Gulliver's travels by Jonathan Swift

❖ Main Points Summary: Introduction to Gulliver's Travels: (Part one)

1. The 18th Century Literary and Cultural Context
- The Age of Enlightenment emphasized reason, skepticism, and individualism.
- The Scientific Revolution influenced thought, challenging faith-based ideas.
- Neoclassicism dominated literature, favoring order, reason, and imitation of
classical works.
- The Rise of Realism in literature reflected everyday life and human nature.
- Satire became a key literary device, used to critique politics, society, and
human flaws.
2. The Augustan Age and the Rise of the Novel
- The Augustan Age “Age of Reason” (early 18th century) was characterized by
political and literary satire.
- Literature reflected public themes rather than personal emotions.
- The modern novel emerged, focusing on realism and character development.
- Writers like Defoe, Swift, Fielding, and Richardson laid the foundation of the
English novel.
- Gulliver’s Travels is categorized as travel fiction and satirical fiction.
3. Jonathan Swift: Life and Ideologies
- Swift (1667–1745) was an Anglo-Irish writer, clergyman, and political satirist.
- His writing was shaped by his religious conservatism and political views.
- Initially supported the Whigs but later aligned with the Tories due to conflicts
over Anglican Church policies.
>> Whigs: "Whig" is a Scottish word meaning "cattle driver". Whig party included
those who opposed Charles-II and favoured Aristocratic succession for Monarchy.
>> Tories: "Tory" is an Irish word meaning "Irish Rebel". The Tory party included
those who favoured monarchy and supported the king (Charles-II).
- Opposed rationalism and Deism, fearing they would lead to atheism and moral
decay. Swift opposed empiricism and rationalism because he rejected the era’s
emphasis on reason and scientific inquiry. He believed in tradition, faith, and a
balanced society rather than extreme rationality.
4. Political and Religious Background
- Glorious Revolution (1688) established constitutional monarchy and party
government.
- The conflict between Whigs (liberals) and Tories (conservatives) shaped
literature.
- Swift opposed the Whigs’ liberal policies that minimized royal and church
authority.
- He used satire to criticize political corruption and human folly.
5. Gulliver’s Travels: Themes and Satire
- A satirical novel that critiques politics, science, human nature, and rationalism.
Divided into four voyages, each representing different aspects of society:
1) Lilliput – Satire on English politics and human pettiness.
2) Brobdingnag – Critique of British arrogance and human flaws.
3) Laputa – Attack on scientific rationalism and impractical intellectuals.
4) Houyhnhnms and Yahoos – Exploration of human nature, reason vs. passion.
Swift warns against excessive rationalism and empiricism, advocating for faith
and morality.
6. Swift’s Writing Style and Legacy
- Master of prose, satire, and irony.
- His pessimistic view of human nature is evident in Gulliver’s Travels.
- Criticized political and religious hypocrisy while advocating for moral integrity.
- His work remains influential in literature, political satire, and philosophical
debates.
Introduction: (Part two)
1. Satire in Gulliver’s Travels
- Gulliver’s Travels is a satire that targets human nature and English society.
- Swift uses different types of satire:
o Horatian satire (gentle mockery) – Seen in A Voyage to Lilliput (Volume 1)
o Juvenalian satire (harsh criticism) – Seen in “A Modest Proposal”
o Menippean satire (attacking multiple targets) – Gulliver’s Travels as a whole
fit this type.
2. Parody of Travel Literature
- Swift mocks popular 18th-century travel books that exaggerated their content.
- He imitates and ridicules the style of travel literature, using irony to criticize it.
- The book retains the voyage format to reach a wider audience and criticize
colonial expansion.
3. Allegory and Fantasy in the Novel
- The novel is both a children’s story and a political/social allegory.
- Fantasy helps disguise the satire, making criticism more indirect and engaging.
- Imaginary lands like Lilliput, Brobdingnag, Laputa, and Houyhnhnm land
represent real-world issues.
- Fantasy defamiliarizes reality, allowing readers to view corruption and absurdity
more objectively.
4. The Four Voyages as Satirical Criticism
1) Lilliput – Satirizes political conflicts and the pettiness of human nature.
2) Brobdingnag – Exposes English corruption and human meanness.
3) Laputa – Criticizes impractical philosophers and scientists.
4) Houyhnhnm land – Denounces human nature, contrasting it with rational
horses (Houyhnhnms).
5. Political Allegory and Swift’s Hostility Toward the Whigs
- The book criticizes English politics in the late 17th and early 18th centuries.
- Swift originally supported the Whigs but turned against them after they denied
aid to the Irish Church.
- He later aligned with the conservative Tory party, criticizing the Whigs’ policies
on church and state separation.
6. Purpose of the Satire
- Swift’s goal was not just to entertain but to provoke change.
- He wanted to expose corruption, hypocrisy, and irrationality in society.
- The novel serves as a mirror to human follies, urging readers to reflect on their
own flaws.
• Although the approach of the age (18th) was highly realistic, logical and
scientific, Swift tends towards fantasy as an approach to his work. The novel is
considered as a realistic story as it addresses different issues of the age
(political, religious, social, human universal themes)
• There are two main reasons for choosing fantasy rather realism:
1- To have the fluidity of expression
2- To be able to touch on universal human concerns
❖ The allegorical nature of fantasy (dual voice) helps Swift to touch on sensitive
issues or universal human concerns in an implicit way.

