Gulliver's Travels Themes

As a novel based on perspectives, “Gulliver’s Travels” uses strong description of not only characters, but scenes and settings. Jonathan Swift sets forth a satirical novel that expresses the political, cultural, and idealistic climates of England during the time in which the novel takes place. By examining the descriptions provided by Swift, a clear connection to a variety of themes becomes visible throughout the novel. One of the most commonly addressed themes in “Gulliver’s Travels” is perspective. One particular passage at the end of the novel describes how Gulliver was no longer able to stand being with or around his family after he had spent so many years with the Houyhnhmns. The author goes in to great detail, revealing how Gulliver cannot even stand to hold the hand of a family member. This in itself is a representation of Gulliver’s new view on England. Since his return from a land which he believes is the ultimate way of living, he can no longer fathom the idea of being forced to spend and endless amount of days living in a world which he considers to be subpar at best. By his discerptions of the emotions he feels when encountering his family and how boxed in returning home has made him feel, it becomes clear how his emotions can also be reflected on to the people living in England during this time and their …show more content…
Each story connects to the present in some way or another, however the only way to see this is through perception. The most common theme set forth in this novel is relativism and how one person’s physical perception on a place or idea can shift the whole meaning of something just due to the circumstance of the situation at hand. By immersing himself in all these different cultures and ideas, Gulliver crafts a story of being fair minded in a sense that he is now able to understand all the different walks of life and learn from each new