“Gulliver’s travels first two parts”

“Gulliver’s travels first two parts”

S. B. Gardi DEPAERTMENT OF ENGLISH

M.K.BHAVNAGAR UNIVARSITY

Written by: Devikaba Gohil J

Roll no.: 06

Course Name: The Neo-Classical Literature

JONATHAN SWIFT

ABOUT HIM:

Swift was an Anglo-Irish writer. He was born in Dublin. His father died in English civil war before the seven month of his birth. So mother returned to England and then he left under care of his uncle Godwin. His personal life is so interesting that people can take inspiration from his life. He received his M.A. degree from Hart Hall, Oxford in 1692. Then he goes to England at Temple’s service at Moor Park in 1696, and he remained there until Temple’s death. There he was employed in helping to prepare Temple’s memoirs and correspondence for publication. During this time he wrote ‘The Battle of the Books’, a satire responding to critics of Temple’s ‘Essay upon Ancient and Modern Learning’ (1690), though ‘Battle’ was not published until 1704. Temple died on 27 January 1699.

He led our attention normally upon the harsh really of human mind. He said that all nobility of human mankind died with Temple. He tried his best so that Temple can earn his real position in England.  In 1702 he received Doctor of Divinity degree from Trinity College, Dublin. And then he travelled England to Ireland accompanied by his friend Esther Johnson and Rebecca Dingley another member of William Temple’s house. During his visits to England he published two books ‘A Tale of Tub’ and ‘The Battle of the Books’ (1704). And start gaining fame as a writer. During this time he also becomes close friend of Alexander Pope, John Gay and John Arbuthnot. During those days he also become politically powerful and published a political pamphlet ‘The Conduct of the Allies’, attacking the Whig government for keep some secrets and prolonged war with France. He writes about this hard time of his life through the letters to his best friend Esther Johnson, which published after his death as ‘A journal to Stella’. Then again he attracted by another young lady Esther a fatherless woman, who Swift give a nick name as ‘Vanessa’. She plays a vital role in Swift’s poem ‘Cadenus and Vanessa’.

In Ireland he start writing in support of Ireland and during his some memorable works came out: ‘Proposal for University Use of Irish Manufacture (1720)’, ‘Drapier’s Letters (1724)’ and ‘A Modest Proposal (1729)’. This all works were satire on the government. Obviously it was not welcomed in the society. During this time he was creating his masterpiece ‘Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World, in Four Parts, by Lemuel Gulliver, first a surgeon, and then a captain of several ships’, better known as ‘Gulliver's Travels’. The first publication of this book was in November 1726 with the help of his friends Alexander Pope, John Arbuthnot and John Gay. He immediately hit a score and become famous among the people. And other was published in 1727. It was translated into many languages like French, Germany, and Dutch in the same year. On the night of his best friend’s death he starts writing ‘The Death of Mrs. Johnson’. In 1731 he wrote ‘Verses on the Death of Dr. Swift’ published in 1732. On 19 October 1745 Swift died nearly at age of 80.

As with the title we can sense that the protagonist of this novel is Gulliver himself. The writer use flash back technique while writing. Well, this novel is specially is written for the children but through this novel the writer satire on the society. Gulliver travels four nations on his journey, first Voyage to Lilliput, second Voyage to Brobdingnag, third Voyage to Laputa, Balnibarbi, Luggnagg, Glubbdubdrib, and Japan, and fourth Voyage to the Country of the Houyhnhnms.  There is a hidden message through the whole novel. to animal.

A Voyage to Lilliput:

The novel starts with the introduction of the protagonist Gulliver with whom we also travel. He was belonging to the middle class family. So he wanted to complete his study but because of economic situation of his family he gives up his study and joins a ship as a captain.

His first voyage was successful but in his second voyage he reaches an Iceland Lilliput. Where, everyone was taller only 6 inches. As we can see that he is so big and powerful. He was surprised by watching this Iceland. He played with those tiny people as his toys. He was a giant for the Lilliputians. He feels himself powerful among the Lilliputians because no one like him was powerful on that Iceland. First he was not accepted by the people but then his good behavior allows him to stay there and they also allow him to observe the court of them. He also helps Lilliputians against the neighbor nation named Blefuscu. His urination on the court to save the lives of people makes him a criminal and he was sentenced to be blind. But with the help of a kind friend he escapes from that Iceland. Then his second voyage stars from there.