• What makes the subject intriguing and makes the reader kind of involved,
or grabbed by this text. These are just two reasons:

1) Absurdity:
❖ Because our piece of writing is a subversion of the community at the time. The
word subversion is a distortion to the 18th century. Although Swift believed in
some of the motives of the 18th century, especially the idea of social contract,
liberalism, and the rise of parliamentary life, he was for this, he was for
individual rights. But he didn't like the scientific approach of the age. So, he
wrote it in the form of a fantasy to distort this age, to subvert the dominant
norms, to subvert the ideals and values that were dominant during this age.
(idea of subversion)

❖ Swift tries to wrap his criticism with an atmosphere of absurdity to enhance the
satirical tone of the novel / to shock the reader as much as possible by making a
kind of analogy between the fantastical reality that turns to be just a distorted
mirror reflection of his own reality, he starts to realize the absurdity of his real
life. The ridiculousness and corruption that
he is living in.

❖ The satire's tone, ranging from light mockery to harsh criticism, how it aligns
with the atmosphere of absurdity in Gulliver’s Travels.
2) Defamiliarization:
❖ Defamiliarization is used to make readers recognize their own reality through
an exaggerated and absurd fictional world.
❖ Defamiliarization is important because he wanted to filter the mind. So,
Swift applies the use of this technique to make the reader as an outsider and
more objective to detach him from the corruption.
• We are going to study Gulliver’s travels on three levels:
1) a parody of travel literature
2) a parodic imitation of the 18th century, whether politically, religious and
sometimes it has social dimensions.
3) As a satirical work, because it is highly satirical in tone, displaying different
types of satire such as irony, understatement, hyperbole, and parody.
• Techniques of the Satire:
1) Irony
2) Hyperbole or exaggeration
3) Understatement
4) Parody

❖ Criticism of British Imperialism

- He was criticizing the imperialistic approach of Britain at the time, through the
parodic imitation of the war scene, in a very provocative way, and through the
understatement he made.

❖ Fantasy and the Role of the Narrator

- Fantasy, one way, one feature, an important feature of fantasy, is that the
narrator must be a reliable narrator. Because fantasy depends on an imaginary
world. So, to enhance the believability of its context, to make the reader believe
in what he is witnessing and watching.
❖ Fantasy as a Critical Tool
- Any fantasy writer relies on the world-building technique, giving very minor
details, giving highly descriptive details, very minute details, in order to make
the reader kind of imagine this world, kind of relate to this world.

❖ Narrative Discrepancy and Gulliver as an Unreliable Narrator

- Unreliable Narration: The first-person narrative that indicates a kind of
intimacy and reliability is deconstructed by Swift, resulting in the reader's lack
of trust in Gulliver as he is not the source of information anymore. Swift tends
toward unreliable narration for a reason which is to make the reader critique the
average man of the 18th century who turn deaf and ignorant.

- A discrepancy between Gulliver's voice as a narrator and between Swift's voice

as an author. Meaning, in fantasy, the narrator is the voice of the author. And the
author tries to make his narrator reliable as much as possible to make the reader
believe in what he is reading, to relate. But in our case, Swift subverts a reliable
narrator. He uses him in a different way. Instead of using a reliable narrator as
the usual way in fantastical writings, our narrator has nothing to do with the
author's voice. There is a high contradiction between Gulliver's voice and
between Swift's intended voice. Gulliver's tone contradicts totally with Swift's
tone. When Swift's tone is highly satirical, critical, and mocking, Gulliver
assumes a highly passive tone and a barely insightful tone to what is going on
around him.

- Gulliver is just an archetype; he is not a full character but a representation. He

assumes a more symbolic significance that changes across the volumes.
Gulliver is just an observer and he just pictures what he is seeing without giving
any clear interpretation. He is a flat character, archetype and an empiricist

- It's what we call a matter-of-fact tone or a factual tone. Just narrating what he
sees without any, we can say, insightful commentary to what he is watching.
 Sometimes a situation needs interaction. Sometimes as readers, we interact with
a situation but we see that Gulliver fails to interact. We believe in what Swift is
saying but Gulliver fails to believe. He created a highly passive narrator.

