Gulliver_Travels_as_political_Satire

#Question: Political satire in the first two parts of Gullivers travels is interesting
as well as instructive. Elaborate?
Or
#Question: Political satire in the four parts of the Gulliver's travels?
#Answer: In part 1 , we find Swift satirizing the manner in which political offices
were distributed among the candidates by the English King in Swifts time.
Flimnap the treasurer, represents Sir Robert Walpole who was the
prime minister of England from 1715 to 1716 and then again from 1721 to 1742.
Dancing on a tight rope symbolizes Walpoles skill in parliamentary tactics and
political intrigues. Similarly, Reldresal represents Lord Carterat who was
appointed by Walpole to the office Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. Again the phrase,
one of the kings cushions, refers to one of the King Georges mistresses who
helped to restore Walpole to favor after his fall in 1717.
The ancient temple in which Gulliver is housed in Lilliput probably refers to
Westminster Hall in which Charles 1 had been condemned to death. The search of
Gulliver by the Lilliputians may have some reference to a committee which had
been formed by the Whigs to investigate the conduct of the previous government
and especially of Oxford and Bolingbroke who were suspected of treasonable
relationships with France and the Old Pretender. Swift here seems to be satirizing
the activities of that Whig committee.
The three fine silk threads which were awarded as prizes to the winners of various
contests refer to the various distinctions which were conferred by the English King
on his favorites. In other words, Swift is here mocking at the English Kings
conferment of distinctions on political favorites and supporters. The annoyance of
the Empress of Lilliput with Gulliver for extinguishing a fire in her palace is a
satirical allusion to Queen Annes annoyance with Swift for having written A
Tale of a Tub.
The articles of impeachment against Gulliver may be a satire on the actual
impeachment in1715 of four Tory ex- ministers. These four Tories were
Bolingbroke, Oxford, Ormonde, and Strafford. Bolingbroke and Ormonde escaped
to France (just as Gulliver escapes to Blefuscu ) and were declared traitors. The
impeachment of Strafford was dropped, while Oxford was acquitted after having
been kept as a prisoner in the tower for two years.
Swifts satire becomes more amusing when Gulliver speaks of the conflict between
the Big- Endians and the Little Endians in Lilliput. It is funny that, while one
party believes that boiled eggs should be broken at the big end, the other party
insists on breaking the eggs at the smaller end. In this account Swift is ridiculing
the conflict between the Roman Catholics and the Protestants. He is making fun of
hair- splitting theological disputes. Swift also pokes fun at the political parties in
England when he speaks of the two factions in Lilliput- the two factions being
distinguished by their high heels and low heels respectively.
In part II , when Gulliver has given to the King an account of the life on his own
country, of the trade, the wars, the conflicts in religions, the political parties, the
King has a hearty laugh and asks Gulliver whether the latter is a Whig or a Tory.
The Kings view was that the history of Gullivers country seemed to him to be
only a heap of conspiracies, rebellions, murders, massacres, revolutions,
banishments and very worst effect that avarice, faction, hypocrisy, perfidiousness,
cruelty, rage, madness, hatred, envy, lust, malice and ambition could produce.
The satire in part II does not end here. Kings reaction is also significant when
Gulliver informs him that in his country hundreds of books are written on the art of
governments. According to the King, only common sense, reason and justice, and
not books are needed to run a government.
In part lll , in the account of the life in Laputa, Swift also satirizes the English
system of administration, especially with regard to the Ireland of the time. The
English government ruled Ireland from a long distance, and was thus nit in direct
touch with its Irish subjects even though some of the English politicians held
property in Ireland.
In part 1V , the satire deepens when Gulliver gives to the master Houyhnhnms an
account of the events and happenings in his own country and in other European
countries was due sometimes to the ambition of Kings and sometimes to the
corruption of ministers. Gulliver speaks of the numerous deadly weapons which
the European nations employ for destruction purposes. The whole of this account
by Gulliver is an exposure of the evils of wars and the wickness of lawyers and
judges. Gulliver also says thus many people in his country ruin themselves by
drinking, gambling and debauchery; and that many are guilty of such crimes as
murder, theft, robbery, forgery, rape and sodomy.
The account which Gulliver gives of the political life in his country is really a
bitter criticism of the evils that prevail out only in England but in all countries of
the world. The prime minister, according to Gulliver, is a person wholly free from
joy and grief, love and hatred, pity and anger; and he is a person with a violent
desire for wealth, power and title.