gullivers travels
... Primarily, however, Gullivers Travels is a work of satire. ... Gullivers first journey takes him to the Land of Lilliput, where he finds himself a giant among six inch tall beings. ... Gullivers fourth and final journey places him in the land of the Houyhnhnm, a society of intelligent, reasoning horses. As Swift leads Gulliver on these four fantastical journeys, Gullivers perceptions of himself and the people and things around him change, giving Swift ample opportunity to inject into the story both irony and satire of the England of his day and of the human condition. Swift ties his satire closely with Gullivers perceptions and adventures. In Gullivers first adventure, he begins on a ship that runs aground on a submerged rock. ... This is what the King of Brobdingnag learns from Gullivers stories: My little friend Grildrig, you have made a most admirable panegyric upon your country; you have clearly proved that ignorance, idleness vice may sometimes be the only ingredients for qualifying a legislator; that laws are best explained, interpreted, and applied by those whose interests and abilities lie in perverting them . ... They return him home; however, Gullivers restless spirit will not allow him to remain long. ... It is during Gullivers fourth journey that Swifts satire reaches its pinnacle, where "Swift put his most biting, hard lines, that speak against not only the government, but human nature itself" (Glicksman). ... Also in this land are the Yahoos, of which Gulliver could only say that "Upon the whole, I never beheld in all my travels so disagreeable an animal, nor one against which I naturally conceived so strong an antipathy" (IV. ... Taken on four voyages, Gullivers ultimate travels are to a greater understanding of human nature and its flaws. Matthew Levy argues that as the "visited society" has an effect on Gulliver, "he no longer can be said to function as a constant or impartial measure" (Levy 2); however, this is the point: that Gullivers perceptions change, and so do his narrations, as a result, and through this Swift can convey his satire and social commentary. After the first voyage, his image of humanity is little changed, likewise for the 2nd, although after this point, Gullivers image steadily declines until the fourth voyage, when he meets the Yahoos.