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gullivers travels

Decent Essays

Major English Authors 2
2/20/14

Gulliver: The Mock-Hero Throughout Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathon Swift, Gulliver continually proves how he is playing the role of a mock-hero. As many of the classic heroes hold traits such as bravery, intelligence, and leadership, Gulliver’s character pokes fun at that classic idea. Many epics consist of great heroes going on treacherous journeys where they come across man-eating beasts or other large feats, where as in Gulliver’s Travels, he goes on a journey where he doesn’t have to overcome any great obstacles or fight for his survival. The satirical nature of the story begins right at the start of the tale when the narrator begins to explain the character of Gulliver and the qualities he …show more content…

In a sense they are the complete opposite of the Cyclopes Odysseus encounters. Also, the Giants that Gulliver encounters are rather gentle and nice creatures; the total opposite of the giant creatures Odysseus encounters. These examples once again express how Gulliver plays the role of a mock-hero in this satirical piece.
On Gulliver’s’ return home his total mindset of his home life have changed from when he had previously left. Its not that his physical home or people in his life have changed, but rather a personal change that he went through while on his final journey that landed him with the Houyhnmhnms. Gulliver changed, and he looked at how uncivilized life was, but in reality everything was the same as it always had been. When comparing this to the return home of a hero like Odysseus, personally Odysseus was the same person and everything around him had changed. Odysseus was surprised to see what his kingdom had become due to physical changes that surrounded him. Gulliver was seemingly making a big deal of something that he had lived with for decades. When comparing it to the drastic changes that Odysseus faced the satirical style of the mock- heroic story truly makes itself present.
Gulliver’s experience returning home continues topokes fun at the classic idea of a hero returning home. Heroes, like Odysseus, tend to be overly joyful to embrace their families whom

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