IDI Mr. Fredrick AP English 12-8 3 Feb.

2012 Flaws Unleashed in Society Girls in the corner of a restaurant discover a new girl they have never encountered before sitting across the room, so the group of girls unveil the assumptions they have developed about this individual even though they dont know her in the slightest bit. In Gullivers Travels, Gulliver sets out on four journeys that differentiate from each other in many aspects, but all of the locations emphasize flaws of mankind and how it is susceptible to revenge, jealousy, and pride. Revenge has always been present throughout history. In the Elizabethan era, France and Spain both wanted England as an ally, and Queen Elizabeth at the time played them up by going back and forth between Spanish and French men. Once Spain realized what she was doing, he sent eh Spanish armada to infiltrate England. This is an example of revenge, although the Spanish didnt succeed in their attempt due to a massive storm that wiped the armada away. An event closer to this time period is when Hitler demanded revenge against the Jews for treating him poorly in his youth by not publishing his works. As soon as Hitler seized control of the German government, he exacted his revenge on the Jews by executing them mercilessly without a second thought. His followers continued to obey to his orders without question, even though they were

aware that it was wrong. Swift addresses revenge by having Gulliver encounter the warring countries of Lilliput and Blefuscu. The emperor of Lilliput wanted to enslave all of the islanders from Blefuscu and take over their city out of spite and revenge for not breaking their eggs on the smaller end (Swift 999-1000). In the world today, revenge still exists, such as the destruction of the twin towers and how the eradication of the towers led the United States to hunt down and seek revenge against the evil-doer. There are also more issues that exist to this very moment among the middleeastern countries that remains unsolved, because none of the countries want to admit that they are wrong and keep seeking revenge against the other. Some reasonings behind revenge can come from jealousy. In a world filled with imperfection, jealousy also unveils its face in history, Gullivers Travels, and in modern times. In the past, jealousy arose in Othello, and since Shakespeare wrote about jealousy in this play, it goes to show that jealousy was indeed an issue in the past, and even though its not always recorded in history who was jealous of who, it is definitely known that jealousy has always been existent in humans minds. Swift unleashes jealousy throughout the satire such as when the Lilliputian treasurer believed that Gulliver was participating in a sexual affair with his wife. Jealousy flowed through the secretary and immediately made him turn against the traveller (Swift 1007). Another example is when Gulliver went to Brobdingnag, the dwarf, once favored by the queen, was jealous of the newcomer, because Gulliver became the queens new favorite. The dwarf

was punished and tossed aside later on for treating Gulliver cruelly (Swift 1029-1036). Swift definitely hit many flaws of mankind on the spot. In Gullivers Travels, Gulliver sets out on four journeys that differentiate from each other in many aspects, but all of the locations emphasize flaws of mankind and how it is susceptible to revenge, jealousy, and pride.