- Swift is attacking empiricism through Gulliver's character, since he has no

clear faith or knowledge. A person who is born with driven by his instinct,
accepting his naivety. Gulliver stands for the 18th century average man with his
naivety, lack of insight and lack of voice. This makes Gulliver as a character
more relatable to the English man during this era.
❖ Satire and Political Criticism
- We said that Volume 1 is a political satire. Mainly, it's about a political life in
England during this era.
- A parliamentary life with political struggles between the Whigs and the Tories.
- Religious struggles between the Catholics and the Protestants.
- We talked about the political corruption of the court and how they employ
officials and ministers during this era.

❖ Irony in Gulliver’s Travels

- Irony has different purposes: humor, mockery and ridicule.
- Irony in its simplest form is to say something and to mean something else.
- The deadpan narration or the unreliable narration, there is a discrepancy
between the satirical tone of Swift on one hand, while the factual tone and the
very passive tone of Gulliver on the other hand.
 Analysis of Volume 1

Five major techniques: understatement – exaggeration – irony – parody -

allusion
Allusions:
1. Historical Allusions (Political & Religious Conflicts)
- Big-Endians vs. Little-Endians → Religious conflict (Protestants vs.
Catholics)
- High-Heels vs. Low-Heels → English political divisions (Tories vs. Whigs)
- Lilliput vs. Blefuscu War → England vs. France conflicts
Techniques used:
- His first encounter with the Lilliputians: situational irony / verbal irony
- War scene between Lilliput and Blefuscu: a parodic imitation of the war
between France and England for seven years
- Court scene: there is a parodic imitation of the corruption of the court life.
- Big-Endians vs. Little-Endians of the egg: a parodic imitation of the religious
strife between the Catholics and the Protestants during this era over religious
matters, over the interpretation of certain laws of Christianity or certain values
of Christianity.
- High-Heels vs. Low-Heels: the conflict between the Tories and the Whigs.

Volume 1 is the understatement which is the opposite of exaggeration. He made

an understatement for several real issues in real life. He made an
understatement in this fantastical world to undermine or to reduce its effect. For
instance, the war scene that lasted for 7 years.

The tone of satire in volume 1: is gentle mockery – humorous - playful. He

meant to criticize, but it is light-hearted criticism, for the sake of instruction, or
for the sake of teaching people, or correction, or reformation. So, it's light
mockery.
 His first encounter with the Lilliputians Scene:

The difference in size between Gulliver and the midgets and how he is tied
down, the materials used, or the tools used just pins and cords. And when he
stood with his head, just a small movement of his head, and how he fell. so, this
is ridiculous. This is what we call a highly ridiculous situation. This is an
atmosphere of absurdity and absurdist humor.
"I heard a Knocking for above an Hour, like People at work; when turning my
Head that Way, as well as the Pegs and Strings would permit me, I saw a Stage
Erected about a Foot and a half from the Ground, capable of holding four of the
Inhabitants, with two or three Ladders to mount it: From whence one of them,
who seemed to be a Person of Quality." Page 15

>> “pegs” and “strings”: the word has two meanings,

- the explicit meaning: which is the literal meaning, which is "pegs", which
means "strings”, But the words here are used figuratively,
- the implicit meaning: is that there is a very clear exaggeration here.
Gulliver's attitude is highly exaggerated by Swift. His specificity is highly
exaggerated. the exaggeration is employed by how come in the peg and string
tool, such weak and fragile tools could tie this man, or this joint, or this man-
mountain, as they call him, without any kind of resistance from his side.

>> The choice of words here "pegs" and "strings" supports the idea of
exaggeration. The way he exaggerated while talking about those people, this is
a very serious tone, a highly respectable tone. He's kind of afraid. They are
awe-inspiring people, but they are not. owing to the description of the author,
they are not. They are just midgets. When he comes to define them, to talk
about them, he talks in a very highly respectable way, saying that he's a
“person of quality”. There is the discrepancy between his real situation, being
man-mountain among the midgets, and the real size of those midgets. They are
just somewhat "longer than my middle finger." He shows respect and he
shows a kind of consideration to those people and he never reacted. He never
showed any kind of insight or reaction.
 "I could observe many Periods of answered in a few Words, but in the most
submissive Manner lifting up my left Hand and both mine Eyes to the Sun"
Page 15
>> This is a highly ridiculous situation. The ridiculousness or the absurdity of
the situation is mainly humorous. But through humor here, there is a situational
irony as readers, we expect him to take an action in order to revolt and show his
own power and strength. On the other hand, He is so much submissive.
>> "Most submissive manner" > This is Gulliver’s attitude. It enhances the
naivety and passivity of Gulliver.
>> Target of criticism: He is criticizing the naivety and passivity of ordinary
people during this era. They stand for the politicians who believe in their
hegemony but in fact they are just like Lilliputians. They are stupid, their
power is kind of overrated. He is criticizing the inflated pride of the politicians.

>> Through the character of Gulliver, his unjustified naivety, his unjustified
passivity could stand for the passivity of the normal people of this era.

