Humans Role in Gulliver's Travels

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Humans in Gulliver’s Travels In the fourth adventure of Gulliver's Travels, Swift takes up a misanthropic approach, depicting humans in derogatory and beastly ways. The animals, the Houyhnhnms , are depicted as wise and rational, perfection within a utopian society. This is accomplished through Swift's prominent use of satire, which is seen constantly throughout the book. Drawing on comparisons between the land of the Houyhnhnms and England/ Europe, the comparison brings up the notions of a utopian society. What can also be seen is a role reversal where it is the animals that are the master which humans aspire to be, and the Yahoos submissive with their beastly and inhuman qualities. Also present within Gulliver's Travels is the satire of humans portrayed in a negative light, inviting the reader to realise their own vices present in their own society. This invitation of the reader also leads to the different types of readings one may gather from the Fourth Part of Gulliver’s Travels. It is either a 'Hard' or 'Soft' reading, theories suggested by Neil Chudgar. These five points are able to confirm Swift's misanthropic approach to the representation of humans and the virtuous approach to the representation of the Houyhnhnms. Gulliver makes constant comparisons between Houyhnhnmland and Europe, though specifically England. The end result of this comparison is the superiority of the Houyhnhnms over humans in Europe. “That our institutions of government and law were plainly owing to our gross defects in reason, and by consequence in virtue.” (Lipkin and Noggle) This is a quote from Gulliver’s Houyhnhnm master, stating the problems he finds within the English justice system. This kind of analysis of the government is an expression of superiority over the justice system, easily picking it apart and depicting problems within it. Problems such as corruption and
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