Analysis on Swift’s Attitude Towards Humanity
Analysis on Swift’s Attitude towards Humanity
Introduction
In1726, Jonathan Swift, one of the best-known realistic writers in 18th century, published his book Gulliver’s Travels which on the surface is a collection of travel journals of a surgeon called Lemuel Gulliver but actually is a work of satire on politics and human nature. In the four incredible adventures, Gulliver’s perceptions are tied closely with Swift’s shame and disgust against British government and even against the whole of the human condition as Richard Rodino says in his book that Gulliver is neither a fully developed character nor even an altogether distinguishable persona; rather, he is a satiric device enabling Swift to score satirical points. (Rodino 124) Indeed, those ideas which embody the writer’s own outlook on life and an Enlightenment tendency are not presented directly in the book but underlie the words as the author wrote in the book, “I shall say nothing of those remote nations where Yahoos preside, amongst which the least corrupted are the Brobdingnagians, whose wise maxims in morality and government it would be our happiness to observe…but I forbear descanting further, and rather leave the judicious reader to his own remarks and application.” (Swift 390) The author tends to let the readers draw themselves a conclusion rather than tell it directly, yet the use of irony enables Swift to launch his onslaught to humanity①. As far as I am concerned, Jonathan Swift believes that human are savage and evil in nature, and human nature keeps degenerating. The depravation of humanity will result in the corruption in politics and social regression. Therefore man should face squarely to the vice in human nature, simultaneously pursue a moral life.
Evil in Nature
Swift injects both satire and melancholy of human condition into the travel log of Gulliver. He argues that the original humanity is evil. In Gulliver’s Travels, the author talks about humanity through the great scholars
Introduction
In1726, Jonathan Swift, one of the best-known realistic writers in 18th century, published his book Gulliver’s Travels which on the surface is a collection of travel journals of a surgeon called Lemuel Gulliver but actually is a work of satire on politics and human nature. In the four incredible adventures, Gulliver’s perceptions are tied closely with Swift’s shame and disgust against British government and even against the whole of the human condition as Richard Rodino says in his book that Gulliver is neither a fully developed character nor even an altogether distinguishable persona; rather, he is a satiric device enabling Swift to score satirical points. (Rodino 124) Indeed, those ideas which embody the writer’s own outlook on life and an Enlightenment tendency are not presented directly in the book but underlie the words as the author wrote in the book, “I shall say nothing of those remote nations where Yahoos preside, amongst which the least corrupted are the Brobdingnagians, whose wise maxims in morality and government it would be our happiness to observe…but I forbear descanting further, and rather leave the judicious reader to his own remarks and application.” (Swift 390) The author tends to let the readers draw themselves a conclusion rather than tell it directly, yet the use of irony enables Swift to launch his onslaught to humanity①. As far as I am concerned, Jonathan Swift believes that human are savage and evil in nature, and human nature keeps degenerating. The depravation of humanity will result in the corruption in politics and social regression. Therefore man should face squarely to the vice in human nature, simultaneously pursue a moral life.
Evil in Nature
Swift injects both satire and melancholy of human condition into the travel log of Gulliver. He argues that the original humanity is evil. In Gulliver’s Travels, the author talks about humanity through the great scholars
Cited: Malcolm, Noel. Aspects of Hobbes. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002 Rodino, Richard H. "The Study of Gulliver 's Travels, Past and Present." Critical Approaches to Teaching Swift. New York: AMS Press, 1992. Swift Jonathan. Gulliver’s Travels. 北京：中央编译出版社，2010