oodness of
Since "We view Gulliver from so many different perspectives - towering
above us - cowering below us" it is indeed difficult to form a clear
impression of him (Chapman, 2003), as "our impressions of him become
distorted. His multiple roles as narrator, author, character, and reader,
intertwine to conceal layers of meaning" (Chapman, 2003).
Hence, the multiplicity of tales makes the use of satire quite clear
to the reader in so much as coming to terms with the mannerisms chosen by
Swift in which to illustrate his scorn and contempt towards the situation
inherent to the era that he was living in. This is an aspect that becomes
increasingly clear when the reader comes to terms with the possibility that
Swift is using the protagonist of his tale, Lemuel Gulliver, as a means to
portray the situation inherent to mankind at the time. For instance, the
rigid etiquette and formal court procedures of the Lilliputians is seen as
Gulliver as something that is directly reflective of the mannerisms of the
English Court. This leads to Gulliver's realization of the insensibility
inherent to this significant degree of formal procedure and this is a
clearly satiric attempt on the part of Swift, possibly in so much as being
an effort to depict his contempt for these procedures via the persona of
Another aspect within which Swift's use of the art of satire is rather
obvious is in the use of Gulliver as an insignia to the characteristics
supposedly inherent to humans in comparison to animals. That is to say that
the significant degree of humanity, patience and kindness and not to
mention, the initial alarm of the unknown inherent to Gulliver are all
depicted as satirical illustrations of human characteristics.
Another, even more significant aspect of satire is apparent in the
portion acknowledging Gulliver's presence within the land of the
Brobdingnags, giants that are a...