Gulliver's Travels Literary Devices

Explanation and Analysis—The Travellers' Tale:

During the 18th century, British audiences were eager to hear about cultures and people in the lands where explorers were claiming colonies for England. As such, diaries and first-person accounts by explorers such as Captain James Cook and William Dampier were immensely popular. Though advertised as truthful, many of these accounts contained embellishments and falsehoods. Gulliver's Travels is a parody of this "traveller's tales" literary sub-genre, and it satirizes the dishonesty of these accounts as well as the gullibility of English readers. What's more, the novel contains numerous allusions to contemporary works in this genre.

In Preface 1: "The Publisher to the Reader," Richard Sympson introduces Gulliver's Travels as a truthful account by his friend Lemuel Gulliver. This prefatory letter is one of several tactics used by Jonathan Swift to add an air of legitimacy to the novel, but the name of the invented publisher may also serve as a signal to the reader that Gulliver's Travels is actually a parody. "Richard Sympson" is possibly an allusion to William Symson, the pseudonymous author of A New Voyage to the East Indies, a work of travel literature published in 1715. Both Symson and his voyages were entirely fictional, but the main narrative was fairly convincing, since it heavily plagiarized A Voyage to Surat in the Year 1689, a legitimate travel account by John Ovington. This allusion indicates that Gulliver's Travels, like A New Voyage, is also a fictitious imitation.

Preface 2: "A Letter from Captain Gulliver to his Cousin Sympson" contains another allusion to a contemporary work of travel literature:

[...] as my Cousin Dampier did by my Advice, in his Book called, A Voyage Round the World.

In this letter, Gulliver claims to be related to English pirate, explorer, and naturalist William Dampier, who published the autobiographical A New Voyage round the World in 1697. This sensational account served as the inspiration for the fictional Robinson Crusoe, published in 1719 by Daniel Defoe. Gulliver also claims to have given Dampier advice concerning this book, further adding to his air of legitimacy and implying that his account will be equally dramatic.

Explanation and Analysis—Westminster Hall:

In Book 1, Chapter 1 of Gulliver's Travels, Gulliver is captured by the Lilliputians and taken to the capital city, where he is lodged in a disused temple that functions as an allusion to Westminster Hall:

[T]here stood an ancient Temple, esteemed to be the largest in the whole Kingdom, which having been polluted some Years before by an unnatural Murder, was, according to the Zeal of those People, looked upon as Profane.

Westminster Hall is the oldest existing part of the Palace of Westminster, which serves as the meeting place for the two houses of Parliament in London. The hall was erected in 1097 by King William II, at which time it was the largest hall in Europe, and to this day it serves as the base for the Royal Courts of Justice. The "unnatural Murder" refers to the trial of Charles I, which took place in Westminster Hall during the English Civil War. After being convicted of treason, the king was sentenced to death and executed in 1649.

This allusion signals to the reader that, in terms of history and politics, Lilliput will bear a resemblance to England. Indeed, Jonathan Swift goes on to satirize many aspects of English politics, including the rivalry between the Tory and Whig parties and the conflict between the Catholic Church and the Church of England. The fact that Swift refers to the controversial execution of Charles I as "unnatural" also reveals his own political sympathies. As a member of the Tory party, Swift was an advocate of reduced parliamentary control and opposed Whig efforts to reduce the rights of Catholics. He naturally regarded the execution of Charles I, a pro-Catholic monarch who opposed efforts by parliament to curb his authority, as a profound miscarriage of justice.

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Explanation and Analysis—Classical Allusions:

Gulliver's Travels contains numerous allusions to ancient Greek and Roman writings, locations, events, and mythology.

In Book 1, Chapter 3, the Lilliputian emperor orders his army to march through Gulliver's legs as a form of entertainment, and this passage contains a reference to an Ancient Greek landmark:

He desired I would stand like a Colossus, with my Legs as far asunder as I conveniently could.

The Colossus of Rhodes was constructed in 280 BCE to celebrate the successful defense of Rhodes city against an attack by the Macedonians. The statue, which depicted the Greek sun god Helios, was the tallest statue in the ancient world. By comparing Gulliver to this statue, Swift demonstrates how the Lilliputians have come to view Gulliver as a kind of mascot and foreshadows how Gulliver will lead them to military victory over Blefuscu.

In Book 1, Chapter 7, Gulliver learns that members of the Lilliputian court devised numerous schemes to get rid of him, including a plot involving a poisoned shirt:

"Some of your Servants were to have private Orders to strew a poisonous Juice on your Shirts, which would soon make you tear your own Flesh, and die in the utmost Torture."

