NAME : GOHIL HETALBA I.
ROLL
NO. : 12
M.A. SEM – I
SUB : THE NEO-CLASSICAL LITERATURE
TOPIC : A CRITICAL EXPOSURE OF
FICTIONAL
ILLUSION IN
GULLERVER'S
TRAVELS
SUBMITTED
TO : Department
of English
Maharaja
Krishnakumarsinhji University
GUIDED
BY : Dr. DILIP BARAD
HEENABA
ZALA
Ø
Introduction
Swift
came from of an English family which had settled in Dublin of Ireland. He was
born in Dublin on the 30th November, 1667. He was let in the care of
an uncle of his by his mother who returned to England. His uncle gave him the
best education available in Ireland. At college, swift was often at war with
the authorities, and he was not of a very studious turn of mind; but he got
success in getting his degree in 1685. He was dominated by permission. He is
the master of the concrete world; he knows how to witilize the concrete world.
The concrete facts of experience, as well as he ideas, the sentiments, and the
shades of meaning find expression in the most simple vigorous and straight –
forward prose. A great variety of tone is achieved. The language is flexible to
the most famous of all the works of swift. The full little of Swift’s famous
work is Travels into several remote of the world in four parts, by lemuel
Gulliver, first a surgeon and, then a captain of several ships.
Ø
Four Voyages in Brief
The book is divided into four
parts which describes Gulliver’s voyage to different countries.
Part 1 describes Gulliver’s
voyage to a country known as Lilliput and his experiences in that country. Part
2 describes his voyage to Brobdingnag and his experience. Part 3 deals with his
voyage to some countries like Laputa, Balnibarbi, Glubbdubdrib, Luggnagg, and
Japan. Part 4 tells about his voyage to the country of houghnhnms and the
yahoos.
Ø
The Voyage to Lilliput in Part 1
In
this part, religious and political division are humorously mingled. The
foolishness of political and religious fantasy is exposed with the help of
quarrels between the High – Hells and Low – Hells and between the Big – Endians
and the Little – Endians where blood of thousands of people has been shed. When
the emperor’s heels are described as lower than those of anybody else at the
court, the reference is to the preference shown by King George. I to the Whigs.
Many other allusions may also be traced. In addition to all this, some of
Gulliver’s remarks, on the institutions of Lilliput serve as useful comments
upon the legal policy of his own country, England: for instance when he
mentions that the Lilliputians treated fraud as a great crime then stealing,
and alludes to their policy in rewarding merits as well as punishing vice.
Ø
The Voyage to Brobdingnag in Part 2
In this Part of the novel,
Swift shows as the people of immense stature. These people are gifted with a
sound and cool judgment, look at the principle and politics of Europe. Here
satire has general nature. Some particular references to political events; and
no circumstances are mentioned which are not applicable to all place. While
Lilliput was a land inhabited by pigmies or dwarfs, Brobdingnag is the land of
giants or of persons of an immense stature.
Ø
The Voyage to Laputa in Part 3
In this Part, the abuses of
science are the aim of satire. Swift’s target here are the projectors who,
leaving their common sense behind them, wander into the vast regions of
speculative philosophy. It is noticeable here that the satire is not aimed at
true science but its hazards.
Ø
The Voyage to the Land of the
Houyhnhnms and the yahoos in Part 4
In this Part the satire is
intense. This Voyage represents mankind in a light too degraded for
contemplation, and the satire is too exaggerated. The author succeeded in
portraying the disgusting yahoos. The houyhnhnms, are devoid of all those
tender passions and affections without which life become a burden. The
houyhnhnms do not appeal to us as models of perfection.
Every satirist is a reformer,
as satire always aims at correcting human to lies and human vices, Swift had
focused attention upon the follies and vices of all mankind and not merely the
English society of his time. Being pessimist Gulliver could not bear the vices
in mankind. With the help of fictional illusion he decided to expose the vices
of mankind without leaving a single vice untouched. He presents almost all the
vices prevailing in the mankind satirically. Gulliver Travels is a great
satirical masterpiece up to today.
Gulliver’s Travels is one of
the greatest work of satire which is in the form of Travel book. One on hand
it’s just a comic book or travelogue for children but on the other hand it satirizes
human vices. In those days this book became very popular. People enjoyed his
adventurous journey to different lands.
