Essay about utopia

in Gulliver’s
Travels

FES ACATLAN LEI

Literatura Inglesa III
Bernal Rodríguez
Alejandra

Romero Cervantes
Alejandra Eunice

Storms Salas Jorge

Alberto

Vega Cortez Moisés

01/11/2010
ESSAY ABOUT “UTOPIA” IN GULLIVER´S
TRAVELS
Jonathan Swift (1667-1745)
Jonathan Swift was an Irish writer. He studies theology at the Trinity College: When the Civil War
started, he moved to England where he became the secretary of Sir William Temple, who was a
relative of Jonathan´s mom. Jonathan meet Sir William´s daughter, whose name was Esther Johnson
and to whom Jonathan would write a series of letters (Letters for Estella) that would be published
after Jonathan´s death. Jonathan became priest in 1694. His ability as a satiric writer was evident in
his play The Battle of Book, published in 1697. The play that made him a glorious writer was Gulliver
´s travels, written in 1726. This play was an imaginative and pessimistic satire about the British
society that would ironically become a childish successful. Jonathan Swift died in 1745 and most of
his fortune was for the poor people.

Summary
Gulliver is normal person, who is a surgeon and offer his services to boats that travel for commerce,
he heals the crew who get sick. But in every voyage he made, he finishes in countries that are
unknown for the rest of the world. In each one of these islands we can see the limits of the human
race; we can see the difference between right and wrong, the moral, and the limits of reason as a
human being, society vs. individual, utopias. And Gulliver shows an amazing way to adapt to different
cultures, learning their costumes and traditions and specially their languages in an amazing speed.

In these islands we can appreciate a critic and a satiric way to see human condition. In all islands we
can see the human behavior, and the criticism to the actual system in England. But the strongest
attack to the man and the system is the chapter four where he uses two metaphors of the human
kind: the Houyhnhnms and the yahoos. Swift use these creatures to picture the problem of the nature
of man. He shows a comic distortion that transforms the familiar into the most ridiculous acts of the
human kind.

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 In this new island governed by horses, which can speak and are rational beings, they have
some sort of utopia, a perfect utopia that cannot be achieve by humans, because humans are ruled
and act according to their emotions and instincts that blind them, they are no rational. They have a
perfect vision of the ideals often proclaimed but never accomplished in our community, because is full
or corruption and empty of pretensions of goodness.

This essay is about the “Utopia” mentioned implicitly in Gulliver´s Travels. This Utopia seen in the
fourth part when Gulliver arrives at the Horses´ Island, which is called the country of the
Houyhnhnms, where they have a language, they are organized in a community where everybody
works and do what they have to do, it means it is a community perfectly well organized; an utopia.

But first of all, let´s see what Utopia is. Well according with Thomas Moro, Utopia refers to an island
that is called precisely Utopia, where life was characterized because of the order that exits; it is
place where there is not private property, there is not religious intolerance. Time after, the term Utopia
has been applied to applied to many ideas for example, The Republic, of Platoon, and also to some
politic, religious or social ideas.

The etymology is easy to explain: “topos” is the Greek word for “place”, and the prefix changes its
meaning into “no-place” or “inexistent place”. Later, this term has designed to a literary genre and
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finally a type of philosophy.

According with Krotz, Utopia is a methodical world (though this does not exclude some disasters or
unpredictable facts). Krotz says that Utopia is a world with clear laws that are applied efficiently. It is
world for realistic and rational people. It is a world where dreamy people are not allowed because
they cannot triumph or not even survive.

We can find another definition in “Diccionario Filosófico abreviado” where it says that Utopia is a word
that describes the ideal society from an imaginary island.2

And a final definition from “Diccionario Ilustrado de la Lengua” says that Utopia is a plan or a system
that is an ideal form of government in which there is a perfect and fair society where everything is in
peace and without conflicts of any kind.3

1
Abbagnano, Nicola Ed. 1985 Diccionario de Filosofía. 4ta, reimpresión. Fondo de Cultura Económico. Pg.
1171
2
Rosental M. Iudin P. Diccionario Filosófico Abreviado. 1ra, impresión. Ediciones Quinto Sol. Pg. 517
3
Diccionario Ilustrado de la Lengua. Tomo 4. 1ra, edición. Spes Editorial. Pg. 1907
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This dictionary also says that Utopia is a wish, a plan that may benefits all the community but it is
impossible to happen.