In Greek mythology, the Shirt of Nessus is a poisoned shirt that kills the the demigod Heracles. The shirt is a gift from Heracles's wife Deianeira, who is tricked by the centaur Nessus into believing it will ensure her husband's faithfulness. By alluding to this myth, Swift emphasizes the deceitful nature of the Lilliputian ministers, who are intended as caricatures of Swift's own political enemies.

In Book 4, Chapter 4, Gulliver attempts to describe to the Master Horse how horses are treated in England. His description contains a subtle allusion to Homer's Iliad:

"[T]heir Skins were stripped and sold for what they were worth, and their Bodies left to be devoured by Dogs and Birds of Prey."

In classical sources, being eaten by dogs and birds of prey are characteristics of an ignoble death. At multiple points throughout the Iliad, various heroes of the Trojan War are threatened with the taboo fate of being devoured by dogs. This allusion makes the treatment of horses in England, which many readers would likely consider an ordinary fact of life, appear excessively cruel.

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Explanation and Analysis—Biblical Allusions:

In addition to his work as an author and satirist, Jonathan Swift was also an Anglican cleric who served as Dean of Saint Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin. He was the author of numerous sermons, prayers, and works of religious scholarship, and his extensive knowledge of religious doctrine informed much of his satirical writing. Swift's preoccupation with religion is also present in Gulliver's Travels, which contains numerous biblical allusions (some of which are rather ironic).

In Book 1, Chapter 7, Gulliver learns of a plot by the Lilliputians to blind him. The Lilliputians declare:

"That the loss of your Eyes would be no impediment to your bodily strength, by which you might still be useful to his Majesty."

This plot may be an allusion to the story of Samson in the Old Testament. According to the Book of Judges, Samson was an Israelite upon whom God bestowed immense strength, which allowed him to perform superhuman feats. However, if Samson's long hair were ever cut, he would lose his strength. Samson is betrayed by his lover Delilah, who cuts his hair while he is sleeping and turns him over to his enemies, the Philistines, who gouge out his eyes. This allusion aligns the Lilliputian ministers, who are intended as caricatures of Swift's political enemies, with the treacherous Philistines.

In Book 2, Chapter 7, Gulliver reads a book by a Brobdingnagian moralist, which contains a biblical reference:

He said it was very reasonable to think, not only that the Species of Man were originally much larger, but also that there must have been Giants in former Ages.

This line is an allusion Genesis 6:4, which claims that the Earth was inhabited by a race of giants prior to the arrival of humans. The Brobdingnagian moralist uses this assumption to argue that humanity has declined in both size and greatness over time. The fact that the massive Brobdingnagians still consider themselves small is ironic and suggests that feelings of inadequacy are universal.

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Explanation and Analysis—Classical Allusions:

Gulliver's Travels contains numerous allusions to ancient Greek and Roman writings, locations, events, and mythology.

In Book 1, Chapter 3, the Lilliputian emperor orders his army to march through Gulliver's legs as a form of entertainment, and this passage contains a reference to an Ancient Greek landmark:

He desired I would stand like a Colossus, with my Legs as far asunder as I conveniently could.

The Colossus of Rhodes was constructed in 280 BCE to celebrate the successful defense of Rhodes city against an attack by the Macedonians. The statue, which depicted the Greek sun god Helios, was the tallest statue in the ancient world. By comparing Gulliver to this statue, Swift demonstrates how the Lilliputians have come to view Gulliver as a kind of mascot and foreshadows how Gulliver will lead them to military victory over Blefuscu.

In Book 1, Chapter 7, Gulliver learns that members of the Lilliputian court devised numerous schemes to get rid of him, including a plot involving a poisoned shirt:

"Some of your Servants were to have private Orders to strew a poisonous Juice on your Shirts, which would soon make you tear your own Flesh, and die in the utmost Torture."

In Greek mythology, the Shirt of Nessus is a poisoned shirt that kills the the demigod Heracles. The shirt is a gift from Heracles's wife Deianeira, who is tricked by the centaur Nessus into believing it will ensure her husband's faithfulness. By alluding to this myth, Swift emphasizes the deceitful nature of the Lilliputian ministers, who are intended as caricatures of Swift's own political enemies.

In Book 4, Chapter 4, Gulliver attempts to describe to the Master Horse how horses are treated in England. His description contains a subtle allusion to Homer's Iliad:

"[T]heir Skins were stripped and sold for what they were worth, and their Bodies left to be devoured by Dogs and Birds of Prey."

In classical sources, being eaten by dogs and birds of prey are characteristics of an ignoble death. At multiple points throughout the Iliad, various heroes of the Trojan War are threatened with the taboo fate of being devoured by dogs. This allusion makes the treatment of horses in England, which many readers would likely consider an ordinary fact of life, appear excessively cruel.