His satire is supported by many techniques:

Situational irony, exaggeration and diction:
- The situation itself is ironical. How come Gulliver could not empower those
people.
- The choice of words that imply fragility like "pegs and strings", and that goes
contradictorily or goes ironically with the real status of Gulliver, being giant,
and being man-mountain, how could such words or such tools be that restricting
or that powerful when they imply fragility and weakness but here, they were
given power extravagantly. (Verbal irony)

Tone: The tone is highly satirical tone. it's thought provoking and insightful
humor/ light mockery. It's an atmosphere of absurdity.

Mood: Absurdity leads to a kind of laughter but it's a laughter that provokes a
thinking.
The Court Scene Volume I, Chapter 3 (The analysis of this scene is the sample
uploaded by Doctor Maha) Pages 32-34 in the Novel
-A parodic representation of the court life in England
-Tone of satire is gentle mockery-witty-provocative/intelligent humor
-Atmosphere is absurdist humor that arises from highly ridiculous/illogical
situations; this results in a mood of insightful laughter/hilarious laughter tinged
with serious realization.
Setting (historical/political and physical)
Historical: relate to the political scene at that time
Physical surroundings: the court itself; an upside-down reality; acrobatic tricks
performed stand for political tricks and intrigues
Social Environment: corrupted social life
Strangeness of the setting: a major trope of fantasy: to take the
reader outside the social setting, to make him a witness, then through
world building technique, he starts to relate, to make the link, to
believe in what he sees.
Style:
Detailed description: to enhance the ridiculousness of the situation; to incite the
reader’s acknowledgement of his own reality
Word Choice (diction): use of “diversion”, “entertain” “dance on the
rope”, to enhance the parodic, satirical touch; words like “a trial of
dexterity” enhances the ironical tone
Use of imagery of the senses (descriptive language):
>> visual and kinesthetic (“jump”, “creep”, “summerset”)
>> tactile (“silken threads”)
World building technique: The use of a highly detailed, descriptive
(sensory) language (the images of senses):
1-to urge the reader’s sensory involvement; this adds to the skill of the
author
2-to make the story world look more realistic than if it would be if written in a
fanciful way. The satire would be ruined if it did not seem truthful or accurate
because it would be irrelevant, but such a factual, realistic style reinforces the
readers’ virtual identification with the whole ridiculous situation; help him create
an analogy between the story and his reality.
Point of View
-First person dead-pan narration (Unreliable narrator) … how and why?
>> How?
It is worth noticing that Gulliver never mentions that he finds some Lilliputians’
traditions ridiculous. Nor does he point out the similarities between what he sees
and what happens in England. Swift leaves the reader to perceive the satire and to
interpret it himself. His matter-of-fact descriptions of what is going on around him,
what he is visualizing without any interpretations or reflection.
>> Why?
This mainly serves Swift’s satirical intentions:
1-Through Gulliver’s naivety, he is criticizing the gullibility of the ordinary
Englishman who used to accept the malice around him (much related to the irony
of the story)
2-Through such a deadpan first-person point of view, he is satirizing excessive
pride in reason that renders the person unable to be more insightful or to dig deep
and discover truths about human nature, just having a very superficial vision of
reality
3-It serves the ironical tone of the work, to add more to the ridiculousness/
absurdity of the situation to hit the reader’s mind, to shock him with his absurd
reality. The more striking the realization is, the more powerful/effective the satire
is.
Characterization
-How is Gulliver portrayed in this scene?
A symbolic character;
A detached and gullible narrator; And we can also be fairly sure that Gulliver
does not always understand the meaning of what he sees. The result is a series of
astonishingly detailed, dead-pan scenes.
Gulliver never thinks that the absurdities he encounters are funny and never
makes the satiric connections between the lands he visits and his own home.
He has virtually no insights, and his comments are strictly factual. (Criticism of
rationalism and empiricisms)
Indirect characterization through inference
a. Naming
b. Passive response
c. Serious/factual tone
Through Lilliputians, Swift is satirizing the malice and corruption of Whig
politicians. They are mean and nasty, vicious, morally corrupt, hypocritical and
deceitful, jealous and envious, filled with greed and ingratitude.
A Lilliputian is a midget (pigmy), BOTH figuratively and literally, in size and in
status. They are tiny both in body and in mind. The politician is always a midge.
Petty minds who always think themselves grand.
Swift fully intends the irony of representing the tiniest race visited by Gulliver as
by far the most conceited and arrogant, both collectively and individually. This
enhances the absurdity of the text.
The Lilliputians are men six inches in height but possessing all the pretension
and self-importance of full-sized men. He is criticizing both the deceptive/ fake
grandeur of the English politician as well as the mankind false claim of
significance.
War Scene:

- This is a parody of a religious strife between the Catholics and the Protestants
over the interpretation of some religious a of some Christian matters. Swift was
protestant and he couldn't ignore such religious strife that resulted from
nonsense.

- He criticizes the meaningless and valueless struggles between the Protestants

and the Catholics during this using parody during this era. it's highly comical
situation for satirical reasons.

