When Gulliver lands on the island of Lilliput, he discovers the race of the Lilliputians, who are six-inch tall people. While Gulliver is physically much larger than the Lilliputians, being a six-foot tall man, he is quite larger than the lilliputians in character and morale. Many examples of Gulliver’s “bigness” and the Lilliputians “littleness” are demonstrated throughout, such as Gulliver urinating on the palace to extinguish the fire, though a peculiar way to go about the issue, it was effective. However, the Lilliputians, especially the Queen did not care about their saved palace, but instead were completely absorbed in the appalling nature of such a crude act. Not only that, but there government was full of corrupt practices in the way
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Gulliver too used logic and reason but was not quite to the enlightened state that the Houyhnhnms were in. The Houyhnhnms had no lying, they had no disease, or illness, yet while this seem utopian, it was actually a major societal flaw. The Houyhnhnms lived in a stoic world with no emotions -- for without illness one does no know health, and without sorrow, one can not experience joy -- which despite this world appearing ideal at first glance it was quite the opposite. On the other hand, there were the Yahoos, whom the Houyhnhnms believed were the epitome of all evil. They were savages with no regard to anything but themselves, only following their instincts with no self control. Swift describes them as “ a perfect human figure, the face of it indeed flat and broad the nose depressed, the lips large, and the mouth wide; but these differences are common to all savage nations.” (Swift) The comment Swift provides at the end saying “these differences are common to all savage nations,” imply a lot of racial connotations. The Master Horse and Gulliver even decide that Gulliver is nicer than the Yahoos due to the “whiteness” of his skin. Throughout Book Four it is implied that Europeans do have a superiority to those of other nations. Despite that belief, all human have flaws and give into their vices such as selfishness, jealousy and war. Mankind will never fall perfectly into the category of a Houyhnhnm or a Yahoo, but always be in
Gulliver too used logic and reason but was not quite to the enlightened state that the Houyhnhnms were in. The Houyhnhnms had no lying, they had no disease, or illness, yet while this seem utopian, it was actually a major societal flaw. The Houyhnhnms lived in a stoic world with no emotions -- for without illness one does no know health, and without sorrow, one can not experience joy -- which despite this world appearing ideal at first glance it was quite the opposite. On the other hand, there were the Yahoos, whom the Houyhnhnms believed were the epitome of all evil. They were savages with no regard to anything but themselves, only following their instincts with no self control. Swift describes them as “ a perfect human figure, the face of it indeed flat and broad the nose depressed, the lips large, and the mouth wide; but these differences are common to all savage nations.” (Swift) The comment Swift provides at the end saying “these differences are common to all savage nations,” imply a lot of racial connotations. The Master Horse and Gulliver even decide that Gulliver is nicer than the Yahoos due to the “whiteness” of his skin. Throughout Book Four it is implied that Europeans do have a superiority to those of other nations. Despite that belief, all human have flaws and give into their vices such as selfishness, jealousy and war. Mankind will never fall perfectly into the category of a Houyhnhnm or a Yahoo, but always be in