When Gulliver arrives in this island he has many surprises: first the fact that this island is governed by
horses, at the same time there is another surprising fact for Gulliver and is the one that these have
communication as people do, obviously they have a different language than Gulliver´s, so to
communicate is at the beginning a problem for Gulliver; another and the biggest surprise for Gulliver
is the fact that these horses are organized in a perfect community, where everybody works, everyone
knows have to do, there is no superiority, it means everyone is equal and everyone has the same
obligations and the same rights, they do not have feelings but because they accept the life as it is;
they know that someday the will have to leave this world and the accept it, they do not reject this fact,
but the main reason they do not feel Gulliver leaving them is because they do not care about the
individual but about the community, so when a member of them dies, they accept it and continue their
life as if nothing had happened, the do not cry or feel the death of anyone, they care about the
community, which is something that does not happen in Gulliver´s country where there are big social
differences.

“[…] Me dijo que cualquiera que conociese la naturaleza de los yahoos no podía dudar de que un animal tan malvado era capaz de todas las acciones que yo había nombrado, si su fuerza e
inteligencia igualaban su maldad. Añadió que, aunque desatestaba a los yahoos de su país, nunca los había culpado de sus abominables cualidades, como tampoco culpaba a una gnnayh (ave

de rapiña) por su crueldad, o una piedra afilada por cortarle el casco. Sin embargo, cuando un ser que se atribuía inteligencia era capaz de tales acciones, temía que la corrupción de la

inteligencia fuese pero que la brutalidad de la misma. Por eso creía que, en vez de inteligencia, sólo poseíamos cierta facultad apta para acrecentar nuestros defectos naturales”4.

This is true, we cannot live in peace even if we wanted the evil in our hearts and mind, eat our soul;
as well as the envy. We are never satisfied with what we have, our wish of power blind us. We always
wish more than what we have even if what we have is enough, if we can conquer something else
because of the weakness of it, or because they are a possible threaten to us we will kill them. We
only see and search the good for ourselves not for the others, we do not know how to live in society,
we are rotten. The powerful ones eat the weakest, the weakest work for the powerful man and live in
misery, we never have the enough money to spend and buy what we want: big houses, land. These
were the main problems in England in those times, the expansion, the promise land, the breaking-off
of the church, the new moral, the money, the power, etc. Plus a government that was a laugh, nobody
goes to the same direction because it affects their personal interests; they never see or take care of
the citizens, which were the ones that put them there in first place. The avarice, the money, the
power… take out the doppelganger inside them, and all the worse things rice and they are proud to

4
Jonathan Swift. Los viajes de Guilliver. Clásicos para jóvenes Argentina: Santillana. 2006. Pág. 110.
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show off these face of them. So yes we the yahoos have the faculty to make bigger our defects by the
means of our distorted intelligence, which is used for the most macabre decisions and thoughts.

“[…] los Houyhnhnms. Tienen una disposición natural para todas las virtudes y carecen de una concepción de lo que es mal en los seres racionales. Su principal máxima es cultivar la

inteligencia y dejarse gobernar enteramente por ella. Pero ellos no emplean la razón, como nosotros, para debatir a favor o en contra de algo, sino que los gobierna la convicción inmediata

que no se encuentra corrompida por la pasión o el interés. Recuerdo que me resulto muy difícil hacerle entender a mi amo el sentido de la palabra “opinión”, o la posibilidad de discutir sobre

un punto. El sostenía que la razón nos enseña a afirmar o negar sólo lo que es cierto, y sobre lo que se encuentra más allá de nuestro conocimiento nada podemos hacer. De este modo, las

