The Body In Gulliver’S Travels . Gulliver’S Travels,...

The Body in Gulliver’s Travels Gulliver’s Travels, published in 1726, by Jonathan Swift, is a travel narrative about Lemuel Gulliver. Europe, around the time Swift published his novel, was dominated with ideas of Enlightenment which privileged rational thought and reason. Man during this time believed to be superior to all creatures, based on his ability to reason. Gulliver’s Travels satirically relates bodily functions and physical attributes to social issues as well as the Enlightenment Theory. Through the voyages of Gulliver, Swift breaks down the exalted notions which were associated with the age of the Enlightenment. Swift also uses graphic representations of the body and its functions, to reveal to the reader that greatness is†¦show more content†¦Swift in great detail describes the act of excretion various times throughout the text. In the country of the Houyhnhnms, the Yahoos throw their excrement at each other and at Gulliver. The recurring appearance of excrement reminds the reader of the importance of the body’s demands while refusing to let humans be portrayed exclusively as intellectual beings. In Book 1, the size of the Lilliputians was also an analogy for England. Swift recognized that England was just like the Lilliputians, which had great influence in Europe. Swift wrote Gulliver’s Travels during a time when Europe was the world’s most dominant and influential force. However, England despite its small size had the power to defeat any nation and try to conquer them. Swift makes this connection to the small stature of the Lilliputians. They stood only six inches high, but had the power to siege Gulliver who appeared like a giant to them. The ability of a nation consisting of miniature people who are able to capture someone many times their size can be seen as reinforcing the capability of a small nation becoming and remaining a great power. Swift displays a condescending tone to Gulliver’s portrayal of the small Lilliputians who easily fit into the hands of Gulliver yet still manage to threaten his life even though the Lilliputians are extremely smal l in Gulliver’s eyes. On Gulliver’s second voyage, he comes across a race of gigantic beings, theShow MoreRelatedJonathan Swifts Gullivers Travels1210 Words   |  5 Pages The definition of a utopia is an imagined place or state in which everything is perfect. In book four of Gulliver’s travels Gulliver discovers a group of people called the Houyhnhnms and the group displays qualities of a possible utopia. The Houyhnhnms are very rational in their thinking, and try their best to stay away from entertainment and vanity. However the Houyhnhnms could not be considered creators of a utopia because they emphasized unrealistic rules and because of their treatment ofRead MoreThe Downfall And Vice As A Tale Of A Tub And The Battle Of The World Essay2058 Words   |  9 Pagesvice being satirised through the characters of Gulliver’s Travels. Swift began working on book by 1721, with the parts being written in sequence to begin with. Parts I and II were finished by late 1723 with Part IV being completed by January 1724. This lead to Part III being finished and the entire works being under revision in early 1725. Swift sent the manuscript to Benjamin Motte, a bookseller at that time. Before publishing Gulliver’s Travels Motte edited the text fearing the crown and courtRead MoreAnalysis on Swift’s Attitude Towards Humanity1638 Words   |  7 PagesSwift’s Attitude towards Humanity Introduction In1726, Jonathan Swift, one of the best-known realistic writers in 18th century, published his book Gulliver’s Travels which on the surface is a collection of travel journals of a surgeon called Lemuel Gulliver but actually is a work of satire on politics and human nature. In the four incredible adventures, Gulliver’s perceptions are tied closely with Swift’s shame and disgust against British government and even against the whole of the human conditionRead MoreAnalysis on Swifts Attitude Towards Humanity1622 Words   |  7 PagesSwift’s Attitude towards Humanity Introduction In1726, Jonathan Swift, one of the best-known realistic writers in 18th century, published his book Gulliver’s Travels which on the surface is a collection of travel journals of a surgeon called Lemuel Gulliver but actually is a work of satire on politics and human nature. In the four incredible adventures, Gulliver’s perceptions are tied closely with Swift’s shame and disgust against British government and even against the whole of the human conditionRead MoreAbuse of power in Gullivers travels1707 Words   |  7 PagesJonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels presents a narrator, Lemuel Gulliver, who recounts his various sea voyages to fantastical lands. During each voyage, Gulliver encounters different societies and customs to which Gulliver must adjust to. in order to be accepted into their society The entire novel serves as a commentary on how people everywhere have a tendency to abuse the power given to them. Gulliver’s first voyage is to Lilliput. The ship that Gulliver travels on capsizes, and Gulliver findsRead MoreGulliver s Travels By Jonathan Swift1281 Words   |  6 Pages When people ever think of the famous novel Gulliver’s Travels written by Jonathan Swift, the first picture that would come to their mind is Gulliver’s dramatic comparison with the smalls or the giants in body size. The story of Lilliput (The land of Smalls) and the story of Brobdingnag (The land of Giants) are so widespread because of their both comic and humorous effect. They are favored by later literature carriers, like films and children’s books, generally in abridged and adopted editions. AsRead MoreEssay About Gullivers Travels5646 Words   |  23 Pagesdecided to write satires of modern learning. Gulliver’s Travels was a controversial work when it was first published in 1726. In fact, it was not until almost ten years after its first printing that the book appeared with the entire text that Swift had originally intended it to have. Ever since, editors have excised many of the passages, particularly the more caustic ones dealing with bodily functions. Even without those passages, however, Gulliver’s Travels serves as a biting satire, and Swift ensuresRead MoreGullivers Travels by Jonathan Swift1367 Words   |  6 PagesWhen Jonathan Swift published his novel Gulliver’s Travels in 1726, it immediately became a success and continues to be popular even today. The range of different topics addressed in his sardonic novel allows readers to easily relate, as many of the issues of Swift’s time during the Enlightenment remain relevant issues. As Swift wrote in another satirical piece The Battle of the Books, â€Å"Satyr is a sort of Glass, wherein Beholde rs do generall discover every body’s Faces but their Own.† The EnlightenmentRead More Comparison of the Transformation of Characters in Gullivers Travels and Robinson Crusoe1426 Words   |  6 PagesThe Transformation of Characters in Gullivers Travels and Robinson Crusoe   The characters in Gullivers Travels and Robinson Crusoe are portrayed as resembling trained soldiers, being capable of clear thought during tense and troubled times. This quality possessed within Robinson Crusoe and Gulliver is a result of the authors background and knowledge. Daniel Defoe was knowledgeable and proficient in seamanship, he understood the workings of a ship and the skills required for its operationRead MoreEssay about Jonathan Swift1794 Words   |  8 Pagespreachy. Swift was raised in Dublin, and was schooled well despite getting just average grades. After getting a job as a secretary, he moved on to being a priest in Ireland. By this time, Swift was already approaching thirty, but still had not published anything of much worth. His years of reading in the church libraries and his growing acute eye for the vices of society were honed at this time, and his great works were about to come. Swift had the power to easily implement new ideas and insights