Swift’s Use of Lemuel Gulliver as a Narrator and an Observer

Answer

Examine Swift’s use of Lemuel Gulliver as a narrator and an observer.

Or, Describe the ups and downs of Lemuel Gulliver’s life as presented by Jonathan Swift in “Gulliver Travels.” 

Jonathan Swift’s (1667 – 1745) use of Lemuel Gulliver as a narrator and observer in “Gulliver’s Travels” (1726) is a masterful literary technique. Through this, Swift satirizes the irregularities and discrimination established in the society. Presenting the story through Gulliver, Jonathan Swift highlights several critical issues in society:

Reliability and Credibility: Gulliver’s narration is marked by a tone of earnestness and credibility. He is presented as a typical, rational Englishman who describes his tale of extraordinary voyages with a straightforward and matter-of-fact style. The juxtaposition between the rational narrator and the fantastical events he recounts lends a degree of probability to the incredible tales. He invites readers to suspend disbelief temporarily. Gulliver’s narrative method takes a scientific approach that creates a sense of reality.

Innocence and Naivety: In the initial stage, Gulliver’s character is presented as simple and usual, which helps Jonathan Swift express the inconsistency of human nature and society. He describes the customs and practices of different cultures, which reflect the flaws and irregularities of his own society.

Descriptions of Lilliputian Politics: Gulliver describes Lilliputian politics. It reveals the pettiness and triviality of the political conflicts in contemporary Britain. Gulliver reveals that only constant obedience can satisfy monarchs. For instance, Gulliver helps  the Emperor of Lilliput  by capturing the enemy’s navy. But the emperor gives Gulliver the cold shoulder when Gulliver refuses to escalate the war against Blefuscu. As Gulliver says:

Of so little weight are the greatest services to princes when put into the balance with a refusal to gratify their passions.

Contrast and Comparison: As an observer, Gulliver’s encounters with different societies allow Swift to use contrast and comparison to highlight the follies and vices of human beings. Each of the lands Gulliver visits serves as a satirical mirror. They reflect aspects of 18th-century English society:

i) Lilliput: Through the miniature world of Lilliput, Swift satirizes the pettiness of political conflicts and the triviality of court intrigue.

ii) Brobdingnag: Gulliver’s voyage of Brobdingnag critiques Britain’s politics and legal system of Swift’s time. The Brobdingnag King is good and a man of justice, unlike the corrupt Lilliputian Emperor. Gulliver reveals to the Brobdingnag King that the English kings rule with their power and wealth in Gulliver’s country. The political leaders conspire against the civilians and control them with gunpowder. The King recognizes English society as:

heap of conspiracies, rebellions, murders, massacres, revolutions, banishments,

iii) Laputa: The floating island of Laputa satirizes the impracticality and absurdity of theoretical knowledge and detached intellectualism.

iv) Houyhnhnms: The rational horses of the Houyhnhnm society present an ideal of rationality and simplicity. 

Reflection and Transformation: Throughout his travels, Gulliver’s observations lead to significant personal transformation. It is another device Swift uses to critique human nature. Initially, Gulliver is an ordinary, somewhat arrogant individual. However,  when he witnesses the various societies, his perspectives shift dramatically. It leads him  to an increasing sense of disillusionment with humanity. 

neither shall I be ever able to comprehend how such an animal, and such a vice, could tally together.

By the end of the narrative, Gulliver has become misanthropic (misanthropic suggests a rooted distrust and dislike of human beings and their society). He prefers the company of horses to humans.

Irony and Satire: Irony is central to Swift’s satirical method. He masterfully uses irony through Gulliver’s observations. For example, the Lilliputians’ intense political rivalry over the proper way to break eggs is described with seriousness, which is ironic. It highlights the ridiculousness of such conflicts.

In short, Jonathan Swift very effectively presents Lemuel Gulliver in “Gulliver’s Travels” as narrator and observer. Gulliver’s observations lead Jonathan Swift to indirectly criticize various aspects of human society.