Gulliver’s Travels is a satirical book written by Jonathan Swift and was published in 1726. Gulliver’s character undergoes many changes throughout his adventures, however most of these changes happen gradually throughout the book rather than suddenly. Gulliver starts out as an innocent idealist, but is exposed to evils that corrupt him into a more cynical man. Gulliver’s initial innocence is shown when Gulliver views the tiny, peaceful Lilliputians as an arrogant race who are somewhat ignorant of Gulliver’s stature. Gulliver views their rituals and customs with awe until he becomes embroiled in their political affairs.
Gulliver’s lack of understanding leads him to several misunderstandings that eventually contribute to Gulliver into becoming a captive. Gulliver also makes an effort to understand the differences between himself and the people of Lilliput despite his short-comings; one of these ways was through their religion, however it quickly fell apart because there were few similarities between Gulliver’s doctrine and the Lilliputians’. As Gulliver continues to Gulliver’s third voyage, Gulliver encounters the Houyhnhnms, a race of creatures that resemble horses.
Gulliver believes that he has found his ideal home with these creatures because they are logical, caring and lack any form of corruption or infighting. Gulliver feels comfortable around them at first but after Gulliver is exposed to their society Gulliver realizes how much better off he was with the Yahoos than the Houyhnhnms. The Yahoos whom Gulliver had encountered in Gulliver’s second voyage were unruly and immoral by Gullivers standards, however once Gulliver spends more time with the Houyhnhnm society, Gulliver realizes how much selfishness, greed and hypocrisy Gulliver possessed.
Gulliver begins to see the Yahoos as similar to Gulliver, Gulliver’s experiences with them allowed Gulliver to realize Gulliver’s own flaws that he had never realized before. Gulliver seems like a changed man after his fourth voyage; Gulliver is much more jaded due to the time Gulliver spent with the Houyhnhnms. Gulliver’s experiences in Brobdingnag seem to develop Gullivers’ knowledge even further because of how different their customs were compared to any other society Gulliver had encountered before, these societies were still corrupt by human standards but they differed from one another greatly.
This entire novel was a satire of Gulliver’s Travels and Gulliver’s harsh experiences created Gulliver into a more understanding person. Gulliver started out as an innocent idealist, who was exposed to corruption that made Gulliver cynical about society as a whole. Gulliver’s change through Gullivers’ travels was gradual rather than sudden but it is visible throughout the book especially within Gullivers encounters with different societies.
Gulliver also sees himself as a wise man, not knowing everything but gaining all the knowledge he can. Gulliver doesn’t like to get involved with other people and he likes to be told what to do. Gulliver isn’t interested in politics but after Gulliver returns from his travels Gulliver seems to support King William III and agrees with Gulliver’s decisions that Gulliver probably wouldn’t have supported before his travels (9). Gulliver starts off not caring about anything and then while on Lilliput, cares more for human life than before even though this might only last so long because of Gulliver’s experiences at sea where care for animals is less important than human life.
Gullivers changes would not have occurred if Gulliver had never gone on his adventures but Gulliver seems to become more open-minded, he becomes less stubborn and he also realizes that people are different everywhere because of the fact that Gulliver went at sea which Gulliver says “”never before this could I endure the sight of a Turkey Cock”” (392). This is interesting because Gulliver has always been abroad at sea for so long but now he can finally stand being around them just because Gulliver came back from his travels.
Gulliver travels to Lilliput, Brobdingnag, Laputa, and the country of the House. Gulliver must cope with his sudden change in size throughout Gulliver’s Travels. Gulliver begins Gulliver’s Travels at home in England. Gulliver has a wife and six children. Gulliver receives a commission from the King of Langdon to discover new territories for trade. Upon receiving this news, Gulliver sets forth on his voyage sailing toward South America.
However, while down south Gulliver gets caught in a storm and washes onto the shore of Lilliput, a land Gulliver discovers to be inhabited by people that are only six inches tall. Gulliver is immediately captured and taken to the capital of the country where Gulliver meets several important figures in Lilliputian society. Gulliver is nearly hung for treason due to Gulliver’s perceived act of war upon landing on their shores; Gulliver decides not to fight them because they are so tiny.
Gulliver must learn to fit into this new world when he realized his size was way larger than everyone else around him. He also learns their language to communicate with them. Gulliver leaves in peace after discovering that relations between countries in Gulliver’s Travels were strained because Gulliver had accidentally broken six eggs that were priceless to them. Gulliver later meets Gulliver’s daughter, Mary, who he discovers has married Gulliver’s archrival in Gulliver’s Travels, Blefuscud, the King of Lilliput’s top enemy.
Gulliver is upset by this but promises not to take any action against his daughter or her husband. Gulliver must learn to adapt when Gulliver realizes he has lost his wife and children due to him traveling around the world on a ship for years at a time. Gulliver washes up on shore once again after another storm and finds out that they have been taken over by a giant race of people called Brobdingnagians. Gulliver must learn to fit into this new world when Gulliver realizes that the king and everyone in Gulliver’s Travels his kingdom is at least twelve times Gulliver’s size.
Gulliver also learns their language to communicate with them. Gulliver leaves Gulliver’s travels in peace after learning from a Houyhnhnm, a race of people Gulliver discovers are horses that talk, who he meets while staying in Brobdingnag, that all humans are corrupt and ‘imperfect’ beings because they do not live like the Houyhnhumms do. Gulliver decides to leave Brobdingnag and set out on another journey to explore more places.
Gulliver gets washed up on shore in a distant land and Gulliver discovers is Gulliver’s Travels, the land of the Houyhnhnms. Gulliver must learn to get used to this world when Gulliver realizes that he is not perfect like them because Gulliver often commits ‘imperfect’ acts such as wearing clothes and using money. He also learns their language to communicate with them. Gulliver later returns home after living 14 years in Gulliver’s Travels completely adapted to his new world and lifestyle.
