Gulliver Travels as an allegorical play
Gulliver’s Travel is the story of
Lemuel Gulliver and his voyage around the world. This story is divided into
four parts or books, each about different place. It became a children classics
soon after it publication. But it is not fair to declare it only a
child’s classic as it was read and
admired by
even adults also. It is more than
just a fairy tale. It is a superb satire on mankind in general and English
politics in particular. Every land which Gulliver visits is a wonderful land.
Actually, every voyage undertook by Gulliver has an allegorical importance
also. As it describe one or another aspect of human nature. Gulliver’s
experiences at every place are strange, exciting and amazing. A
thorough study of four books is
required to feel the full magic of Swift’s writings.
1-
A voyage to a Lilliput.
At the start of the first voyage it
is told that Gulliver gets the job of a surgeon in the ship called
“Antelope”.
Their journey started from Bristol on the 4th of May, 1699.
Their ship is overtaken by storm and Gulliver swims and reaches to the coast in
an exhausted condition. When
Gulliver gains senses the book
attains all the elements fit for a “Child Classic”.
He has reached the land called Lilliput. The
very information that the human beings there are six-inches high, fill us with
thrill and wonder. No doubt, Swift here employs imagination and fiddle with the
famous
travelogue material written for
commercial purpose. The first part of the book is full of comic elements and
shows the light hearted aspect of the book. In fact, the very idea that the
human beings there are of six inches size is comic and laughs producing. A
dwarf among the common human beings creates fun and laughter but a human being of
six inches create laughter accompanied by wonder. The way nine hundred
Lilliputians pull Gulliver and the way ladders are used to feed him with
buckets are really enthralling. The huge bulk of Gulliver among the
Lilliputians can be imagined by the fact twenty vehicles with meat hardly make
two or three mouthfuls for Gulliver and ten vessels full of liquor make a
single draught for him. One feels amusement to know that six hundred beds are
combined to make a bed for Gulliver. The battle between Lilliputians and
Blefuscu also gives light heartedness to the first part. It is funny and
enjoyable to see a huge man capturing the enemy’s ship with one stroke. Our imagination
is put to test by telling that the tallest horses and oxen are between four and
five inches in height. Some of the customs of this land are surprising as well
as funny. For example; the burial of dead with their heads downwards, with a
concept that they would rise on their feet and their particular way of writing,
create humour. The dominating element Book 1 is amusing and comic but to miss
out the serious element would be unjust. Behind every comic incident there is a
satire and serious purpose also. One of such comic event is the activity
of “Rope dancing”. This is practiced by those who want high posts in the
imperial court. The person jumping the highest is granted the highest position.
There is also a ceremony of awarding coloured threads to the candidates who can
leap over the sticks. In fact, this is a direct criticism on the ridiculous
ways of the British Government and the way high public and political offices
were awarded to the undeserving people. Filmnop of Lilliput is often thought as
the prime minister of England from 1715 to 1717 and then from 1721 to 1742. The
coloured thread is a mocking reference by Swift of those rewards which were
granted to favourites of the king without any distinction. The account of
dispute between Big-Endians and the Little-Endians is actually a comment on the
history of religious controversy in England. Moreover, the reference to the
high heels and low heels is an allusion to the political parties. We also
witness a conspiracy which was a well organized plan to remove Gulliver from
the sight. This is obviously a satire on the court intrigues. However, in the
view of the dangers faced by him, Gulliver first escapes to Blefuscu and then succeds
in returning to England on 13th April, 1702.
2- A voyage
to Brobdingnag
On the 20th June 1702,
Gulliver starts his second voyage on ‘adventure’. On the 16th of
June 1703, they catch sight of an island. Gulliver goes on a small boat to
explore this island. Soon, he witnesses the people of the island. He finds
himself Lilliputians in the land of giants. Here again, Swift employs the
technique of contrast between the littleness of our world and the gigantic standards
of the land called Brobdingnag.
Gulliver is captured by farmer how
brought to him to his home. Here Gulliver is looked after gently and soon the
family reconciles with him. Certain events and situations take place in
farmer’s house, which are everlasting for their humour. For example, the
youngest son of the farmer lifts Gulliver by the legs and throws him in the
air. Here he is saved by farmer. The incident where two rates (equal to the
size of dogs in real world) attacks Gulliver who saves himself with a sword. When
Gulliver is displayed in the public, he is carried on the horse-back, whose
movements are like the tossing of a ship in the storm. There is also a comic
incident when a school boy aims a hazelnut at Gulliver’s head and how he
escapes it.
