Implied Meaning Beyond Sarcasm Recognition For Connotation Of Gulliver’s Travels

Jonathan Swift (1667-1745）is a world-renowned British political commentator andironical novelist of18th century. Swift created numerous novels during his life and themost famous one is Gulliver’s Travels. Russian writer Gorky acclaimed Swift as one ofthe greatest literary creator in the world. Swift’s novels often use unique narrativeperspective to satirize the social events in Britain and Europe. Walter Scott oncecommented:"Swift enriched moral implications of his work with humor, exposedabsurdity with satire, and make unbelievable stories trustful with character and narrativestructures. Even Robinson Crusoe cannot compare with on irony and diversity.This paper studies Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels which is first published in1726.Gulliver’s Travels is known for its epitomizing satire style. The novel reflected thecontradictions and problems in British society during the first half of18th centurythrough Lemuel Gulliver’s unusual voyages, and bitterly satirized some unhealthytendencies in society at that time. In the novel, Gulliver gets different reaction fromdifferent natives. His trips are interesting and full of miraculous things describedmeticulously by the author, and the narration is very convincing and funny with anoriginal plot.Since human consciousness is born, human race never give up the pursuit ofUtopia. The Enlightenment in18th century have undoubtedly improved the process ofthe pursuit. In Gulliver’s Travels, we are able to find the flaws of rule-by-man society inthe chapters of Lilliput and Brobdingnag, such as power struggle and faction, internaland external problems. These flaws reflected the social problems in Britain society atthat time. In the last two chapters, Swift formed two fictional countries, Laputa, thecountry of flying island, and the Country of the Houyhnhnms. These two countries areperfect rational kingdoms with rule-by-reason concept that accord with rationalityworship in18th century. However, Swift presented the over-complimentary rationalityleads to the loss of humanity. Rationality first came out as a tool to civilize religiousobsession, but at last rationality itself became a new religion. Although Swift showedgreat appreciation of the Houyhnhnms, the country still have slavery and inflexible hierarchy. Therefore, at the end of the novel, it is clear that Swift’s pursuit for Utopia isa failure, and human’s dream for Utopia never come true.Over centuries, scholars abroad and home have analyzed the irony and reflectionon social reality from every different perspectives. However, this paper considersGulliver’s Travels is a literary work with abundant meanings that the word satire cannotcover. The paper will analyze Gulliver’s voyages in Lilliput, Brobdingnag, Laputa andthe country of Houyhnhnms, in order to reveal the limitations of the political systems inall these countries, and to study Swift’s thoughts and observations on European politicalsystems.