Gulliver's Travels Dialectical Journal

ISU Journal #3 - Gulliver’s Travels
Theme

A major theme that is seen during the Gulliver’s final adventure is the reversal of roles. For the first time in the novel, Gulliver’s crew forms a mutiny and throws him overboard. On this island, we are introduced to Houyhnhnms and Yahoos. Gulliver first meets the Yahoos; a group of humans that act like farm animals and have the brain equivalent of a horse. Meanwhile, the Houyhnhnms are an intelligent race of horses that have their own language and use the Yahoos as cattle. When reality is presented with a different face it allows the reader to make less biased opinions based on previous beliefs. Most people are completely fine with how people treat cattle as a source of food, but when we see the

Yahoos being treated as cattle it appears creepy and unethical. Although this may not have been Swift’s main focus with the Houyhnhnms the use of the theme allows for many messages that can be interpreted differently based on the reader. Not only are the characters in the novel reverse but also the plot during the travel is reversed. During the past travels It has been Gulliver and the reader explore new lands and societies learning about foreign beliefs and their way of life. During most of the final voyage, most of Gulliver’s time is spent talking about Europe and listen to the Houyhnhnms’ reactions and opinions. This reversal of roles helped end the novel in a way that would stick in readers minds while they judge and compare our world to the fictional ones of the book.

Literary Criticism

Just like all of the past civilizations in Gulliver’s Travels, there has been some sort of political system and there is usually a social class.

The land of the Houyhnhnms and Yahoos is a little different compared to the previous cities that were presented. The Houyhnhnms are an intelligent race of horses that use Yahoos which are the equivalent of primal humans as livestock. In their society, the Houyhnhnms lives are partially decided based on their ethnicity at birth. In the novel Gulliver’s master states, “Among the Houyhnhnms, the white, the sorrel, and the Iron-grey, were not so exactly shaped as the Bay, the Dapple-grey and the Black; nor born with equal Talents of Mind, or a Capacity to improve them; and therefore continued always in the Condition of Servants,” (Swift 193). Although it might seem unfair that the civilians’ lives are partially chosen at birth the horses are content with the system. To some, their society seems as a utopia as the horses live “perfect” lives where they don’t question much, and therefore don’t need lawyers, and ministers. Their society is so well made that they don’t even have a word or understand the concept of lying. Not only this but none of the Horses judge have any sympathy for the Yahoos and use them as slaves. The Yahoos are at the bottom of the society and will never have a chance of moving

up.

Secondary Source

For me, I felt that Gulliver’s Travels stuck with a somewhat serious tone for most of the novel. Although there were lighthearted moments in the story and some parts that didn’t take itself seriously some of the novel came off a little morbid. This is especially seen during the final journey where Gulliver ends up turning almost completely crazy and began to despise humans. Even though the novel is normally serious with its politics Samuel H. Monk analyses the book as a comic masterpiece. Swift was able to balance the novel with its dark tones by always having a joking and whimsical setting. Samuel H. Monk states, “And I am sure that we are right in at least smiling at the preposterous horses, the Houyhnhnms, so limited and so positive in their knowledge and opinions, so skilled in such improbable tasks as threading needles or carrying trays,” (Monk 48). Samuel continued to point out other absurdities that are completely overlooked in the story. When normally reading the story a lot of it gets glossed over, due to the messages that interpreted.

Swift, Jonathan, and Marcus Cunliffe. Gulliver's Travels. New York, N.Y.: Signet Classic, 1983.

Monk, Samuel H. “The Pride of Lemuel Gulliver.” The Sewanee Review, vol. 63, no. 1, 1955