controversias, las disputas y la terquedad sobre las falsas y dudosas proposiciones son males desconocidos para los Houyhnhnms. Por eso, cuando le hable de nuestros sistemas filosóficos, se

burló que una criatura que se atribuía uso de razón se apoyara en las conjeturas de otros. La amistad y la benevolencia son las dos principales virtudes de los Houyhnhnms. Un extraño,

procedente del lugar más remoto, recibe igual trato que un familiar. Son muy corteses, pero para nada ceremoniosos ni solemnes. […] La pareja casada pasa la vida en la misma mutua

amistad y benevolencia que cada uno de ellos demuestra a todos de la misma especie que encuentra en su camino; sin celos, locas pasiones, riñas ni disgustos. […] La templanza, la diligencia,

el ejercicio y la limpieza son enseñanzas que se prescriben por igual a los jóvenes de ambos sexos. Mi amo pensaba que era monstruoso que nosotros diésemos a las hembras una educación

diferente de la de los machos. Razonaba que, con este método, la mitad de nuestra especie sólo servía para traer hijos al mundo, y que entregar el cuidado de nuestras crías a tan inútiles

animales representaba otro ejemplo de brutalidad. […] Los Houyhnhnms nunca se enferman y por eso no necesitan médicos. […] Si evitan los accidentes, mueren sólo los viejos y son

enterrados en lugares alejados. Los amigos y parientes no manifiestan dolor por el fallecimiento, y el Houyhnhnms agonizante no muestra más pena que cuando alguien regresa a casa después

de visitar a sus vecinos”5

This is the utopia of the Houyhnhnms, a world without fears and sorrows. A world in which, you can
be free, free of every chain that can stocked you in this world. You do not have envy and you can
share the fruits of the work with everybody. But this entire world is almost inhuman; according to
Freud is more than impossible. We react according to our impulse and desires, we act like animals.
That’s why the Yahoos are the live drawing of the degrading of human kind. It is funny because we
made rules, like the constitution, that can guide us, that gives us the idea of live in peace and to
respect the others and live as a community; but honestly speaking, which in this earth follow it, we
interpret the law according to our will or in our favor. We do not have any sense of justice. We have to
win at any cost; we need to success aver all, no matter if I have to kill you in order to reach my goal.
Under the reason the virtue become irrelevant almost inexistent.

The education was not for all; only men had accesses to education. Woman in those days, only work
in lands, to wind, yarn, they do not know how to read. In the new world if they were wise or know
something as medicine or live longer of what was expected they believe they were witches and they
were chased and executed for some religion beliefs.

5
Jonathan Swift. Los viajes de Guilliver. Clásicos para jóvenes Argentina: Santillana. 2006. Pág. 113-115.
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We believe in the dream that well organize practical rules, well formed authorities, rational intellect,
differ of what is bad and good, profitable commerce, equality among the community, all these are
seen as an anarchism and goes against the England philosophy.

This is how the English society was before the Industrial Revolution, we could say that they lived a
kind of Utopia, since in those days the community worked for everyone, they respected each other,
and there were very few troubles among them. They worked when it was necessary to do it, they
lived well, they had food to eat and all they needed to live in a good way and nobody would complain
about this. But once the Industrial Revolution began everything changed, the Utopia ended up.
People were tied to an hourly, now they had to work for a boss; they worked when their boss wanted
and the time that the boss wanted them to do it. Then they were not free any more. Even children
were forced to work all day long sometimes without a wage, in some cases the whole family works in
a factory.

