Is Gulliver's Travels misanthropic? What was Swift's misanthropy? Why was Gulliver's Travels controversial? What is the social criticism in Gulliver's Travels?

  

                                                     Misanthrope

Q.   From your reading of Gulliver’s Travel, what impression have you formed of Swift’s attitude towards mankind? Would you describe him as a misanthrope?                 (P.u.2004)

 

Q.   Swift has been charged with misanthropy. Uphold or refute the charge with concrete evidence from his works, especially ‘’Gulliver’s Travels’’.

 

Ans.

Swift is regarded as the bitterest satirical writer amongst his contemporaries. ‘’Gulliver’s Travel’’ is a great manifestation of his bitter attitude. No doubt, most of the critics allege he is a misanthrope due to his acute disgust for mankind. But with a deep and critical evaluation of the book, we can very strongly assert that Swift is not a misanthrope at all rather he is a philanthrope. It is the misconception of those who think Swift is a misanthrope. On the other hand, Swift only wants to reform mankind out of their follies and stupidity. He says that the chief end of all his Laboure is:

‘’to vex the world rather than divert’’.

ship, his dislike for his own wife and children is enough evidence Secondly, he declares that:

‘’I have never hated all nations, professions, and communities and all my love is towards individuals.’’

Moreover, we see that though Swift seems to challenge the emotions in mankind it does not mean that he condemns emotions completely in man, he believes that:

‘’Man is capable of becoming rational if he makes the necessary efforts.’’

Despite that, we see that Swift is notorious for being misanthrope and he was subjected to this allegation during his lifetime because the critics, identifying Gulliver with Swift, attributed Gulliver’s blunders to Swift. It is an undeniable and indisputable fact that Gulliver becomes a misanthrope on the last voyage. The hatred he develops against mankind in general’ is his disgust with the captain and other members of the to declare Gulliver a Misanthrope.

[No doubt, Gulliver starts preferring horses to men. But if we critically evaluate the character of Gulliver in the fourth voyage. There would be a logical reason for Gulliver behind this act. We observe that in the fourth voyage, Gulliver- reaches a country of animals, ruled by animals. Two types of animals are living there. The ugly and repulsive brutes_ Yahoos:

‘’ Yahoos who are uncatchable brutes, cunning, gluttonous and disposed to great mischief’’

And comparatively, better- and nice-looking animals _Houyhnhnms. The moment he enters the country, he is confronted with Yahoos and they give him such a nasty and obnoxious treatment that he develops a dislike for them in his heart, which is later converted into hatred owing to their disgusting physical appearance and their filthy and mischievous way of life. But his first meeting with Houyhnhnms, on the other hand, proves to be a nice experience. And this:

‘’The first impression proves the last impression’’.

They secure him against yahoos, behave with him properly, and gracefully escort him to their abode.

‘’The behavior of horses shows him to be animals with an extraordinary power of understanding.’’

Naturally, this kind of treatment creates a sort of fondness in Gulliver’s heart for Houyhnhnms and their way of life. Up to this time, nothing is objectionable, but his fault begins when he becomes so enamored of Houyhnhnms that he starts hating man or equating yahoos with men, and on this concept, he begins to abhor man.

He develops a ‘’ general hatred against all men’’.

In all the subsequent incidents his hatred against the captain, against his family. reflect his misanthropy.

The blunder which Gulliver’s committed is that he over-idealizes horses due to their pure intellectual outlook. He blames emotions and sentiments for every corruption of man. So, he finds Yahoos in a detestable and abhorrent condition on account of their being a slave of emotions, sensuality, and sentimentality. He says:

‘’Yet I confess I never saw any sensitive being so detestable on all accounts; and the more I came near them, the more hateful they grew, while I stayed in that country’’

Houyhnhnms in a comparatively better condition, do not have such type of corruption that Yahoos have, because Houyhnhnms have no emotion.]

‘’Houyhnhnms are free from lust and greed.’’

Naturally, he attributes the whole of Man’s corruption to emotions, passions, and sentimentality. As a remedy, he starts hating emotions, and passion, and he falls victim to pure intellect.

‘’Here was neither physician to destroy my body, nor lawyer to ruin my fortune, there were no gibers, …; backbiters, …; bawds, …; ravishers, murderers or … poxes.’’

So, he mis-idealizes Houyhnhnms, due to their pure intellect, somehow establishes a subjective ideal before him i.e., to be a man is to have pure intellect. He thinks:

‘’ The only remedy for going away with Man’s corruption and pollution is to get rid of all kinds of emotions’’.

In the country of Houyhnhnms, Gulliver adopts the Houyhnhnms way of life, totally declining the yahoo’s footpath. But when Houyhnhnms forced the Gulliver to leave this place Gulliver started hating them which is a natural act.

But it is a bad act to hate Man, comparing him with Yahoos and again it’s also improper to set up the ideal of a perfect man based on Houyhnhnms, pure intellect because neither a Houyhnhnms nor a Yahoo is a man. In fact, man is a union of both intellect and emotions.

 

The best code of conduct is the Golden Mean which is ‘balance’.’’

 So, he mis-defines Man. But the point is that whether Swift becomes a misanthrope or not, can we assign Gulliver’s misanthropy to Swift? If we almost succeed in establishing some identity between Swift and Gulliver, Swift, too, will become a misanthrope.

But according to Swift's point of view, a man is he who maintains a balance between rationality and sensuality and this balance is not gifted by birth. It has to be acquired. That’s why even Gulliver is subjected to Swift’s satire, for he loses the balance.

That is the reason we don’t identify Gulliver with Swift and, despite Gulliver’s misanthropy, we call Swift a great philanthropist, as he, himself, says:

‘’I write for the noblest end, to inform and instruct mankind.’’