A Voyage to Brobbdubdrib:

 

In the second voyage we will find him in the nation Brobbdubdrib. He was found by a farmer girl. People were surprised to see Gulliver because now he was tiny like the Lilliputians were and he the toy of the people the way he was playing with the Lilliputians. He has to run to save his life from a rat because even the rat was bigger than Gulliver. He was presented before the people to dance and entertain them. Once a lady came and sells him from that farmer and presented him before the queen of realm. The Queen was so surprised that she makes him as his jester. Still he was so happy because he was getting enough attention from the royal family. We also enjoy when Gulliver fights with the old jester because old jester lost his position so he was now jealous with him. The queen builds a tiny house for him and he was too small to fit in with their chair. There he tells everyone about gunpowder. The farmer girl carried him in a box. And when the farmer girl and Gulliver both were goes to once see seaside he was giant by an eagle. And then his third voyage stars.

So, what is the difference between the first voyage and second voyage?

We can see many symbols that indicate that this is not a children fiction but this is satire on society. The major difference is the size. The first two voyages only focus on the size. Through the sea we can sense that the writer want to say that every person’s life is directionless. Because when we go to deep in the sea we will not find any direction in the sea. Through the sea we can also see another symbol that our life is always in motion. In the first voyage we can see Gulliver powerful and the Lilliputian were tiny for them. We can see that Gulliver playing with those people. All of them were human beings but Lilliputians were not ready to accept as human. It is true that Gulliver was so helpful to the Lilliputians but he was also playing with them. We can find it in one scene that once there was fire in the palace. Gulliver was so powerful that he can easily save the life of people but he urine on that palace. It was fun for him. We can see that though the Lilliputians were tiny but when they saw Gulliver and allow him to come and observe the court they make an agreement with him.

 Here we can see the mind-power that every man wants power over men. In the second voyage we can find that Gulliver himself is narrow by body like Lilliputians. These symbols show that though a person is so powerful but a time comes when he has to Bowe down against the situation. Means the rich people wants to power over the society. The Lilliputians make an agreement so they can have some power over him. Same thing happen in our society. The government pretend that they have power over the rich class but the really is that they are under the power of the reach people. The third symbol we will find is by comparing the two voyages with each-other. Here Swift use deconstruction technique. Once he was the center and now he is a marginalized person. We can see decenter technique in the first two voyages.

 ‘Literature is not what it said but it is what is not said by the writer.’ This same thing we can find in this novel. There are so many hidden massages in this novel. It is true that it is for children but as it is already said that Swift was the hard satire reader of human mind. So, whatever he gives to literature is a direct satire on the society, on the so called civilized rich people. It is looked like Swift is mocking at so called society. In the fourth part we will find Gulliver travelled in the Iceland of Houyhnhnms we can see that Swift thinks that even animals are civilized batter than human beings. So, in directly he is trying to say that even animals have more feelings than us. The text is multi layered. We will find the novel is full of contracts imaginary.

So at the end we will not get any particular conclusion. We can say that novel is paradox. We will find a heroine in this novel. But still it is shown that women are powerful than men. We can find this in the second voyage of Gulliver, where he is shown as a tiny man in the hands of the Queen and the nine years old farmer girl. His jokes are ridiculous but his real intention is different. ‘Literature is the mirror of the society’. So, if this novel can create laughter on our face means we are laughing at our own weaknesses.

CONCLUSION:

At the end of the novel Gulliver speaks these lines that “I have lost eight years of my life, but I am happy with the wonderful truth which I know during my voyages”. During his journey he tells everyone that I want to go back to England but no one knows about England. This is another satire on the powerful nation of the world. He all the time tries to prove himself as a human being but no one believes on him. This is another satire of Swift of the society that people never accept easily new things in their life.

At the end he also said that “My duty is to inform society, not to reform the society.” We can also say that this is another paradox image of human mind that Gulliver now knows something more than the humans around him but denies reforming the society. Wherever Gulliver goes he tries to learn their language. He never tried to force other people to learn his language. Wherever he goes he has to prove his identity. May be through this Swift is telling that if someone is skilled then there is no need to prove his ability.

In short, very clearly Swift puts the images of the reality of human nature, human intentions, human ambitious, and so called civilized society, the class system and government.