Gulliver's_Self-Awareness

When Gulliver encounters Lilliput, he is initially lacking in self-reflection and self-awareness. He makes no mention of his emotions, passions, dreams or aspirations, and he shows no interest in describing his own psychology to the reader. By the end of the satire, Gulliver has come close to a sense of self-knowledge in his unhinged belief that he is a Yahoo. His revulsion with the human condition, shown by his poor treatment of Don Pedro, extends to himself, so that he ends the book in a disguised state of self-hatred. Swift seems to be telling the reader that self-knowledge has its limits much like theoretical knowledge does as well. That if we look too closely at ourselves we may no longer be able to continue living happily. In book one, “A Voyage to Lilliput,” when Gulliver finds himself lost in a world much smaller than his own, he proves himself to be quite naïve and impressionable. Gulliver thinks of the toy-like Lilliputians to be perfect and innocent. When he is tied to the ground by their troops, Gulliver still shows an idolization for the strangers; “Besides, I now considered myself bound by the laws of hospitality to a people who had treated me with so much expense and magnificence”(Swift, Jonathan. “Gulliver’s Travels” Doubleday & Company. 1945. Garden City, New York. Pp 9) He refers to their six inch high emperor as “His Imperial Majesty” and mindlessly agrees to perform all their demands, even though he could easily overpower the tiny nation. His services are soon exploited and the Lilliputians banish Gulliver. Once he realizes how cruel and deceitful the Lilliputians truly are his personality begins to transform. In “A Voyage to Brobdingnag”, Gulliver confronts an opposite situation, for in the world of Brobdingnag everything is much larger; “He appeared as tall as an ordinary spire-steeple” (pp.72) Gulliver says of the inhabitants. Freshly hardened by his hostile experiences on Lilliput, he approaches this new society from the beginning with an initial degree of suspicion and disapproval; “…for as human creatures are observed to be more savage and cruel in proportion to their bulk, what could I expect but to be a morsel in the mouth of the first among these enormous barbarians that should happen to seize me'”(pp.73). Gulliver feared his initial interaction with these new people, worried they would treat him with the same hostility as the Lilliputians. Although it is apparent to the reader that this particular race of people is far more generous trustworthy than its predecessor, Gulliver imparts upon it much more criticism and disrespect. When one of the great giants discovered Gulliver in the grass he feared for his life; “For I apprehended every moment that he would dash me against the ground, as we usually do any little hateful animal which we have a mind to destroy”(pp.73). But he was shocked by the monsters wariness; “But my good star would have it, that he appeared pleased with my voice and gestures, and began to look upon me as a curiosity, much wondering to hear me pronounce articulate words, although he could not understand them”(pp.74). Gulliver demonstrates his hypocrisy, for instance, when he expresses his revulsion at the sight of the Brobdingnagians’ physical appearance but never attributes his ability to see their imperfections in such detail to his own minuscule size. It becomes obvious to the reader that his dissatisfaction relates directly to his inadequacy among these colossal beings. He reflects back on the Lilliputians who thought that he was such a powerful and strong creature, stating that he feels as a single Lilliputian would feel among humans; “I reflected what a mortification it must prove to me to appear as inconsiderable in this nation as one single Lilliputian would be among us”(pp.73). His time in Brobdingnag not only gives Gulliver an understanding of what it is like to be powerless, but it also shows him how the Lulliputians must have felt when near him. Gulliver’s newfound understanding of perspective helps him to feel powerless more profoundly, first for himself and then for others. He admits how vain an attempt it is for a man to endeavor doing himself honor among those who are out of degree of equality or comparison with him. Once Gulliver is immersed in court, he begins to shed his role of observer and becomes personally involved in the moral controversies he observes. He begins to spend a great deal of time with the king discussing politics. Gulliver describes how things work in England and the king laughs at their politics. At first, Gulliver is put off by his mockery, but he soon realizes that his adventures have begun to sway him to the same opinion; his perspective has begun to change. By the end of Gulliver’s travel to the Houyhnhnms he has been utterly transformed. Gulliver becomes trapped in a new world where horses represent civilization and reason, while men, resentfully referred to as “Yahoos,” run wild, savage and ignorant. In the country of the Houyhnhnms, he encounters a new species that is the most skeptical of him, and for a good reason. He shows an admiration of the horses from the beginning; “Upon the whole, the behaviour of these animals was so orderly and rational, so acute and judicious, that I at last concluded they must needs be magicians…”(pp.208). Gulliver strives to separate himself from the Yahoo’s and his own species. In Brobdingnag, Gulliver attempted to defend his people to the king. Something is different now in the country of the Houyhnhnms. Gulliver must do everything he possibly can to separate himself from the Yahoos, a very different situation from his positions in Lilliput and Brobdingnag. In order to accomplish this, he does small things consistently, like using his best manners, eating with a knife and fork, keeping his clothes on, and being as clean as possible. He shows them that he is capable of using language, reasoning well and being prudent and mannerly. “I expressed my uneasiness at his giving me so often the appellation of Yahoo, an odious animal for which I had so utter a hatred and contempt” (pp.219). Gulliver strives to be accepted by the Houyhnhnms and not be seen as a Yahoo. The horses make Gulliver realize how truly corrupt his untrustworthy and immoral race of human beings is. He learns to love and appreciate their virtuous society while gradually beginning to detest his own. Gulliver even refers to his fellow English countrymen as Yahoos, saying that “the Yahoos were the only governing animals in my country” (pp.221). Gulliver shows disgust for his own people and admiration for the Houyhnhnms; “But it is impossible to represent his noble resentment at our savage treatment of the Houyhnhnm race” (pp 223). Even when the grey mare tells Gulliver that he thinks that his people are worse than the Yahoos, Gulliver is quick to agree. Just as Swift criticizes the state of society outright, by depicting men as unpleasant, illogical beasts, Gulliver assumes a similar stance, declaring himself a shamed and spiteful pessimist. Obviously Gulliver’s experiences since Brobdingnag and his contact with the Yahoos have truly changed him. Through the Yahoos, Gulliver has come to see some awful aspects of human nature. Gulliver seems fully willing to turn his back on the English people in favor of those he considers better than the English. Now that he has been bared to many different alternatives, he can think cautiously about who to respect and what political systems to favor. The English certainly come up short in relation to the Houyhnhnms for Gulliver. Through his travels to Lilliput, Brobdingnag and the Houyhnhnms, Gulliver receives a sense of self-recognition. In Lilliput, Gulliver remains obedient even though he could have easily taken over their entire population. He is unsure of himself and gets tangled in their debates, unable to stand up for himself. When traveling upon Brobdingnag, Gulliver shows an initial fearfulness and disgust for the new society after his experiences with the Lilliputians. He experiences a sense of powerlessness in comparison to the people but begins to show more security in himself as he shares his thoughts with the King. Finally, in the land of the Houyhnhnms, Gulliver finds a society he admires, denouncing his fellow Englishmen and determined to prove himself.