Jonathan Swift's Satirical Depiction of Gulliver in His Travels

Jul 29, 2011
Stetson Thacker

Jonathan Swift - Albert Bridge

This article examines Jonathan Swift's use of Gulliver as an agent of satire through the his allegorical polemic Gulliver's Travels.

Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels’ titular character undergoes a dramatic transformation throughout the satire, specifically from a proud nationalist, optimistic about the state of his home country’s affairs and the prospects of man to a bigoted recluse, disdainful of all humanity for its vice and irrationality. This shift in Gulliver toward misanthropy seemingly purports itself as Swift’s true attitude toward mankind as opposed to the ironic stances Swift adopts earlier in his satire.

Gulliver’s change is a glaring red herring because Swift’s crafty irony is at play. Gulliver’s contemptuousness is astonishing and to such an absurd extent that the reader realizes Swift cannot be seriously depicting his opinions on man; moreover, earlier in the satire Swift satirically presents two extremes in order to assert a more moderate course as a solution. Thus, Swift does not illustrate the transformation in Gulliver in order to use him as a mouthpiece for his own opinions; instead both extremes of Gulliver are presented ironically so that the reader can conclude the behaviors and principles that mankind should uphold.

Swift’s Satirical Strategy

Gulliver’s altered behavior from the beginning of the satire is not an endorsement by Swift for Gulliver’s new thoughts and behaviors; it is rather a continuation of a satirical strategy that Swift employs throughout Gulliver’s Travels. For instance, in part two, in regards to education Swift depicts English education as containing an excessive amount of coddling and inculcation of vain notions of nationalism while depicting Brobdingnag‘s education as a communal effort centered around an impersonal education system. Ultimately, from the satirical representations presented it can be concluded that Swift favors education that does not pamper students but still is personally tailored for students’ intellectual propensities. Thus, the first of Gulliver’s extremes is his original state, in which he is the prototypical English citizen entrenched in the nationalistic and imperialistic notions of England.

This extreme of Gulliver is particularly developed in the second section during his discussion with the Brobdingnagian king. His wish for “the tongue of Demosthenes or Cicero” to “celebrate the praise of [his] own dear native country” and ultimately paint a picture of England far more polished than its reality is illustrative of his blind nationalism. Swift’s irony through Gulliver’s depiction is realized when the Brobdingnagian king undercuts all of Gulliver’s praise of England to which Gulliver can only defensively respond by labeling the Brobdingnagian as ignorant. Swift’s depiction of Gulliver in part four is the converse extreme; consequently, Gulliver despises the English and in general, is disgusted with all of mankind.

Gulliver the Misanthrope

Swift’s ironical presentation of the misanthropic Gulliver is revealed through Swifts abuse of absurdity manifest in Gulliver’s behaviors. In part four, Gulliver despises humans so vehemently even “the sight” of his own family fills him “only with hatred, disgust, and contempt.” He leaves Houyhnhnmland and is rescued from death by Portuguese sailor; however, he almost immediately tries “to leap into the sea” and “swim for [his] life” in the middle of a vast ocean because he rather that fate “than continue among Yahoos.” Swift develops Gulliver’s aversion to man, his own species, beyond farcical limits. Gulliver even resorts to stopping his nose with “rue, lavender, or tobacco leaves” to prevent his nose from smelling the “very offensive” odor of men and entreats those with the “absurd vice” of a Yahoo to not “appear in [his] sight.”

Gulliver’s Travels is broadened in the scope of its satire by Swift’s concluding section. His ironic presentation of a naïve nationalist transformed into a cynical bigot shifts the focus from just the vices and follies of the English to those of all of mankind. Ultimately, Swift is concerned with the “PUBLIC GOOD”; his criticisms are aimed at helping the public realize and correct their irrational and immoral behaviors.