state. Swift shows Brobdingnagian’s king as a good and idle one while Gulliver as the corrupted man. Swift’s irony was thoroughly punished.

                       According to J. A. Downie, Swift of course criticized the British politics and Walpole’s political morality and the methods by which he achieved and maintained power. Swift satirize the parodied scholars, he also criticized the notions of learning. Swift also satirized England for vast inequalities of wealth. Swift makes ironic twist by showing Gulliver reluctantly and bitter against his pride.

Conclusion :-

     In “Gulliver’s Travels” by Jonathan Swift the first significant way of satire engaged with the utopian mode. And this irony of utopian conventions was both common and particular.

     Gulliver never fell short on aspect of society to criticize. This type of Mennipean satire points out several issues of Jonathan Swift’s satire and collect them all together under the same book. Thus Gulliver conclude all of Swift’s object of satire beautifully, and making“Gulliver’s Travels” Swift’s best piece of satire.