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Jonathan Swifts Juvenalian And Horatian Satire Gulliver's Travels

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A satire is a form of literary work which is viewed as a window that leads to a better understanding and analysis of a certain period of time, as it deals with its most influential political or social issues. Such is the case of Jonathan Swifts’ Juvenalian and Horatian satire Gulliver’s travels, in which the writer exposes the lowest defects of the European politics during the XVIII century. Swift’s satire is divided into four voyages, in which part one, three and four, each represent a specific aspect of politics subject to the satirist’s criticism. Although throughout the journeys many other indecent aspects about politics are viewed, Swift mainly points out and criticizes the selfish and incorrect way in which power is used by the government.
Jonathan Swift exposes the election process of governmental officials as one of the most superb mistakes in the political system. In Book One – using the Horatian satire style as the reader can laugh about the occurring events-- when Lilliput’s Emperor sets a rope dance contest to determine who is the most qualified Lilliputian for the job, the satirist explains that before employing a worker the government never verifies if the employee is suited for the task. As well, when Gulliver explains that in the rope dance contest “whoever jumps the highest, without falling, succeeds in the office” (part 1, chapter 3), Swift exposes the interconnective nature of politics as he says that those who keep happy and get along with the

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