Soon the fame of Gulliver reaches to
court and the king brings him, where he immediately becomes favourite of the
queen. The dwarf of the queen becomes jealous of Gulliver and plays many tricks
on him. All this adds to the comic appeal of the book. Once, he succeeds in
throwing Gulliver into a large bowl of cream. The details of the event where
Gulliver is fixed in the bone from which marrow has been taken out are also
source of fun and laughter. On another occasion, the dwarf catches a number of
flies and releases
them under Gulliver’s nose, which
causes a lot of
uneasiness for him. The events with
a dog, a monkey and his sticking in the cow-dung, all show
Swift’s ability of creating visual
humour . The part ll of the book is full of satire on the English system and
general humanity. All the efforts made by Gulliver to prove himself a human
being end in smoke and the king takes him for a disgusting vermin. A mild
satire is also found on belles and beaux of the age and their scandalous activities.
Swift proves a point that the English nation as a whole is suffering from dead
conscious and wants to live a life of spiritual stagnation. However, views of
the king test patience of the upper English class. The king’s view is that in
England, ignorance, idleness and vice are the proper
qualifications for a candidate to be
elected by the House of Commons. According to him, laws in England are
interpreted by those whose interest lies in corrupting and confusing them.
Similarly, there is irony in
Gulliver’s remark to the king for having confined education as he did not take
any interest in learning the method of manufacturing gun-powder. Actually,
Swift wants to stimulate the dead conscious of the rulers who do not hesitate
to use violence for their superiority. However, when Gulliver starts to become
restless at the beginning of the third year of his stay at Brobdingnag, he
was able to leave the country of the giants through good luck. He is carried
over the sea by an eagle and then by an incident fell down into a ship and
reached England. This part of the book ends on an interesting note that
Gulliver takes some time to adjust to the small things in England.
3-A
voyage to Laputa, Balnibarbi, Glubbdubdrib
Gulliver had stayed for ten days
with his family, when the captain of a ship (Hope-Well) offered him a surgeon’s
job. He wants to set out for ‘East Indians’. They sailed away on 5th
August,
1705, after three days of voyaging
Gulliver’s ship is attacked by the pirates. They deprived of him of his
belonging and after five days his boat touched a new island. Here, he is
astonished to see the giant floating island appearing in the sky. Through a
chained seat, he is lifted on the island (Laputa) and is presented before the
king. The people of this island are fond of music and mathematics. After a
brief introduction of the people and their shapes, Swift introduces comic
incidents. At dinner many dishes were brought before Gulliver who was surprised
to see them cut into geometrical shapes. When Gulliver leaves Laputa and
reaches Lagado, Swift is found here at his mocking best. Some of the comic ideas
are; a project for extracting sun beams from cucumber, efforts for restoring
human excrement to its original food, a method of building houses from roofs to
the foundation, a blind man mixing colours for the painters, the research by a
physician resulting in the death of dog, various experiments such as softening
the marble for pillows and breeding sheep with no wool on their body. New
methods for teaching grammar and mathematics are also quite amusing. The idea
that the students have to eat the wafer with the written text, with a fasting
stomach, catches the attention of the modern researchers. Part lll of the book
is also full of some of the very serious criticism. First of all the general human
attitude is criticized by the writer. The men are so much consumed in thoughts
that they have servants who draw their attention towards anything worth noting.
Their too much attention to their professions has resulted in the degenerates
values of the women. The women find lovers among strangers and freely make love
with them. Academy of Lagado is parody of London’s Royal Society. The projects
listed above are the sheer wastage of time, money and labour. The suggestion by
one of the professors that the favourities of kings should be given suitable
medicine to stimulate their memories so that they may not forget their promises,
is bitter pill to swallow for the politicians of the time. The suggestion, to
impose taxes according to the merit of the people, is again an example where
Swift’s satire crosses the boundaries of nations and turns towards the human
race similarly, irony is found in the scheme to teach the ministers that how to
judge the candidates for the certain jobs. In fact, what is ignored in England
is ironically listed by Swift taking the advantage of voyage genre. This part
of the book also contains Gulliver’s visit to the island of Glubbdubdrib. Here,
he comes to know that the governor had the ability to call dead people to life.
He suggests different names such as; Alexander the Great, Hannibal, Pompey,
Brutus, Aristotle etc. Swift has used this device to ridicule the blunders and
dishonesty committed by historians to get favours and cheap fame. Similarly,
Swift also condemns the ‘greatness’ of those people whom historical lies has
made ‘great’.
