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Social Issues In Gulliver's Travels By Jonathan Swift

1079 Words5 Pages

As humans, our judgments are quick reactions that are released unwittingly, defining us as true members of society. People with different opinions of each other compose society in which creates an inconspicuous bond of opinions. This bond is nearly impossible to destroy due to the fact that any opposition or support of these opinions forge factions and issues within society in regards to morality. The inevitable habit of committing snap judgments is evident throughout the course of time. At this point in time, societal issues arise from the prejudicial perception that everyone has.Dumbfoundedly, Swift portrays Gulliver as an ignorant person with imperialistic views. Jonathan Swift, author of Gulliver’s Travels, originates from Ireland, a country …show more content…

Keeping an absurdist mentality, this would clash ideas with a religious person. Gulliver indirectly states his affiliation with Roman Catholicism. On his trip to Laputa, Gulliver mentions that he hoped for a reasonable time to propagate the “Breed of naked Sheep all over the Kingdom” (Swift 135). Swift himself was a Protestant at the time and coming from Ireland, he had already experienced the tension between Protestants and Catholics. Swift’s tactic to represent Gulliver as a Catholic and not as a Protestant is not for the reader to sympathize with Roman Catholics. Instead, Swift juxtaposes both religions to make Protestants seem better by integrating the island Gulliver is on. Laputa is an island filled with individuals that only focus on academic studies like mathematics and music. Everything on the island has structure to it. Nothing in Laputa branches off from opinion. Laputans believe that life originates from rational thinking. Plato relates to Laputan thinking due to his writing in Allegory of the Cave. Plato wants others to think that one is not rational if they do not think with …show more content…

Although there is no higher power overriding the thinking of the islanders, Laputans live by the reasoning provided by ancestors in a radical manner. Laputans are basically emotionless because they live by a strict ideology based solely on facts. Swift wants readers to understand that being too radical on facts is not a way to live life because it confines humankind. There needs to be a good separation between hobbies and life models. Despite the direct satire Swift included in the piece, Swift criticizes the entire human race for their actions. The time period Swift lived in was the Enlightenment period therefore plenty of eccentric thinking took place. People were thinking outside of socially constructed boxes that soon paved the way for a diverse thinking groups in society. Swift realized how society was constructed to work together but against each other. Evident in Swift’s A Modest Proposal, people in society will only do things that will benefit themselves. This also includes those in the government. Swift’s criticism of human nature is reflected on the observation of poverty in Ireland where the people continue bringing suffering to each other because they cannot find a solution to their issues. When Gulliver arrives at the island of Houyhnhnms, Swift confirms his belief of how society is stupid enough to act autonomous, but still fail to recognize that their leaders of government of using them for their benefit. Swift

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