Swift’s real purpose,
however, in writing the novel seems to rebuke mankind for its follies,
absurdities and evil ways.
Ø
Swift a master of Satire
A Satire may roughly and
briefly be destined as a humorous or witty exposure. A Satire can be defined as
a means by which the author can expose the reality of individuals, communities,
or all mankind by employing irony, monkey, ridicule, sarcasm, and even
invective as the weapons of attack. Swift uses all the above means to succeed
in satirizing. He uses irony in double way. He is a master of corrosive satire
is serious and capable of becoming. In this way one can say that the author’s object
in writing the book is to make people realize their irrationality and to
encourage them to develop their rational faculty and guide by it. Thus it can
be said that swift had a moral or ethical aim in writing this fiction.
Ø
The Satire full of Allegories
In
an allegory a person or institution is not attacked directly but they are
attacked indirectly. ‘ Animal farm ’ of George or well is one of the best
examples of effective writing. In this book in Part 1 the Treasurer in
Lilliput, is a satirical portrayal of Sir Robber creates hatred. This corrosive
type of satire is fully developed in book 5 of Gulliver’s Travels. The first
Part is rich in comic fictional illusion.
Ø
Satire used for Moral Purpose
Satire of all types always
aims to reform. Swift aims at amending and correcting his readers but he is
doubtful whether he could reach his goal or not. Swift in his letter to
Alexander Pope wrote that his purpose in writing the book was ‘to vex the world
rather than divert it !’ Actually he desired to shock his readers into a
realization of their faults his readers into a realization of their faults and
failings. According to Swift ‘man is not a rational animal’ though man is
certainly Walpole who was the Prime minister of England from 1715 to 1716 and
again from 1721 to 1742. Dancing on a tightly tied rope allegorized Walpole’s
skill in parliamentary tactics and political intrigues same way, Reldresal
represents Lord Carteret who was appointed by Walpole to the office of Lord carters
who was appointed by Walpole to the office of Lord lieutenant of Ireland.
Further one of the king’s cushion’s talks about of King George’s mistresses who
helped to restore warped to favor after his fall in 1717. The conflict between
High – Heels and Low – Heels represents the contict between the two main
parties of England i.e. Whig and Tory. The quarrel between Big – Endians and
the Little – Endians symbolizes the quarrels between the Roman Catholics and
the Protestants. The incident of extinguishing a fire in queen’s apartment and
the queens reaction is an example of queen Anne’s description of annoyance with
swift for writing ‘A tale of a Tube’ another boot which attracted religious
abuses but the queen misinterpreted it as an attack on religion. The pigmies of
Lilliput and the giants of Brobdingnag depicts human beings first reduced to a
small scale, as it seen through a magnifying glass. Symbols of animals are
given in Part 4. In this Part yahoos symbolizes mankind without any good
quality, while the houyhnhnms (the horses) shows human beings with their good
qualities. They were perfect and have no bad qualities at all.
Ø
The Scope of Satire in this
Illusionary Novel
In the first Part, English
Politics is satirized. The Politicians monarchs, religious disputes of the
contemporary England are satirized. Here the Satire is somewhat personal as
minister like Walpole and queen Anne as well King George are satirized. Swift
had grudge in mind for them. Swift also satirizes on the people of his own
country. In Part 2 Swift Satire country in general. He covers his entire
country and the inhabitants of his motherland. He gives the whole account of
all the ongoing of his country. He gives the account of people, the history of
his land, the institutions to the King of brobdingnag. The King is annoyed
hearing all the fuss and hypocrisy of his countrymen (The making) The king
makes a general comment of critical and condemnatory nature on all the natives
of England. In part 3 Swift’s Satire is on particular class of the country.