“[…] No temía la traición de un amigo ni la agresión de un enemigo. No necesitaba sobornar ni adular a nadie para conseguir favores; ni defenderme del fraude ni la opresión. No había

abogados que arruinaran mi fortuna, ni delatadores que me espiaran para inventar acusaciones en mi contra a cambio de dinero. Tampoco había ahí chismosos, censores, ladrones,

sabihondos, tahúres, políticos, charlatanes, polemistas, pedantes, prostitutas, borrachos, ignorantes o asesinos. Ni cárceles, hachas, orcas, picotas o látigos. Ni tenderos ni mercantes ni

artesanos tramposos. Ni orgullo ni vanidad o afectación.”6

What a beautiful world where you can trust your own shadow, where we live in a brotherhood; where
is no malice and envy, because we fight for the same cause and everybody goes and pulls to the
same direction: the good for everybody; where we set apart our differences. Where is not religion
difference between our color, position or status, where everybody has the same opportunities no
matter their condition or shape, size, or color. Imagine a world where everybody is educated, where
does not exist analphabetism, where everybody has culture, where everybody can distinguish
between wrong and right. A place in where a political party does not exist because we are a
community and divisions’ does not exist.

In those times existed the revolution, the nobles die or get murdered, the government dictate the most
ridiculous amendments, the taxes rise, the people live in misery and starvations, the death was
eminent, the plague, etc. All the worst cases that eat the soul of the living ones, the hope are not a
chance. You stop living and searching your survival.

The human being are wretched, because they are happy in expense of somebody suffering, anguish
or pain; they feel well and all mighty when the other are above him. They are scoundrel because their

6
Jonathan Swift. Los viajes de Guilliver. Clásicos para jóvenes Argentina: Santillana. 2006. Pág. 117-118.
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lack of values, and goodness in their hearts. They live for pain and by the pain they can inflict in
others. It seems that we are worse than animals if they see some food they all gather to get the
bigger peace. They are miserly, because they want more and more nothing can satisfy their hunger.

The satire is perfect, the leader of the yahoos is the worst of the clan, and he has next to him the
strongest; so the yahoos that are against him this one can get rid of them and the leader survives and
continues his dictatorship, if you don’t believe this just at the one that is in the power now.

Then yahoos are the representation of a human being, as they are in decadence lack of hope in this
world they are the animals an inferior spices we could say what Tito Macio Plauto said Homo homini
lupus. Then later Thomas Hobbes used in his work leviathan "man is a wolf to his fellow man." So
the topic about the human behavior, or is better to say bad behavior, is not new, even we have
noticed that big problem and we still doing the same over the centuries. Power is what we need to
succeed no matter what to do over others just succeed; as England was imperial country money was
the main reason to keep the way of living. King over everything even good Man with, let’s say
principles, simply cannot fit into a Wealthy society means reach powerful governors etc. why?
because a rich people hardly will give part of a fortune to help others is no common that rich people
help to solve certain kind of problems into a society if that happen any time then we will have the
beginning of a real world, but this is been dreamed for many but many people some of them are
consider as saints today so it means, if we want to change the world situation, the most we could
have is the canonization that it is great but what for, after death could have something else to do, we
go to hell or heaven, this is the reason why human being is always looking for something, power,
make true less harder to face, money make life better and easier so as we don’t even know where
we came from or where we going to, then we are in the middle of nothing, is there god aside or
anywhere I don’t think so which god could be able to permit the atrocities of men, how a omnipotent
fellow or being could create so bizarre thing I refer to men no way. We are only a big mistake of
nature something that had happened anywhere also we have to pray for something that our mind
cannot conceive as natural or normal to ask for god in our lives and wait for better time for better
tomorrow this is the reality of the spices we all are in decadence just waiting for the catastrophe that
could happen tonight at twelve or by tomorrow we live everyday waiting for a surprise oh! I’m still alive
thanks god that’s why every single one always looking for the better time better live to fill up the bare
necessities first, then more for tomorrow and more for after tomorrow and so on. Utopia, dream, fear,
whatever the way is, imagine you living in a perfect world, it is just impossible! Even to think about it
you the perfect one forget about it perfection is no part of a human being we still in the stage of

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animals no so fluffy but as stupid as them the only difference in between is that animals are better
they take care of environment, men don’t, animals eat what they need, men don’t, have you ever
seen a fat giraffe for example let’s say pigs these are fat but still walking or even are able to run.

