Analysis on Swifts Attitude Towards Humanity - 1622 Words

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)†¦show more content†¦Like Hobbes, Degeneration of Humanity Swift considers human are not only evil in nature but keep corrupting. The European moralists say: â€Å"the nature is degenerated in these latter declining ages of the world, and could now produce only small abortive births in comparison of those ancient times† (Swift 187) In Glubbdubdrib, people can make ancients appears with magic, Gulliver makes conversation with ancients, and finds â€Å"As every person called up made exactly the same appearance he had done in the world, it gave me melancholy reflections to observe how much the race of mankind was degenerated among us, within those hundred years past†, â€Å"how all these pure native virtues were prostituded for a piece of money by their grandchildren† (Swift 271) Gulliver is thrown into deep melancholy as he discover the degeneration of human nature. Not only the ancient virtues are lost, but also man’s physical condition is becoming worse and worse as Swift points out in Gulliver’s fourth voy age to the land of the Houyhnhnms where his satire reaches its pinnacle: â€Å"I seemed to fail in strength and agility†, â€Å"He said I differed indeed from other Yahoos, being much more cleanly, and not altogether so deformed, but in point of real advantage he thought I differed for the worse.† (Swift 322) human’s disposition is like Yahoos’ which is violent and primitive, but human’s