Criticism In Gulliver's Travels

1895 Words4 Pages

Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels is a magnificent story of adventure, satire and fantasy that has entertained many readers from all over the world. This text is a multi-genre work that embroils, all at the same time, travel adventure writing as well as fantasy writing, and satirical probe of politics, colonialism, human characteristics and human ideals. When readers of the 21st century view multi-genre work such as Gulliver’s Travels, criticism, effortlessly, can categorize the book into one simple genre. Contemporary readers perceive Gulliver’s Travels as an imaginary saga full of little people, giants, flying islands and horse people. In 1726, when the book was first published the readers approached the text differently. The birth of storytelling created a powerful stage for social annotation. This stage can be traced back from present day ordinary literary works of science fiction and fantasy to Homer, Ovid, George Orwell and many more. Jonathan Swift with his creative spirit shaped his own special effects, without any motion animation or any software, thus all of his satire set the main platform for the later literary genres. His travel literature created the blueprints for present day pulp fiction. In the final book of Gulliver’s Travels, the narrator describes his visit to Houyhnhnms. Houyhnhnms are very intelligent race of horse people, who live along side of ruthless human like creatures called the Yahoos. The readers should take good note of the Yahoo people, because it shows evidence that Swift contributed to present day vocabulary as well as the internet. The fantasy genre can also be considered an extension of Swift’s blueprints. Presently countless fantasy novels use a map as the main guide for the readers. Surely,... ... middle of paper ... ...ses these little changes to convey his satire through the use of fantasy and travelogue genre. After the first journey, Gulliver’s image of humankind is a bit changed, similarly his view declines through the second and third voyage, until he meets the Yahoos on his fourth journey. This way Swift was able to insert his own interpretation of the human condition. When one analyzes the human condition, many tragic flaws can be discovered, but because of our ability to reason, human beings are capable of changing for the better. Nonetheless, flaws of pride keep us from gaining the ideal qualities that are personified in Houyhnhnm reason and Brobdingnaggian morality. Through the analysis of Swift’s satire, fantasy, and travelogue adventure genre it is notable to say that Gulliver’s Travels is Swift’s greatest satirical attempt to bring perspective and truth to the table.

Open Document