So utopia is something out of the world that we just know something that cannot happen is perfection
so it is apart from us. Men need guidance during their period of life man cannot work without a
command cannot think by himself always need the master someone above him, probably no to feel
guilty to do something wrong, men kill to eat we are able to kill an insect or chicken even an
enormous whale to eat all or to process it in to a different product so with the description the yahoos
are like human being but of course we are the worst spices ever we only take care of ourselves.

Swift places Gulliver in an impossible perfection, because Houyhnhnms means “the perfection of
nature". This is what call utopianism is: “the general label of number of different ways of dreaming or
thinking about, describing or attempting to create a better society. Utopianism is derived from de word
utopia coined by Thomas More, in his book Utopia (1516). More described a society significantly
better than England as it existed at the time, and the word utopia (good place) has become to mean a
description of a fictional place, usually a society, that is better than the society in which the author
lives and which functions as a criticism of the authors society. In some cases it is intended as a
direction to be followed in a social reform, or even in a few instances, as a possible goal to be
achieved.”7

Don’t forget that Thomas Moro was decapitated because the way he thought he worked as council of
Henry VII the king whose sent him to be kill, the man was so generous to be governor we just
mention some about this above.

It make me remember when Gulliver face yahoos the first time when those monkeys men it means us
from the top of a tree attack Gulliver with their excrement this is just disgusting the excrement then
have a bad connotation from where we analyzed it means fellows around are nothing for us or our
interest first me after me and then me.

This is the rule to survive among others bite if don’t want to be bite from others shout no to show your
fear. Even a perfect world like the Houyhnhnms also the existence of different class, the master and
the servant so it means one cannot be without the other the problem is to find the balance in
between.

7
Edward Craig. Encyclopedia of philosophy. London and New York: Routledge. Pg. 557
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So in all the Gulliver’s travels we face this contrast to go far to the extremes, we can see the most rich
and the most poor or the most intelligent a the most brute it means we cannot get the right balance in
all lands our defects as men are satirized and emphasized to everyone take it in consideration.

Horses are seen by Gulliver as necessity of wisdom and honesty among fellows no tyranny no war no
hunger that’s the pursue of balance that’s the utopia.

Conclusion
First we have to thanks our professor Rosendo to give us the chance to express what we had learned
during the course, back to the essay we admire the clean and great job to the author that write with
mastery and evolves us with a great detailed description, fiction fantasy no it is only a way to say
what we are as race the way to express we disagree with a system it is against the powerful class the
class to use majority services to have more and more the class that always hurts the weakest and the
poorest the ones we had serve for ever in a passive manner we the more in quantity but the less in
courage we the fearful the ones are waiting for answers from the sky. After we cry our misfortune
what is next.

Well I will keeping doing my way not to bother others being atheistic thanks good and no to try to fix
the world but trying to live better trying to reach of course the shape of a bay horse and take out the
monkey custom just for better do not pollute the blue sphere now and other sphere tomorrow find our
origins to understand better what a hell are we.

So in the end this utopia is not possible and we cannot achieve it, it is only a dream; a perfect utopia.
Because of the condition of man: his thoughts and feelings cannot being set apart.

During the writing process we faced the problems about cultural issues how most of the English
people was poor while the country was almost the owner of the whole world they have the industry
the colonies so there are only two answers the population of a country is the problem or the
government we as poor say it is a government problem what they could say. It is an endless story.

Biography:
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Abbagnano, Nicola Ed. 1985. Diccionario de Filosofía. 4ta reimpresión. Fondo de Cultura Económica.

Rosental, M. Iudin, P. Diccionario Filosófico Abreviado. 1ra. impresión. Ediciones Quinto Sol.

Diccionario Ilustrado de la Lengua. Tomo 4. 1ra. edición. Spes Editorial.

Ende, Michael. 1995. La historia Interminables. 11va edición. Juvenil Alfaguara.

Edward Craig. Encyclopedia of philosophy. London and New York: Routledge.

Jonathan Swift. Los viajes de Guilliver. Clásicos para jóvenes Argentina: Santillana.

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