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Explanation and Analysis—Biblical Allusions:

In addition to his work as an author and satirist, Jonathan Swift was also an Anglican cleric who served as Dean of Saint Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin. He was the author of numerous sermons, prayers, and works of religious scholarship, and his extensive knowledge of religious doctrine informed much of his satirical writing. Swift's preoccupation with religion is also present in Gulliver's Travels, which contains numerous biblical allusions (some of which are rather ironic).

In Book 1, Chapter 7, Gulliver learns of a plot by the Lilliputians to blind him. The Lilliputians declare:

"That the loss of your Eyes would be no impediment to your bodily strength, by which you might still be useful to his Majesty."

This plot may be an allusion to the story of Samson in the Old Testament. According to the Book of Judges, Samson was an Israelite upon whom God bestowed immense strength, which allowed him to perform superhuman feats. However, if Samson's long hair were ever cut, he would lose his strength. Samson is betrayed by his lover Delilah, who cuts his hair while he is sleeping and turns him over to his enemies, the Philistines, who gouge out his eyes. This allusion aligns the Lilliputian ministers, who are intended as caricatures of Swift's political enemies, with the treacherous Philistines.

In Book 2, Chapter 7, Gulliver reads a book by a Brobdingnagian moralist, which contains a biblical reference:

He said it was very reasonable to think, not only that the Species of Man were originally much larger, but also that there must have been Giants in former Ages.

This line is an allusion Genesis 6:4, which claims that the Earth was inhabited by a race of giants prior to the arrival of humans. The Brobdingnagian moralist uses this assumption to argue that humanity has declined in both size and greatness over time. The fact that the massive Brobdingnagians still consider themselves small is ironic and suggests that feelings of inadequacy are universal.

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Explanation and Analysis—Phaeton:

Book 2, Chapter 8 of Gulliver's Travels contains a classical allusion that also functions as a moment of foreshadowing. In this chapter, Gulliver departs Brobdingnag unexpectedly when a bird carries his box away by the ring on its roof and subsequently drops it into the ocean. The ship captain who rescues him finds similarities between Gulliver's plight and that of a figure from Greek mythology:

[T]he Comparison of Phaeton was so obvious, that he could not forbear applying it, although I did not much admire the Conceit.

In Greek myth, Phaeton is the son of the sun-god Helios. Out of desire to have his divine parentage confirmed, he travels to the sun-god's palace, where he asks his father for the privilege to drive his flying chariot. Helios attempts to dissuade him, warning that he alone can control the chariot's horses, but the stubborn Phaeton does not change his mind. The ride ends in disaster—unable to keep a firm grip on the horses, Phaeton loses control of the chariot, first burning the earth by driving too close, then freezing it by flying too far away. To prevent further destruction, Zeus kills Phaeton with a bolt of lightning.

By alluding to this myth, Swift suggests that Gulliver, like Phaeton, will eventually be undone by hubris. Even though Gulliver fails to appreciate the ship captain's comments, after returning to England he does acknowledge the possibility that his fate will be similar to Phaeton's:

[M]y wife protested I should never go to Sea any more; although my evil Destiny so ordered that she had not Power to hinder me.

This foreshadowing comes to fruition in Book 4, when Gulliver convinces his wife to allow him to go to sea once again. In this moment, Gulliver's wife plays the role of the cautious Helios, while Gulliver is aligned with the reckless Phaeton. Unlike Phaeton, Gulliver's journey does not end in his literal death, but he does return to England fundamentally altered by his experiences, and his inability to reintegrate into human society represents a kind of symbolic death.

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Explanation and Analysis—Science and Philosophy:

Gulliver's Travels contains several allusions to 18th-century concepts in science and philosophy. Jonathan Swift uses these allusions to satirize European scientists and philosophers, whom he depicts as out of touch with the real world.

In Book 3, Chapter 2, Gulliver encounters the Laputians, who are so absorbed with abstract matters of mathematics, astronomy, and music that they are practically blind and deaf to physical matters. Their ears, according to Gulliver's Laputian tutor, are instead "adapted to hear the Music of the Spheres." The musica universalis, or "music of the spheres," is a Pythagorean idea of cosmic harmony further developed in the 17th century by German astronomer Johannes Kepler. This allusion is likely intended to satirize Kepler, who was so convinced of the existence of this cosmic harmony that he ignored all evidence to the contrary, including a number of inaccuracies present in his own work. Like Kepler, the Laputians are incredibly capable when it comes to abstract theorizing, but they fail to make practical use of their knowledge.

