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Jonathan Swifts Gulliver in the Land of the Houyhnhnms...

Jonathan Swifts Gulliver in the Land of the Houyhnhnms In the last voyage in Jonathan Swifts book Gullivers Travels, A voyage to the country of the Houyhnhnms, Swift describes his idea of an ideal society. There are many examples provided in this part of the book to convince the reader that Swift is indeed illustrating his idea of a utopia. By using horses as the most reasonable creature, Swift not only defaces human society by making a beast a more powerful creature, but also shows that humans are unable to attain this perfectly reasonable society. The society that the Houyhnhnms live in is unlike any society known to man. The Houyhnhnms are perfect in the way they live their lives; they are always doing what is best for†¦show more content†¦Gulliver explains the idea of war to the Master Houyhnhnm, and it is hard form him to understand the significance of it and why it would ever be needed. This idea can be shown in the following quotation: The Houyhnhnms, indeed, appear not to be so well prepared for war, a science to which they are perfect strangers, and especially against missive weapons, (236). Gulliver tries to justify the causes of war and attempts to explain this idea to the Houyhnhnms, who can not grasp the concept of why such a thing would ever be necessary. The Houyhnhnms do not even have a word to describe such evil, as it is not something that exists in their world. The Master listens to all of Gullivers stories and decides that humans are not unlike the Yahoos after all. The Yahoos are characterize d by their greed and selfishness throughout the book, and humans are viewed to be of the same nature. Swift thinks that the Houyhnhnm society is the ideal society; for this revealed by the way that he shows Gulliver wanting to become just like them. Swift does not like the European culture which is very different from that of the Houyhnhnms. Swifts major focus is on reason and thinks that a completely reasonable society would be a perfect one; which is what the Houyhnhnm society revolves around. Swift is always pointing out faults in humans and how they are not as perfect as the Houyhnhnms,Show MoreRelatedJonathan Swift s True Purpose1067 Words   |  5 PagesKatherine Rowland Rowland 1 Mrs.Hofler MYP English 2 20 November 2014 Jonathan Swift’s True Purpose Happy adventure tale, wonderful children’s book, filth, and absurd were just a few words that people during the 17th century used to describe Gulliver’s Travels. During the 17th century there was a period of new ideas and creativity; that period was called the Reformation. The ReformationRead MoreGullivers Travels: Swifts Opinions Of The English Essay960 Words   |  4 PagesAfter being washed ashore and then falling asleep, Lemuel Gulliver awakens to find himself tied firmly to the ground. In confusion, Gulliver hears noises and feels an object move about on his chest. 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Civilization vs. Savagery Free Essays

In the novel, Lord of the Flies, the boys ended up stranded on the island. In order to get out of the predicament they areir in, they havehad to adapt to the situation. They used things around them to maintain civilization, which also had symbolic meanings related to them. We will write a custom essay sample on Civilization vs. Savagery or any similar topic only for you Order Now By analyzing the evolution of symbols such as the conch, fire, and Piggy’s glasses. In the novel, one can map out the boys’ gradual descent into savagery. The conch represents power because it once was able to control the boys with it. The conch symbolizes democracy, structure, and respect. In the beginning, Ralph and Piggy discover the conch shell on the beach, and Ralph uses it to call the other boys on the island. IQ â€Å"By the time Ralph finished blowing the conch the platform was crowded† (Golding 32). The conch gave them order, it was used to summon the other boys and call the group together. It gave them power because it was able to control the boys. When anyone had ideas, they used it to speak their minds. The conch shell becomes a powerful symbol of civilization and order in the novel. Fire is a technology that threatens destruction if it gets out of control. Fire symbolizes the boys’ connection to human civilization. Their signal fire gives them hope to get rescued. â€Å"You got your small fire all right† (Golding 21). By keeping the signal fire going they hope to attract the attention of a passing boat or aircraft who could possibly rescue them. The fire at the end of the novel, is the direct result of the conflict between Ralph and Jack’s tribe, which ultimately results in the destruction of the island. They got rescued because of the fire so it plays an important role throughout the novel but their friends got killed due to the fire too which shows the destructive and savage side of fire. Piggy’s glasses represent the creativeness in society. The symbolism of his glasses is clear from the start when the boys use them to focus the sunlight and start a fire. â€Å"His specs, use them as burning glasses!† (Golding 55). Piggy is probably the most intelligent in the group. His rational thinking and ability to see solutions to the boys problems, helps them accomplish their situations. The glasses represent the boys only means of obtaining fire to help. Once the glasses are stolen, and Piggy cannot see, he is unable to help Ralph maintain civilization. The symbols in the novel, Lord of the Flies, kept them in civilization for a while. The supplies they used, helped them achieve longevity in their environment and supported their up-keeping. The evolution of the symbols, such as the conch, fire, and Piggy’s glasses, maintained their civilization, and introduced their descent into savagery. How to cite Civilization vs. Savagery, Papers