- Main satirical technique:

• Understatement of the religious struggle that led to a 7-year war between
Britain and England.
• He was attacking this because apparently it was a religious struggle, but in
genuinely and realistically it was a political one.
• Irony: explicit narrator: Gulliver: naive
Implicit narrator: Swift: highly ironical tone

Pages 45 and 46: (Demonstration of the physical struggle itself)

• Choice of war
➢ "Men of war" >> respect and glorification (highly satirical and ironical tone)
As they are just pigments and midgets.
➢ Tools used (cable - knitting needle - bars of iron) >> highly absurd
atmosphere so it ended in a blink of eye / humor / understatement of war in a
hilarious and comic scene (descriptive language)

• The way that Gulliver narrated the scene:

(Factual, respectable, acceptable which is contradictory to the real intention of
the author himself.)
• Through the exaggeration of Gulliver’s response to the war >> Swift is
understating in the real scene through using descriptive language and the
world building technique to make the reader believe the idea of the war scene
and recognize its absurdity. Moreover, to realize that it is a mirror reflection of
the real world.

• Target of satire: criticizing the inflated pride of the military life of English
people during this era.

• Lilliputians >> Imitations of the English politicians during this era with its
reliance on favoritism, corruption, inflated pride, imperialistic approach, and
hegemony.

• Gulliver represents the average man attitude, an English man with all his faults
and problems.
 Analysis of Volume 2:
(the following is uploaded by the dr.)
From Volume I to Volume II:
▪ Satire takes a broader perspective
▪ Satirical tone grows sharper, more direct and more scornful.
▪ Absurdity prevails but, unlike Volume I, it arouses scorn and disdain.
The Brobdingnagians
▪ The Brobdingnagians are created as moral giants.
▪ Brobdingnag is a kind of moral utopia (compare to the corrupted country of
Lilliput).
▪ It is the country of hard working and prosperous farmers and artisans why did
Swift create the Brobdingnagians this way? >> Because Swift was attacking the
empirical or the rationalism attitude of the age and he was more for
creativity.
▪ Their rule is mainly based on justice and free will.
▪ The King acts like the actual spokesperson of Swift.
Brobdingnag: An Incomplete Utopia
▪ Swift praises the Brobdingnagians, but he does not intend for us to think that they
are perfect humans. They are super humans, akin to us by flesh and blood, just
bigger morally than we are.
▪They are underneath just men/ normal human beings who have every vice a
normal man could attempt, but they assume a higher moral status. Their virtues are
not impossible for us to attain.
- Swift makes it lack some aspects and puts some ugliness, corruption and some
bad aspects to make it an incomplete utopia. It's nearly moral not completely
moral utopia.

- Swift prefers to put flaws in this city: it could be a realistic reflection of society,
and so he could be able to criticize society through this volume. Furthermore,
this is a criticism of empiricism and rationalism. There's no perfect human
being.

- Pride is represented in the king himself. It is the main vice of the man. It's
existed in all the voyages that Gulliver went to.

- In this volume he is attacking the pride of humankind in contrast with volume 1

he is attacking the English politicians' pride.

- They are human beings with their flaws and mistakes however they try to get
better.

Targets and Techniques of Satire

• Verbal Irony
- Gulliver’s ironical attempt to idealize England’s image in his accounts
to the king (refer to the encounters between the King and Gulliver)
- Gulliver stands for the colonialist and the imperialistic approach of the British
Empire.
- The way Gulliver ironically talks about England in a highly glorifying way, and
it turns to be the opposite. He is showing vices and the weaknesses of England
instead.
▪ Grotesque
- Grotesque is physical distortion; distorted and unnatural in shape or size;
abnormal and hideous, repugnant, ugly, malformed, bizarre.
- Grotesque takes different satirical functions in Part 2
- Satire on the Coarseness of the Human skin (the breastfeeding scene)
- Satire on the foulness/ugliness/ distortion of the human body (the beggars’
scene)

- Grotesque is kind of satirizing humankind that they might look beautiful on the
surface, but with a more microscopic vision of the details will make them
appear distorted. He breaks an idea of utopia by using such grotesque scenes.

- He is familiarizing the reader with this fantastical word. This way, how he is
kind of relating him to this fantastical world. This increases the believability in
the reader in what he is seeing with this analogy between this fantastical world
and his real world. Just to realize that this is just a reflection of his real world.
▪ Invective
- denotes speech or writing those insults (abuses, offends) or denounces a person,
a topic or institution. It aims not to just ridicule but belittle a certain object.
Tone of satire is getting more corrosive, critical, and even abusive.

