The Satirical Use of “Size” in Gulliver’s Travels
(part1 and part2)
CL091109
Introduction：
Comparing Gulliver’s first two voyage, we can see how Swift’s use different size
proportion between Gulliver and people in different countries to attack human weak nature,
especially pride. .
In the first voyage in Lilliput, Gulliver was a giant compared with diminutive Lilliput.
Swift made Gulliver be a giant to increase his human pride so that we can see how such
human nature displayed. What’s more Swift make Gulliver like a helpless child there who
need to be fed ”three hundred cook..” and let others deal with his offensive
excrement. ”carried off in wheelbarrow by two servants…”, which is ironic contrast with his
giant size. Also, his infantile thoughts in great eating ability as well as his unintelligent
behavior about urination in the queen’s room ”by urine which I voided in such quantity”
make such inflated pride seem to be ridiculous and foolish. It make giant Gulliver not
superior but burdensome. Lilliputian had various problem like in polity, religion caused by
many ridiculous and trivial reasons like “which end of the egg should be cracked out”. In fact,
it satirizes warlike England as well as all human world. However, Gulliver’s is too pride to
realize that his judgment to Lillliput and his own world at the same time. He ignore that we
mankind are as weak as Lilliput in mental status. With such different size proportion, Swift
told us such inflated human pride makes us so foolish and naive to ignore the truth that
human are not as superior as we think. It’s satirical and tragic.
In the second voyage in Brobdingnag, Gulliver became a puny creature comparing
with giant Brobdinagangians who are superior than us either physically or morally.
Physically, Gulliver became so incapable that he was treated as a toy, doll or freak. Here
Swift use giants’ physical superiority to show us that we human are tiny and weak physically.
Humans’ physical imperfection is also identified by Gulliver seeing horrible sight of giants’
appearances. ”breast swelled to a ,monstrous size, full of holes” Mentally or morally,
although Gulliver had known human’s defective appearances and decrease his superiority
over Lillputian, he still has too much human pride. He think these giants are ugly creature
who are simple with little reason and narrow knowledge. “that reason did not extend itself
with the bulk of the body ” However, from Gulliver’s statement about his corrupted society,
he was judged as ugly and hateful insect in the world by rational Brobdingnagians. “the bulk
of your natives to be the most pernicious race of little odious vermin…” In this superior giant
world, Swift showed how Gulliver’s pride made him fail in many ways, especially
communication with the king. “how vain an attempt it is for a man to endeavor doing himself
honor among those who are out of all degree of equality or comparison with him” By this
superior moral judgment, we as well as our pride are degenerated into even insect level.
Compared by Lilliput, the satire in Brobdinagag is more serous. how insignificant we are. In
addition, the more ironic is Gulliver who represent all of us still failed to realize the truth and
kept his sense of superiority.
Conclusion：
Swift used strong image of size proportion to satirize human’s corruption in politics,
religion, humanity, and weak nature, especially human pride. Although Swift enlarged
Gulliver’s human pride in Lilliput, but it’s foolish and infantile. Then Swift deflated human
pride in Brobdingnag even to insect level by incapability in physical ability as well as
superior human moral judgment. Such size comparison make our human pride much more
clear and negative. We are too proud to be intelligent and rational. We should admit our
insignificance.