Gulliver’s Travels and Historical England
01 December 2011
Gulliver’s Travels and Historical England
Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift is a famous, classic novel that satirized many aspects of government, religion and human nature. Written in the eighteenth century, this three-hundred-year-old novel remains well known today because of its timeless criticism that can still be applied to contemporary politics and religious faiths. In eighteenth century England, the home of both Swift and his character Lemuel Gulliver, the ruling constitutional monarchy was made up of two governing bodies, the monarch and his or her personal advisors, and the English Parliament, the members of which were elected by the people. Though this may have seemed like a well structured government, it was in fact deeply flawed and had many illogical systems. England was also Protestant at the time, where the church had significant influence in the nation, and even started wars against their Catholic neighbour, France. Arguably, the religious system of England acted very unreasonably and contradictory to its own ideals, including keeping peace. Swift, the creator of this novel, was not only an author, but also an English politician and a Protestant priest. This made him very qualified to make judgments about England, and offers a reason why his satires can be used as evidence against eighteenth century England. Swift wrote these satires due to his disappointment with certain aspects of England. Through the numerous adventures and satires found in Gulliver’s Travels, Swift proves how England during the eighteenth century had an illogical government system, specifically a constitutional monarchy, as well a flawed religious system. The first fault of the English’s constitutional monarchy is found within their method of choosing successors. The King or Queen of England is selected through family ties. The son or daughter of the ruling monarch ascends to the throne once the current monarch dies. The problem with monarchies is that
Gulliver’s Travels and Historical England
Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift is a famous, classic novel that satirized many aspects of government, religion and human nature. Written in the eighteenth century, this three-hundred-year-old novel remains well known today because of its timeless criticism that can still be applied to contemporary politics and religious faiths. In eighteenth century England, the home of both Swift and his character Lemuel Gulliver, the ruling constitutional monarchy was made up of two governing bodies, the monarch and his or her personal advisors, and the English Parliament, the members of which were elected by the people. Though this may have seemed like a well structured government, it was in fact deeply flawed and had many illogical systems. England was also Protestant at the time, where the church had significant influence in the nation, and even started wars against their Catholic neighbour, France. Arguably, the religious system of England acted very unreasonably and contradictory to its own ideals, including keeping peace. Swift, the creator of this novel, was not only an author, but also an English politician and a Protestant priest. This made him very qualified to make judgments about England, and offers a reason why his satires can be used as evidence against eighteenth century England. Swift wrote these satires due to his disappointment with certain aspects of England. Through the numerous adventures and satires found in Gulliver’s Travels, Swift proves how England during the eighteenth century had an illogical government system, specifically a constitutional monarchy, as well a flawed religious system. The first fault of the English’s constitutional monarchy is found within their method of choosing successors. The King or Queen of England is selected through family ties. The son or daughter of the ruling monarch ascends to the throne once the current monarch dies. The problem with monarchies is that
Cited: Swift, Jonathan. Gulliver’s Travels. 1726. New York: Knopf Publishing Group, 2006. Print. Grego, Joseph “Peace on Earth.” vatican.ca. Holy See. Web. 25 Nov. 2011. “George I (1660-1727).” bbc.co.uk. British Broadcasting Corporation. Web. 20 Nov. 2011. “The Age of Religious Wars (c.1560-98).” flowofhistory.com. Web. 20 Nov. 2011.