- Example: Satire on pride/imperialistic attitude of the English people

represented in the King’s abusive response to Gulliver’s boastful
accounts of his country and its systems.
▪ Understatement
- Ridiculing the English man’s pretentious grandeur.
- Satire of The Englishman’s excessive pride.
- In this land of giants, Brobdingnag, Gulliver is treated as a curiosity, forced to
perform shows for public amusement.
- He is belittled to the level of living creatures that are not basically human
(insect-related diction; a freak)
▪ Contrast
- The ruling system in Brobdingnag is set in sharp contrast with that of England
through Gulliver’s descriptions of both communities in his highly detached,
deadpan narration.
- Volume 1: similarity between England and Lilliput
- Volume 2: contrast between Brobdingnag and England to show the corruption
in the English community in the 18th century.
• In Volume 1: Gulliver is a bystander (audience). As a symbolic reference he
stands for the passive or ordinary English man in the 18th century.
➢ Technique used to demonstrate this: unreliable narration enhanced by irony

• In Volume 2: Gulliver is a tool or target of satire. He was attacked by Swift.

He's demonstrating his stupidity, false pride and unjustified arrogance. He's still
a flat character. He is still a toy in the hands of his creator.

First Encounter between Gulliver and the Brobdingnagians Scene

Pages 85 and 86

Techniques used to highlight his satirical voice:

1- Situational irony:
• Shift in Gulliver’s role from a giant to a midget. The discrepancies between the
two opening scenes in the two volumes.
2- Understatement:
• He is being understated by Swift through:
➢ Word choice:
- Animal related words (“animal” – “weasel”)
- Adjectives related to animals (“scratch” – “bite”)
- He was referred to as “a curiosity"

3- Tone of satire: contemptuous

• They fail to recognize his humanity or that he is a human being in contrast to
Gulliver in Lilliput, he doesn't ignore that they are human beings. This is kind
of understatement intended by Swift to understate the false pride of the
hegemonic nations like the British nation.
 Breastfeeding Scene p.90

➢ Volume 2 touches on universal issues and universal themes.

➢ The scene is distorted with the help of the grotesque technique.
➢ From a far perspective: it could appear beautiful and appealing.
➢ From a microscopic perspective: like what Gulliver is, it appears grotesque
and bizarre.

Target of satire: criticism of humankind through the coarseness and the

ugliness of human body.

Function of this scene: He's preparing Gulliver for the misanthropic vision in
Volume 4 to show him how grotesque the human body is. How foul and coarse
and ugly the human body is.

How grotesque technique is highlighted by Swift:

➢ Narrative elements:
• Physical detailed description using scientific jargons in a naïve way. This
enhances the naivety of this description (“bulk”,“shape”,and “colour”) And
Measurements (“sixteen in circumference”)
>> to parody the language of discoveries
• Sensory language: Visual and tactile:
“spots, pimples, freckles” >> Creating sense of disgust of what Gulliver is
seeing
"Nauseous” >> creates sense of disgust

• Tone: repulsive, making the scene detestable and highly repugnant to the
readers and to Gulliver a himself.

• Mood: repugnance and repulsiveness

➢ The pride of mankind is abused in this scene through grotesque and narrative
elements specifically descriptive language and diction.
 Market Scene
Pages 97 and 98
➢ Gulliver was exploited by the Brobdingnagians which is another weak point in
them though they showed kindness to Gulliver and they treated him in a kind
manner, but he is physically and morally exploited by the farmer (another
manifestation of incomplete utopia)

➢ Understatement of humankind and the pride of humanhood by Swift. This is

shown through:
- Narrative elements:
❖ Tone of Gulliver: self-pettiness, distress, and belittling
• Use of passive voice “I was placed / I was shewn”employed by Swift to show
the distress and the kind of submissiveness and understatement that Gulliver
was experiencing. He is belittled here

❖ Choice of words: "profitable" (direct characterization)

❖ Gestures (indirect characterization) to know he how humiliated is:

• "Paid my humble respects"
• "I drew out my Hanger and flourished with it after the manner of fencers in
England."
• "Often forced to go over again with the same Fopperies"
>> This makes Gulliver an act of divergence not a human being

