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Gulliver’s Travels Satirical Analysis In 1776 a great author known as Jonathan Swift wrote a novel called Gulliver’s Travels. This novel along with most of his other work followed a satirical pattern. Due to Swift’s knowledge of politics at the time he was able to create a great satire that ridiculed the government found in England. In Gulliver’s Travels, Swift writes about a man that goes to sea and gets stranded in worlds that seem completely ridiculous. These worlds give Swift ways that allow him to mock the European government and society of his time. I will talk about the ways he pokes fun of the government/society and also explain the satirical meanings of this novel. I will then go on to explain the importance this book still has today. In Gulliver’s first adventure we follow him to a land called Lilliput. In this land Gulliver finds himself a giant to the Lilliputians, who are small GI-Joe like creatures. Swift uses the Lilliputians as a representation of England of the time period. The difference in size between Gulliver and the Lilliputians is Swifts tool to emphasize the importance of physical power. This is a theme that recurs throughout the novel. Over time Gulliver starts to earn the Lilliputians' trust which is funny because the Lilliputians are of no threat to Gulliver considering he could crush them all in a second. Never the less Gulliver does gain his freedom. The humor of this whole ordeal comes from the Lilliputians' view of the situation. They can not see that in spite of the major size difference that is right before their eyes, they never realize their own insignificance. The Lilliputians are small people who control Gulliver through means of threats. "...when in an instant I felt above a hundred arrows discharged into my left hand, which pricked my like so many needles; and besides they shot another flight into the air, as we do bombs in Europe" (Swift 24). England was a small country that had was controlling Europe and many other parts of the world. Hence the association with a “little” country (England) trying to get control of larger territories (Europe). This example he uses of comparing the political situation in Europe at the time to the story is further demonstrated by using Gulliver against the enemies of the Lilliputians, the Blefescans. This shows just like how England would use another nation as a political ally.
Approximate Word count = 1584
Approximate Pages = 6.3
(250 words per page double spaced)
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