Question:
“Gulliver’s Travels is aimed not
at human beings in particular but at human nature." How far do you agree with
this view?
Answer:
About the nature of man, David Ward explains in very clear terms
when he remarks:
“Gulliver, the son of Adam, as I
have called him, is posed with a problem, and by the same token poses a problem
for the reader which can be stated in the traditional language of theology.
Whether we use the language of theology or not, the problem remains the same:
Gulliver gives another hint to it in the passage quoted, when he speaks of the “frequent
discourses with my master concerning the nature of manhood.” The special
faculty which distinguishes man from other animals, according to Locke and
almost every thinker of the time is reason. “That is the key factor in the
nature of manhood. But we can hardly agrue that to a Houyhnhnms. Confronted
with the similarities between the real world as we know it and the microcosmic
society to the Yahoos, we might come to the conclusion that key to “the Nature
of Manhood” is man’s helpless tendency to foulness and evil – and this is the
conclusion both Gulliver and the Houyhnhnms come to. Man after all, is the most
destructive animal which has ever populated the earth; air, the plants, the
other animals; the way he fouls and destroys his surroundings with methodical
efficiency, exceeds anything that, the rat can do. We surely cannot resist this
conclusion any more than we could resist the Brobdingnag’s summary description
of the little-worlders as Odious Vermin.”
Here a clear distinction has been
made by David Ward between the human beings and the animals. Reason is the
basic faculty which distinguishes the man from the animal. If a human being
does not possess reason in his nature, that particular human being is no more
than an animal. The “reason” is cultivated in the human nature. If the human
nature is devoid of reason, then the human being as well as an animal is at
par, rather worse than an animal.
In Gulliver’s Travels, there are
three types of beings, who are portrayed in the fourth part of the book. There
are the human beings themselves, represented by Gullivers countrymen. Gulliver
gives a detailed account of these countrymen to his enquire master. Then there
are Yahoos, who represent mankind in general who possess all types of evils,
which have been immensely exaggerated and their good qualities completely
eliminated. The third types are that of Houyhnhnms or the horses, which
according to Gulliver represent perfection. This perfection is on account of
the fact that they possess the great quality of reason. Though the entire
mankind is immensely degraded when a contrast is made between the Houyhnhnms
with Yahoos who represent that part of mankind who by nature are corrupt and
spend their money in drinking, whoring, and gambling and many commit such crimes
coining false money, rape and sodomy. This picture of the human beings is
positively correct. But everyone will agree that we cannot blame the entire
mankind. All human beings are not guilty of such crimes and that there are many
good men also in all human societies.
A letter that Swift wrote to
Alexander Pope in connextion with Gulliver’s Travel offers considerable help to
understand Swift’s attitude towards mankind. The relevant part of the letter
reads as follows:
“But principally I hate and
detest the animal called man although I heartily love. John, Peter, Thomas, and
so forth… I have got materials towards a treatise, proving the falsity of that
definition Animal Rationale and to show, it should be only Rational Capex. Upon
this great misanthropy, the whole building of my travel is created.”
In another letter Swift writes:
“Drown the world, I am not
content with despising it but I would anger it, if I could with safety. I tell
you after all that I do not hate mankind; it is Vous Autres who late them,
because you would have them reasonable animals, and are angry for being
disappointed.”
The gist of all these statements is that his main aim
is achieved when he says that “I want to vex the world rather than divert it:
especially when he declares that he has “ever hated all nations, professions
and communities and all his love is towards individuals. It means that he
realizes that we cannot blame the entire humanity but he hates and detests that
animal called man. Swift does not believe that a man is a rational animal
called man. Swift does not believe that man is a rational animal through he
does believe that man is capable of becoming rational, if he makes the
necessary effort. That is why Swift adds that upon this great foundation of
misanthropy, the whole building of Gulliver’s Travels has been erected. He
wanted to shake people out of their complacency and to make them aware of their
own faults and shortcomings. One thing which is quite evident that when
Gulliver refuses to go back to
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