Political Satire In 'Gulliver's Travels'

Assignment Paper 2

The Neoclassical Literature

Ajit A. Kaliya

M.A. Sem 1

Roll No. 3

Enrollment No. 2069108420170013

Email: kaliyaajitbhai@gmail.com

Department Of English, MKBU

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Political Satire In 'Gulliver's Travels'

'Gulliver's Travels.' children, youngsters or old aged, people of all the ages would have heard this name. Even if they are not English literature lover or don't even know English language, they have been aware about Gulliver's journey. Because this is a unique novel, the great satirical novel, perhaps the greatest satirical novel of all the time. Jonathan Swift's 'Gulliver's Travels'. If someone want to know what satire is, he should read this book. Children might find it only great adventure story, but it is not so. It bitterly satires on human nature, politics, class conflicts, science and so on. But here I will highlight only satire on politics which can find in this novel.

Swift has at least two aims in 'Gulliver's Travels' besides merely telling a wonderful adventure story. behind the disguise of his narrative, he is satirizing the pettiness of human nature in general and attacking the Whigs in particular. By emphasising the six inch height of the Lilliputians, he graphically diminishes the stature of politicians and indeed the stature of all human nature. And in using the fire in the Queen's chambers, the rope dancers, the bill of particulars drawn against Gulliver, and the inventory of Gulliver's pockets, he presents a series of allusions that were identifiable to his contemporaries or critical of Whig politics.

In his first voyage when Gulliver wakes, he finds himself bound by ropes on the island of Lilliput. Lilliputians were very small among Gulliver, but they had bound Gulliver. The Lilliputians are the embodiment of England of the time period. Gulliver says, "When in an instant I felt above a hundred arrows discharged into my left hand which pricked me like so many needles, and besides they shot another flight into the air as we do bombs in Europe."

These words indicates that England had been continuously throwing bombs on Europe. England was a small country that had Europe represented by Gulliver and many other parts of the world under their control.

On island of Lilliput Gulliver fights against Blefuscu and they win also, but what was the reason for fighting? How to cut an egg? Here Swift satires that how nations are fighting with each other for no reason and by fighting they gets nothing. Swift relates this trait to the situations where a dominant ruler oppresses nations. It also shows how a simple, ridiculous things can bring forth war. For Swift, Lilliput is analogous to England and Blefuscu to France. With this event of the story Swift satirizes the needless fighting between two nations. By Lilliputians and Blefuscudians Swift indicates war between Tories and Whigs. It was the rise of political parties and two main parties were Whigs and Tories. Swift also had been writing for Whig party. So Swift was well aware about political activities and that's why he was able to write this work. By this journey Swift also satires on war between England and France.

Another very good example of political allegory is the rope dancers who are Lilliputians seeking employment in the government. All candidates are asked to dance on the rope and and whoever jumps the highest without failing is offered a high office. This jumping game may sound innocent to the children, however, politically it's significance is far from innocent. Obviously, Swift makes a satire on the way in which political offices were distributed among the candidates by George 1, how government  employes people without skill and what people do for getting place in government. In genera, Jonathan Swift want to infer that England's system is arbitrary and corrupted.

Here two Lilliputians parties stand for English political parties. The high heels represent Tories, the low heels Whigs. These two massacre the English soil both politically and byreligion. In Swift's voice- "we computed the Tramecksan , or High heels , to exceed us in number; but the power wholly on our side" refersto the succession of Whigs in 1714 (i.e. the Hanoverian succession) though the Tories were large in number. Here, it should be mentioned that at first Swift was Whig and later joined the Tory. Again the king was sympathetic to the Whigs. He used them to support Hanover against France and appointed them to official positions to strengthen his position against the House of Lords. Thus the Lilliputians empire, who is George i, wears low heels which is censured by Swift.

The scene of searching Gulliver's pockets  creates laughter and amusement. But it has a deeper satirical platform in which the search reminds readers of the Whigs diligent search in the public and private affairs of the Tories after queen Anne's death. The Whigs hope is to see the destruction of the Tory leaders. For this he needs to discover treason in the efforts of Tory to end the war of Spanish succession in 1711-13 and in their contacts with the court of the Stuart pretenders to English thorne.

On the island of Brobdingnag one farmer finds Gulliver and asks Gulliver to dance. And Gulliver does because he has no power. He can't do anything, he was powerless here. The farmer represents people who are in power and Gulliver represents common people. Politicians are powerful people and so they can uses common people for their entertainment. And common people has to do whatever powerful people says. Ordinary people can not raise their voice against power. They must dance as Gulliver did.

Then farmer uses Gulliver for his profit, for making money. Satire is that politicians uses inferior people for their profit and becomes reach and reach and poor becomes poor and poor. Since ancient time, who are king or ruler, they are reach and citizens were poor even they works hard. Most of the profit have been taking by rulers. They uses these poor people for making money. This is because of unequal distribution of money, which remains big problem today also.

On this island Gulliver talks with the king. He tells about England's ministers, court, lawyers, and other things. After listen it king becomes very angry and says that your country is nothing except conspiracies, murder, hypocrisy, wars, vices, ignorance, malice, and so on. Here, by words of king, Swift wants to express his thoughts about England. He satirizes by king's words that what ministers and politicians are doing? They were full of conspiracies, they are war mangers. England's motives were ruling all over the world. Politics was full of conspiracies and cold war. So, Swift by this wants to say that though you believe your country as great as Gulliver was believing, but reality is different. Reality is what king said about it England in novel.

In his third journey Gulliver reaches on the flying island of Laputa. People of Laputa were not practical, they were just keep thinking useless things. In this journey we can find great political satire. When Laputians reaches above one island, they attacks on them by throwing big stones on them. Here, which is above represents power and which is below, represents powerless. So, who are superior,attacks on inferior. England has ruled over many countries. It shows mentality of English people.

The political satire becomes very bitter when we come to the Flying Island. The country practiced by England in his treatment of the people of Ireland is brought into focus in the meant out by the king of Laputa to his subjects living in Balnibarbi. The lord lived in Laputa and had their lands in the lower island. The people of Balnibarbi were thoroughly exploited and were living in want and destitution. If they dared to revolt they were mercilessly dealt with. The Flying Island would continue to hover over the continued to resist, it was crushed down by the adamantine bottom of the Flying Island.

Then Gulliver reaches on the island of Balnibarbi. There he visits room of language, room of politics, room of answers etc. Gulliver wanted to know his way to home, but nobody answered him. All were busy in doing useless things. Satire is that who are in authority, do not do their work. They have no concern with people. They doesn't care for anybody. They are busy in making money. Politicians are busy to fulfill their bloody ideas. It is duty of rulers to listen problems of their people and solve it, but as Gulliver could not get answers, we also never gets answers.

So, these are some examples of satire on politics found in 'Gulliver's Travels.' In first three journey we can find satire on politics, fourth journey is about satire on human nature.

So in this book Jonathan Swift suggests some political themes from that time. It reflects political background of neo classical age. It shows political conspiracies and hypocrisies. It is not only the book of that time, it is the book of all time. It is Swift's foresight so we can apply all the satires today also. Same issues can be found in modern time also. It is a book which will remain classic because of it has portrayed some universal issues.

References:

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