In this part of the book, the most
touching event, perhaps the sight of the immortals in “Luggnage”. Here, he is
told about a group of people who are immortal. Gulliver considers them very
fortunate. However, he is soon disillusioned by the miserable condition of the
immortals called “Struldbrugs”. They are condemned with the life of weariness,
fever and fret. Thus, Swift again turns universal in his aims and ridicules
every human being who ever wishes to live eternity.
Gulliver left Luggnage and reaches
Japan, from where, he arrives his native country on 20th April1710,
after the absence of five and half years.
4-A voyage
to the country of Houyhnhnms
After a stay of about five months,
Gulliver’s spirit inspired him to undertake a journey on‘Adventure’ on the 7
th
September, 1710. Again, a mishap put
him on a new island. Here, he iscaptured by strange creatures but is saved by
the horses. He was really surprised to see thebehavior of the horses with him
and also with each other. These horses neigh as if they weretalking. Gulliver
is so much surprised that he thinks they are magicians in the guise of horses.
However, Gulliver is able to pick
two words from their conversation; ‘Yahoo’ and ‘Houyhnhnms’.
The horses are able to persuade
Gulliver to follow them.The introductory chapter of the final book contains two
surprising elements. Houyhnhnms,who are horses (physically), behave in a
logical way; Yahoos (outwardly human) behave like brutes.
Thus, the final episode of the
‘Gulliver’s Travels’ cut acros
s all the barriers of time, place
and races,turning towards the boasting of man to be crown of all the creations.
However, Gulliver with his
abilities is able to convince the
Houyhnhnms that he is a ‘better yahoo’ and they treat him kindly.
The very word Houyhnhnm means perfection
according to the language of this country.They are shown so perfect logic as
well as moral wise that there is no word in their language for a
‘lie’ or ‘falsehood’. Later in the
book, when Gulliver tries to establis
h his superiority by telling themthe
way horses are treated in his land, he has to face bitter criticism by the
master of theHouyhnhnms. First of all he declines to believe that yahoos (human
beings) have got ability to givelogic and think. He also find
s fault in Gulliver’s body. In fact,
this reversal of roles is Swift’s method
of satire.
Satire is also found in Gulliver’s
own description of the people of his own country. According
to him many people are ruined by the
litigation. Many people spend all their money on drinking,gambling and
sexuality. A lot of people in modern England were guilty of murder, theft,
robbery,forgery, rape, sodomy
and so on. This follows Gulliver’s
description of the wars in which monarchs
indulge, just to prove their
superiority over the other lands or nations. The evils of drinking
andprostitution were also very common. Doctors were busy in making money than
curing diseases.They employed methods to prolong the ailments. The satire found
in this section on physicians andpolitician still holds good for many countries
of the world. The exposure of the politicians who cando anything to become
ministers and chief ministers show the corruption prevailing in them.When
Gulliver has completed the description of his land, certain habits of Yahoos
arenarrated as a comparison to the human beings. The lust, drinking, love of
stones and love for thesatisfaction of the senses, is obviously a satire on
humanity. Gulliver is so much depressed at allthis that he indentifies human
beings with Yahoos and finds inferior to them. A sever satire isfound when a
meeting is called and suggestion is made to exterminate Yahoos as they cannot
be cured. All this has an adverse affect on the psyche of Gulliver who begins
to think himself a Yahoo. He cannot bear the sight of his own reflection. He
develops so much hatred for his own race that he begins to imitate the gait,
gesture and voice of the Houyhnhnms. The final nail in the coffin of
Gulliver’s dignity proves the
decision of Houyhnhnms to expel him from their land. Thus, Gulliver returns to
England, disgusts his family and begins to live in the company of horses. The
final decision of Gulliver has been a subject of heated controversy. It has
also been called misanthropy of Swift. But, while declaring this verdict, we
should have three points in mind:
1) Houyhnhnms are not ideal (lack
emotions).
2) Yahoos are not human beings (lack
logic and differ in shape).
3) Gulliver is not Swift.
Answer to all the above questions
solves the trouble of the charge and the purpose of Swift for writing “Gulliver’s
Travels”.
(In short, “Gulliver’s Travels” is
not merely an adventure story or children’s classic but is equally
popular in adults due to its moral
purpose. Behind the disguise of this narrative, Swift satirizes the pettiness
of human nature. He wants moral reformation of man and his society.)
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