Gulliver's Travels

Jonathon Swift's Gulliver's Travels (1726) is a satiric novel aimed at revealing the trends of seventeenth-century philosophy, including ideas on human nature. For instance, as Gulliver, the main character embarks on a journey to discover what man is, he descends into a journey of pure madness.

Swift separates man into two groups in this novel -- the Houyhnhnms and the Yahoos. Swift's theme of human nature is very strong here, as the Houyhnhnms resemble horses in every way except that they possess absolute reason, while the Yahoos look just like humans except for their savage brutality.

The Houyhnhnms and the Yahoos are used by Swift to illustrate the problem of the nature of man. Swift also uses a fairytale setting, makes it acceptable to the audience, and then taunts his readers with questions about their own lives. Using the character of Gulliver as his voice, Swift creates a...
[ View Full Essay]