Gulliver’s Travelsby Jonathan Swift

published anonymously in 1726 as Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World.

Jonathan Swift1675 - 1739

Introduction Anglo-Irish Satirist Clergyman Writer Political

Pamphleteer Poet Master of Satire

Gulliver's Travels – 1726four-part satirical novel

Lemuel Gulliver dreamt of travelling the world. But when a violent storm claims his ship and casts him adrift among unchartered lands, he is taken to places that he had never imagined could exist. Gulliver travels to Lilliput, where the inhabitants measure just centimeters tall, and to Brobdingnag, where they tower into the sky like giants. Then he goes to an island floating above the clouds, after which he visits a race of immortals, and finds himself stranded in a land ruled by horses. Face to face with warring armies and power-hungry kings, each new journey makes Gulliver more desperate to find a way back home. But once he discovers the truth about his own land and himself, returning home becomes the last thing he desires.

Gulliver’s TravelsFour Voyages of Lemuel Gulliver1. A Voyage to Lilliput2. A Voyage to Brobdingnag3. A Voyage to Laputa4. The land of HouyhnhnmsVoyages 1 and 2 focus on criticism of various aspects of English society at the time, and man within this society, while voyages 3 and 4 are more preoccupied with human nature.The excerpt on pages 100-102 is from the last voyage.

Characters on Pp 100-102• Gulliver - the protagonist and

the narrator of the story. • Gulliver’s Houyhnhnms master • Houyhnhnms - represent

disciplined, cultured society• Yahoos - they represent savage

human society

YAHOOThis word was invented by the Jonathen Swift and means brave and enthusiastic person. Founders Jerry Yang and David Filo call them "Yahoos".

Satire Definition“Satire is genre of literature, and sometimes graphic, and performing arts, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcoming are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals and/or society into improvement”

The novel can be read as a powerful attack on man's wickedness and stupidity.

Fourth VoyageThe Land of Houyhnhnms:

Satire on human moral shortcomings and on mankind:Gulliver quickly learns the language of houyhnhnms and tells them about his country where human beings rule and horses are trained to work for them. Houyhnhnms find this unbelievable.

• Gulliver talks about what leads to war.• Gulliver tells them about law and order in his nation• Humans (Europeans) are described as yahoos. • Greed and selfishness is a part of human nature.• Houyhnhnms live in social harmony and have more

humanity than humans.• Swift challenges the traditional idea that humans are

rational animals.

Fourth VoyageThe Land of Houyhnhnms: