Irony, Ambiguity, Symbols, and Symbolism in Gullivers Travels Essay

Use of Irony, Ambiguity and Symbolism, in Gullivers Travels Although it appears simple and fair on the surface, a mere travelogue intended solely for the enjoyment of children, Gullivers Travels, by Jonathan Swift, proves, upon closer examination, to be a critical and insightful take in satirizing the political and social systems of eighteenth-century England. Through frequent and successful employment of irony, equivocalness and symbolism, Swift makes comments addressing such specific topics as current political controversies as well as such universal concerns as the moral regression of man. While he incorporates them subtly early in the novel, these observations and criticisms veritable(a)tually make head commission to a point where they may shock or offend even the most unsuspecting reader. In order to witness this evolution of presentation, star need solo observe the development of the works central character, Captain Lemuel Gulliver, as Swift has designed his novel in such a way that, as his aspersions harshen and intensify, so do Gullivers actions and attitudes. For instance, in book one, A Voyage to Lilliput, when Gulliver finds himself lost in a world one-twelfth the size of his consume, he proves himself to be quite naive and impressionable. Although he is plain too Brobdingnagian to perceive them in detail, Gulliver judges the countrys inhabitants he meets to be as perfect and innocent as their toylike appearances. He refers to the Lilliputian emperor, a being not even six inches high, as His Imperial Majesty and blindly agrees to serve any demanded service, even though he could easily overpower the bantam natio... ...throughout the story in the form of irony and satire, Gulliver himself offers a stem to his situation at the close of the novel. He realizes that there is little he can do about being human he simply must learn to live with himself. To achieve this, he suggests looking in a mirror as often as possi ble, not only so that he might learn to bear the sight of his own person but also so that he may be constantly reminded of those shortcomings he seeks so desperately to overcome. Works Cited and Consulted Backscheider, Paula R. A be More Intense A Study of the Prose Works of Buynan, Swift, and Defoe. New York AMS Press, 1984. Carnochan, W. B. Lemuel Gullivers mirror for Man. Berkley University of California Press, 1968. Swift, Jonathan. Gullivers Travels. Oxford Oxford University Press, 1998.