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Satire In Gulliver's Travels

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Authors write in many different forms and use many different elements in their works. One of these elements that writers use is called “satire.” This element is used to make fun of something that the author disapproves of in a comical but hidden way. Widely considered as one of the greatest satirists to ever live, Jonathan Swift used satire in his works to express his disgust in society and the British Monarchy during the 18th century. One of the greatest satires ever written by Swift was Gulliver’s Travels. In Gulliver’s Travels, satire is evident through Gulliver’s voyage to Lilliput, his dialogue with Lilliput’s emperor, and his time spent within the kingdom of Brobdingnag.
First introduced in ancient Greece in 423 B.C., “satire …show more content…

Swift expresses these feelings multiple times in the book in many different ways.
In Gulliver’s Travels, Swift expresses his fury towards the British Monarchy and points out the many faults within the royal court. Swift first states in Gulliver’s Travels, “when a great office is vacant either by death or disgrace (which often happens) five or six of those candidates petition the Emperor to entertain his Majesty and the court with a dance on the rope, and whoever jumps the highest without falling, succeeds in the office” (Swift 44). This statement in the book shows his anger towards how people get into office. Showing how people will climb over each other to get an office position and that the monarchy will only let people with a plentiful amount of money and a good name run for office. Gulliver also notices within the book that all objects on the island of Lilliput are the same size as the Lilliputians, noticing this he makes the statement, “...but nature hath adapted the eyes of the Lilliputians to all objects proper for their view: they see with great exactness…” (Swift 62). Swift is satirizing in these lines that the British Monarchy is near sighted to problems outside of their kingdom and only care about Britain. Swift also brings out a major point later in the book when Gulliver ends up on the island of Brobdingnag. Since Gulliver is so small compared to the rest of the Brobdingnagians, he is treated kind of insignificant. Swift is comparing

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