At other points in Book 3, Swift's depiction of the Laputians is intended as a satire of English mathematician Isaac Newton. Like Newton, the Laputians consider themselves to be eminently rational, but they put their faith in the entirely unscientific field of astrology. Later on in Chapter 2, Gulliver also comments on the tendency of Laputian scientists to involve themselves in politics, a tendency he has also observed among scientists in Europe:

I rather take this Quality to spring from a very common Infirmity of Human Nature, inclining us to be more curious and conceited in Matters where we have the least Concern, and for which we are least adapted either by Study or Nature.

These mathematicians are meant to resemble Newton, who supported Wood's Halfpence, a financial scheme that would have seriously damaged the Irish economy. Swift, a native of Dublin, ardently campaigned against the scheme, and his support likely contributed to its ultimate failure. This allusion suggests that Swift carried a lasting grudge against Newton for his role in the affair.

Later on in Book 3, Swift also references Newton's nasty feud with the German polymath Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz over who had invented calculus. Through these allusions, Swift seeks to dismantle the notion that scientists are inherently rational and impartial. His satirical portraits of thinkers like Kepler and Newton demonstrate that scientists are just as capable of ignorance, personal bias, and pride as anyone else.

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Explanation and Analysis—Classical Allusions:

Gulliver's Travels contains numerous allusions to ancient Greek and Roman writings, locations, events, and mythology.

In Book 1, Chapter 3, the Lilliputian emperor orders his army to march through Gulliver's legs as a form of entertainment, and this passage contains a reference to an Ancient Greek landmark:

He desired I would stand like a Colossus, with my Legs as far asunder as I conveniently could.

The Colossus of Rhodes was constructed in 280 BCE to celebrate the successful defense of Rhodes city against an attack by the Macedonians. The statue, which depicted the Greek sun god Helios, was the tallest statue in the ancient world. By comparing Gulliver to this statue, Swift demonstrates how the Lilliputians have come to view Gulliver as a kind of mascot and foreshadows how Gulliver will lead them to military victory over Blefuscu.

In Book 1, Chapter 7, Gulliver learns that members of the Lilliputian court devised numerous schemes to get rid of him, including a plot involving a poisoned shirt:

"Some of your Servants were to have private Orders to strew a poisonous Juice on your Shirts, which would soon make you tear your own Flesh, and die in the utmost Torture."

In Greek mythology, the Shirt of Nessus is a poisoned shirt that kills the the demigod Heracles. The shirt is a gift from Heracles's wife Deianeira, who is tricked by the centaur Nessus into believing it will ensure her husband's faithfulness. By alluding to this myth, Swift emphasizes the deceitful nature of the Lilliputian ministers, who are intended as caricatures of Swift's own political enemies.

In Book 4, Chapter 4, Gulliver attempts to describe to the Master Horse how horses are treated in England. His description contains a subtle allusion to Homer's Iliad:

"[T]heir Skins were stripped and sold for what they were worth, and their Bodies left to be devoured by Dogs and Birds of Prey."

In classical sources, being eaten by dogs and birds of prey are characteristics of an ignoble death. At multiple points throughout the Iliad, various heroes of the Trojan War are threatened with the taboo fate of being devoured by dogs. This allusion makes the treatment of horses in England, which many readers would likely consider an ordinary fact of life, appear excessively cruel.

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Explanation and Analysis—Theological Conflict:

Throughout Gulliver's Travels, Swift alludes to and satirizes several debates in Christian theology. In Book 4, Chapter 5, for example, Gulliver attempts to explain to the Master Horse the various religious conflicts that have led to war in Europe:

"[W]hether Flesh be Bread, or Bread be Flesh; whether the Juice of a certain Berry be Blood or Wine; whether Whistling be a Vice or a Virtue; whether it be better to kiss a Post, or to throw it into the Fire; what is the best Colour for a Coat, whether is be Black, White, Red or Grey; and whether it should be long or short, narrow or wide, dirty or clean, with many more. [...]"

In this passage, Swift alludes to disagreements among different denominations of Christianity about the meaning of holy communion (flesh vs. bread, blood vs. wine), the use of music in church (whistling), the veneration of icons and images (kissing a post vs. throwing it into the fire), and the proper clothing for clergy (the best color or cut for a coat). These disagreements have been the cause of great strife, but the fact that Gulliver is easily able to sum up these conflicts in just a few sentences demonstrates how trivial they are.

This passage also serves as an example as Swift's ability to poke fun at himself. Swift identified as a High Churchman, meaning that he valued ritual and formality in religious practice, and as an Anglican minister, he placed great importance on denominational difference. But despite his identity as a religious scholar and a man of faith, he is still able to acknowledge the absurdity of many aspects of Christianity.

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Gulliver's Travels: Allusions 7 key examples