Swift satirizes on the philosophers, scientists, academics, planners,
intellectuals etc. His Satire is on all people having theoretical approach to
words the life that become useless when they have to be practical. The academy
of projectors in Lagado is a parody of the royal society as it was functioning
in the age of the writer. Swift’s makes general satire on a particular group of
people when Gulliver sees the miserable condition of the illusion of the desire
to live long. There he sees immortals who are in worst condition. Here,
theoreticians, historians and critics are also satirized by Swift. In this Part
Gulliver interviews some of the famous dead and learns how historians and critics
distort the history and misinterpreted authors like Homer Aristotle etc. In
part 4, Swift’s Satire becomes universal. He targets on the whole mankind. In
first three Parts his aim is only England and Europeans but here in this Part
the whole man-kind is satirized. The yahoos are the symbols of the whole
mankind. The evils found by the master houyhnhnhm has been discovered in yahoos
are made universal. They are the vices found in human beings. Everywhere on the
earth. The master houyhnhnms accuses the yahoos of being, brutal, beastly, cunning
lustful, lead, gluttonerls and posses the strongest possible disposition to
mischief. When Gulliver gives to his master (horse) an analysis of war and
describes the chaos brought by wars, the whole account has a universal
validity, same way. Gulliver’s condemnation of lawyers, judges. Physicians and
government minister also goes beyond all the country boundaries, because persons
belonging to these professions are all largely corrupt everywhere in the world.
The houyhnhnms are the glorification and idealization of the virtuous of human
beings. They are described especially of human beings. They are described
especially of human reason and the human reason and the human qualities vicious
and virtuous human nature are revealed by Jonathan Swift here. His scope vice
of the mankind.
Ø
Comic and corrosive Satire of Swift
The description in first two
Parts of Gulliver’s Voyages i.e. the voyage to Lilliput and the voyage to
brobdingnag contains lots of comic satire. The incidents of High – Heels and
Low – Heels, the incident of Big-endian and the little – Endians are really
comic we are surprised at the insistence on breaking the eggs at insistence on
breaking the eggs at the Big end by Lilliputians and that other insisting to
break them at the little end. Secondly it makes us laugh when in Part 1
Gulliver defends the reputation of the Lilliputians lady whose name is linked
in scandal. In Part many comic sense are found. The animals and insects, men
and women trees and grass are of huge size of cats, dogs, monkeys, flies and
wasps. Even the apples and hailstones are of huge size. The behavior of the
maids at brobdingnag towards Gulliver amuses us. Part three has many factious
stories. We laugh at most of the scientific projects. The project of extracting
drumbeats out cumber, converting human excrement into its original food,
building houses from the roof downwards to the foundation the cobwebs giving
silk, production of books by using machine without using brains seen ridiculous
Part 4 has almost magicable comical elements. This Part is the most pessimistic
extract of the novel. It is very serious and has somber and grain elements.
Here, we generally have corrosive, fierce and offensive satire. The evil side
of human nature is exposed with skillful efforts of Swift. The evil side of
human is exaggerated in the character of yahoos. Gulliver condemns various classes of mankind. Gulliver makes
severe satire on mankind by giving the example of his country people. He also
condemns the people doing malpractices, he is extreme on the drunkards, murderer
and thieves. He also takes about the vices like whoring, gambling forgery,
poisoning etc.
Ø
Satire in the illusion based on the
reality
The Satire in Part 4 is so
scornful, incisive and devastating that some people cannot be convinced. Swift
takes the help of exaggeration to create the true impression of the satire on
the reader’s mind. One can agree with the statement that vice are more and
virtues are less in human beings in the invective Part 4 the incidents are
based on the facts. We cannot pretend that there is less evil and more goodness
in human beings. It we consider buyers physicians bureaucrats, some private
educational institutes, industrialists businessmen this can be proved easily
even today.
Ø
Pride as a Satire
Gulliver’s Travels is also a
moral tale. We find pettiness, greed pride, meanness in the novel. In the end
Gulliver starts hating mankind and even his own family. Here, Swift cannot be
identified with him. He points out the fatality of being extreme misanthropy.
Gulliver’s attitude of complete isolation from mankind and his aversion to his
own family members is not extremist misanthrope.
Swift does posses his view of
human nature that is full of low, mean, proud, and having many evils. He
through this fictional novel truly succeeded in satirizing mankind showing them
mirror of their absurdities. He has exposed human nature with all types of
vices leaving not a single one aside without a touch. Gulliver’s Travels is a
Satire on the human vices, politics and society. It’s divided into four
journeys. On first hand it seems to be a comic book but it’s grain reality of
mankind.