❖ Setting:
• The market scene itself. It is kind of exposition to many people and to crowds.
>> This enhances the tone of humiliation that Gulliver is a "commodity".
He is physically exposed.
• He's performing tricks and he's just acting like a divergent to many people and
how his pride is attacked. He is just a source of money.
 I. Critique of the Scientific Revolution and Empirical Approach
- He's criticising the empirical approach of the scientific revolution. They used to
seek knowledge only through senses, without an insightful interpretation of them,
without using their either common sense. How far he possessed all these qualities
of human beings and He's not yet qualified as a human being exaggerating the
stupidity of the scholars to create the mood of absurdity. How come that they could
not recognise that he is a human being and he is possessing all these qualities and
attributes of a human beings. They try to give him different attributes of different
creatures. He failed to qualify with any of these species.
- The main attack is the empirical approach of the scientific revolution of the age
that fails to use common sense, innate knowledge or logic.
- This is the beginning of Swift’s attack to scientific revolution that will reach its
peak in Volume 3.
- The resemblance or the analogy between such narrowminded scholars and the
modern philosophers of his age. Our analogy between a situation of the ignorance
of the scholars in Brobdingnag and the ignorance of the philosophers in his own
country. He resembles their ignorance and A kind of highly naive empirical
approach to the same approach in modern philosophers. They prefer to endeavour
in vain to disguise their ignorance by just inventing complicated concepts like
rationalism and empiricism.
- This is what is really attacked:
● excessive scientific reasoning of the scholars as a representation of the excessive
scientific reasoning of modern science and modern philosophy of 18th century.
 II. Critique of British Imperialism and National Pride
- Volume 2 is sharply directed towards the imperialistic mind of the Englishman
presented in the figure of Gulliver.
- The inflicted pride or the imperialistic approach of English man is highly
understated.
- Swift wants to make English people aware of their diminutive stature as a
civilization. He is diminishing the civilization of the Englishman. He's attacking
their fake pride and self-conceitedness. He is kind of deconstructing the
imperialistic power of the British Empire through the character of Gulliver by
attacking their pride.
- They're not that powerful in the eyes of others, they are just diminutive.
- Gulliver is more of a symbolic reference of the imperialistic approach or fake
pride of his nation. He's so much blinded by his pride.
- This is what is really attacked:
● The inflated or the pretentious pride of the British nation as a way just to
deconstruct their imperialistic hegemony.
- He was never upgraded to the level of a of human beings. No human attributes
were ever given to him. Swift used the pejorative language "insulting language"
>> "relplum scalcath"
>> animal related words
➢ Understatement to the grandeur of Gulliver or the grandeur of the British
Imperialist citizen.
 The first encounter between Gulliver and the king scene in chapter 3:
p.106-107
“It is the Custom, that every Wednesday, (which as I have before observed, was
their Sabbath) the King and Queen, were with the Royal Issue of both Sexes, dine
together in the Apartments of his Majesty; to whom I was now become a
Favourite: and at these Times my little Chair and Table placed at his left Hand
before one of the Salt-sellers. This Prince took a Pleasure in conversing with me;
enquiring into the Manners, Religion, Laws, Government, and Learning of Europe,
wherein I gave him the best Account I was able. His Apprehension was so clear,
and his Judgment so exact, that he made very wise Reflexions and Observations
upon all I said. But I confess, that after I had been a little too copious in talking of
my own beloved Country; of our Trade, and Wars by Sea and Land, of our Schisms
in Religion, and Parties in the State; the Prejudices of his Education prevailed so
far, that he could not forbear taking me up in his right Hand, and stroaking me
gently with the other: after an hearty Fit of laughing, asked me whether I were a
Whig or a Tory Then turning to his first Minister, who waited behind him with a
white Staff, 1 near as tall as the Main-mast of the Royal Sovereign; he observed,
how contemptible a Thing was human Grandeur, which could be mimicked by
such diminutive Insects as I; And yet, said he, I dare engage, 23 those Creatures
have their Titles and Distinctions of Honour; they contrive little Nests and
Burrows, that they call Houses and Cities they make a Figure in Dress and
Equipage; they love, they fight, they dispute, they cheat, they betray. And thus he
con-tinued on, while my Colour came and went several Times, with Indignation to
hear our noble Country, the Mistress of Arts and Arms, the Scourge of France, the
Arbitress of Europe, the Seat of Virque, Piety, Honour and Truth, the Pride and
Envy of the World.”
□ Verbal irony: when Gulliver is asked by the king to give an account of the state
of Europe. He attempts to idealise the image of England. However, ironically, all
his words turned to be more of an indictment. The discrepancy between what
Gulliver intends to convey to the king with a speech of praise of his own country
and What the king really gets from his own words.
□ Situational irony: Gulliver was expecting in how his words would make a certain
effect on the king to arouse his respect and astonishment to this country but
ironically, it aroused disdain and contempt.
□ Detached narration is highly demonstrated: talking in a factual and serious tone,
in a tone of praise expecting to arouse a certain feeling inside the king that turns to
be totally wrong.
▪ Discrepancy between Gulliver's tone and Swift’s tone:
➢ explicit: boastful and proud
➢ Implicit: contemptuous and belittling represented in the voice of the king
□ Satire is invective:
▪ Direct or denotative language “cheat - betray - dispute – indignation”
▪ Mockery and ridicule tone
▪ Irony
▪ This is an invective attack of Swift against the corruption or against the
meanness of the British Government during his era.
(He's trying to give the best of his own information about his own country against
the high ridiculing attitude of the king: “after an hearty Fit of laughing, asked
me whether I were a Whig or a Tory”
▪ Contrast between:
✓ words of praise: “my own beloved Country, our noble Country, the Mistress
of Arts and Arms, the Scourge of France, the Arbitress of Europe, the Seat
of Virque, Piety, Honour and Truth, the Pride and Envy of the World.”

