Historian+and+Biographer+for+Swift's+Gulliver's+Travels

//Gulliver’s Travels -// A Historical and Biographical Connection During the beginning of the 18th century, the popularity of satire grew as writers such as Pope and Swift enjoyed tremendous popularity. This period, often called the “Age of Reason,” was highly influenced by a group of society’s elite, who called themselves the Augustans, determined to live their lives according to “truth” and “reason.” The satire of both Swift and Pope contains a concern for ethical behavior and a negative sense of doom. For Swift the issue was one between “right reason” and “madness. ”  His most popular work, //Gulliver’s Travels// serves as a biting satire. Swift ensures that it is both humorous and critical, constantly criticizing British and European society and politics through its descriptions of imaginary countries and allusions to many of its political decision makers. Jonathan Swift’s life as well as the historical times in which he lived impacted the plot of //Gulliver’s Travels//. Swift’s purpose was no doubt to annoy the leaders of Britain rather than please them. Swift wrote //Gulliver’s Travels// at a time of political change and scientific invention, and many of the events he describes can easily be linked to contemporary events in Europe. These stories are deeply amusing because they combine real issues with entirely fantastic situations and characters, suggesting the realities of 18th century England were as fantastic as the situations in which Gulliver finds himself. Much of //Gulliver’s Travels// links to English politics. The death of Queen Anne in England ended the Tory government and again connected Swift with English government when the Whigs impeached his political friends, Harley and Bolingbroke.  The reader sees Swift’s dissatisfaction with the British government in the Country of the Houyhnhnms. Gulliver complains of his government’s lack of reason and virtue. He feels an inability to complain of his unhappiness and a lack of power in preventing injustice.  Along with the allusions to the impeachment of his friends, most scholars agree //Gulliver’s Travels// is a political allegory in which Lilliput represents England and Bleufuscu represents France. Like England, the Lilliputians are divided politically: a violent faction at home and the danger of invasion by the enemy abroad. The “high-heels” are the Tories and the “low-heels” are the Whigs. The king who is determined to use only low-heels in his administration is King George I. When Gulliver extinguishes the flames in the Lilliputian palace with his own urine, it is an allusion to the negotiation of the Peace of Utrecht by the Tories. An allusion is made to the leniency of the peace terms made with the French in 1713 when Gulliver refuses to destroy the fleet of Bleufuscu and to stamp out all Catholics. Although born and educated in Ireland, Jonathan Swift always considered himself an Englishman because both of his parents were English by birth. Because of the common status of his English parents, perhaps Swift identified most with the Yahoos he creates in //Gulliver’s Travels//. Throughout his life, he showed a restlessness and outspokenness often causing him trouble. Even while attending Trinity College in Dublin, he obtained his degree “by special grace” because of disciplinary problems in school. While still a young man, he left for England to become a secretary for William Temple, a man active in political affairs who he hoped would help advance him in politics. It was his association with Temple his patron that provided some of his earliest satirical material. The poor experience with the government gave him subject material for his writing. He wrote a number of pamphlets questioning religious ideas which failed to advance his religious career, but established him more as a satirical writer. This reputation for satirical writing was enhanced with his association with other famous satirists of his day such as Alexander Pope, Richard Steele, and Joseph Addison. Swift further shows his disrespect for government leaders by making them animals to rule over the Yahoos, the common man. //Gulliver’s Travels// represents 18th century English satire at its best, criticizing both British and European politics and social ideals. With satirical humor and sarcasm, Swift looks at the vindictiveness of politics in a day of change. He ridicules the indecisive and disorganized ways of English policy and shows the often ridiculous competitiveness between the governments of England and France. Skillfully he forces the reader to examine the motives and consequences of political decisions in a day of political uncertainty. Posted by Walden (Kayla)