✓ belittling diction: “diminutive insects”

□ "stroaking me gently" >> this is a sign of ridicule. He's ridiculing him.
 Chapter 6 (p.126- 134): another encounter between Gulliver and the king
(very important to read this chapter)

“Virtues" >> verbal irony he intends to give him the virtues of England but it
turns out to be the vice and immortality in England.

- Gulliver was so boastful of their imperialistic attitude as they attacked,

conquered and had colonies and the destructive weapons used.

- Gulliver doesn't recognise the fools of his country. He puts the faults in the
king himself. You just attribute it to the King's narrow mindedness. He called
him that, that it might be out of his narrow mindedness.

- Page 133:
“He was perfectly astonished with the historical Account I gave him of our
Affairs during the last Century; protesting it was only ar. Heap of Conspiracies,
Rebellions, Murders, Massacres, Revolutions, Banishments; the very worst
Effects that Avarice, Faction, Hypocrisy, Perfidiousness, Cruelty, Rage,
Madness, Hatred, Envy, Lust, Malice, and Ambition could produce”

➢ the unexpected adverse commentary of the King against the expectations of

Gulliver.
➢ direct language used by Swift because it gives a stronger effect in order to anger
the reader. “conspiracies, rebellions, murders, massacres, revolutions,
banishments, hypocrisy, perfidiousness, cruelty, rage, madness, hatred,
envy”. Words of evil are used to describe the British community and was
directed against the imperialistic attitude of the English empire. This is what
identifies the British imperialism in Swift's eyes.
➢ most important techniques: IRONY + INVECTIVE + Contrasting diction
(praise diction vs abuse diction) >> tone of seriousness against the tone of ridicule
by the king directed against the pretentious pride of the Englishman and
specifically the imperialistic approach.

Chapter 7: very important to read (p.135-141)

Main ideas:
➢ attack on the scientific approach of the age. the modern science comes with
destructive applications like Weapons represented in gunpowder. he's attacking
the destructive applications of modern sciences. He introduces the target of
attack in Volume 3.

➢ "blood destructive machines" >> to enhance the destructive quality of an

unruly experimental science of the age.

➢ diction of underestimation that Gulliver uses to describe the King's narrow

principles of equality and ignorance and that shows the idea of Ignorance of
Gulliver himself >> ironical tone

Chapters 6 and 7: same ideas: attack on the inflicted pride of the Englishman
and the imperialistic approach of the Englishman.

Chapter 7: Destructive power of scientific inventions. The Experimental

Science of the age with the invention of the gunpowder.
❖ Imperialistic Approach: Volume 2

➢ Swift uses satire to critique imperialism and Colonialism and the attitudes of the
European’s powers toward the non-European world.

➢ Aspects of imperialism: exploitation, dehumanisation and Ethical problems

inherent in an imperial expansion.

➢ Gulliver is a representative in this volume. In the 4 volumes, He is the imperial

explorer. He is fond of going across the world and discovering new countries.
He is the representative of the European civilization.

➢ He was the mindset of a conqueror, or someone who assumes his superiority

over others. This is the part of the ideology of the British man which is
demonstrated through Gulliver’s character.

➢ Encounters with the Brobdingnagian king: where the physical scale of

everything is exaggerated, serves as an ironic mirror to European powers. It
lies in contrast to Gulliver's expectations of the king's response; It's a kind of
criticism on the imperialistic approach of the British Empire.

➢ But when Gulliver describes the various conflicts with corruption, with
violence in Europe, the king understands how much is supposedly advanced
civilization could engage in such a in such brutality. This serves as a critique of
the European imperialistic mentality, which rationalised violence and
exploitation and hid their real intentions under the disguise of civilization.

➢ Gulliver thinks that the colonial power is an indication of civilization way that
the king responds shows that such acts. it's kind of rationalization. It's kind of
just putting things in its right places.

➢ The king represents a more enlightened, peaceful perspective. He views

Europeans as morally inferior and incapable of governing justly, with his
 rejection of Gulliver's descriptions of European politics and warfare highlights
the moral bankruptcy and the immoral problems found in the imperialistic
ambitions of European nations. Character of Gulliver, represents the moral
bankruptcies of the British Empire or the moral blindness

➢ Tone of praise reveals his moral blindness. He's unable to see the flaws in
European Society because he's too deeply entrenched in imperialist thinking.
It’s becoming part of his ideology. the imperialism is justified by its distorted
view of superiority and moral blindness

➢ Gulliver justifies the King's response to the narrow minded and ignorance.

➢ Reversal of the imperialist role: Gulliver the imperialist is seen from a

diminishing perspective in Brobdingnag. "satirical representation of the
power structures"

➢ Swift uses the setting of the Brobdingnag to satirise the power structure that
sustains the European empires. Gulliver for this society he is the dwarf.
Stripping him of his imperial authority by making him to taste the same of
powerlessness, of being marginalised, of being under represented and stated.

➢ Techniques: Understatement - ironical reflections