Misanthropic undercurrents have often been detected in Gulliver's Travels, usually discovered and expounded in relation to the fourth book of the travelogue. Through Gulliver, the fourth book expresses a vehement misanthropy, proposing the peaceful life of Houyhnhnms as an ideal model. Gulliver is the resident misanthrope, hating corrupt human nature and desiring to live as a recluse. However, a careful reading of the text gives us a contradictory opinion, that of Swift. Although he seems to hate the follies and vices of humanity, he does not abandon his fellow human beings, making their case hopeless. He denounces the incurable optimism of the Enlightenment and the excessive importance given to reason, but also attempts to rediscover the dignity and value of humanity. Gulliver's philosophical pessimism can perhaps be contrasted with Swift's measured optimism, which nevertheless places us in an ambiguous position. This essay will attempt to trace the trend of misanthropy born from this ambiguity while assessing its broader implications. Additionally, one must ask whether the misanthropic characteristics can be attributed to both Gulliver and Swift, or simply Gulliver being manic and misanthropic in the end. Say no to plagiarism. Get Custom Essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get Original Essay Misanthropy as a construct is hatred of humanity, with disregard for its corrupt nature and complete distrust of towards anyone. There is a willful and willful social alienation and a questioning of human existence since it yields no voluble benefit except that it is detrimental to everyone. Contextually, it seems that Gulliver is a misanthrope, living in Houyhnhnmland with the horses and the Yahoos and disgusted by corrupt human nature. It has degenerated beyond recognition, compared to the "reasoned" nature of the Houyhnhnm. After his banishment from this land, he wishes to live as a recluse, far from the Yahoos and lead a happy life similar to that of the Houyhnhnms. Even when he is saved by Don Pedro, who allows him to return to his family, Gulliver may view everyone as just Yahoos, intrinsically evil and therefore to be avoided. Years after his return to humanity, Gulliver still harbors a vitriolic hatred towards all things Yahoo, as his letter to his editor makes clear. He voluntarily withdrew from the human world, determined never to repair the broken bonds. On the other hand, Swift's accusations of being a misanthrope are usually based on Gulliver's apparent misanthropy. Any such claim that judges Gulliver's and Swift's views on human nature to be identical perhaps misses the nuances of the text. It is true that Gulliver is a misanthrope, which is clear from the fourth book. Subsequently, Swift's thoughts on humanity arise from Gulliver's misanthropic antics, which demonstrate cautious optimism about their future. His satirical treatment of Gulliver's misanthropy is quite curious to decipher because it destabilizes the solution previously suggested by Houyhnhnms as an ideal model. However, one must speculate as to whether Swift is anti-humanist, denouncing incurable excess optimism, manic zeal for discovery, and misuse of reason. For such excess has brought a deluge of problems to man, due to incessant wars, dangerous inventions and degraded human nature, as Gulliver proudly tells the king of Brobdingnag. Swift's speech, carefully interwoven with Gulliver's misanthropic tirades, is not simply a rational diatribeon the degenerate position of man; he envisions humanity's ability to regain its honor and glory. Furthermore, to trace Swift's view of human nature, it would be necessary to carefully analyze the progressive structuring of Gulliver's misanthropy and understand its ambiguities. Such an analysis must begin with Gulliver's letter to his editor. Published with the 1735 edition of Gulliver's Travels, faithfully echoes Gulliver's hatred of the Yahoos at the end of book four. There is a smooth generalization of humanity, disappointed in its efforts and its very existence. Humans are still governed by their vices and no “public good” even seems possible. They cannot be corrected by any model, even if they are the glorious Houyhnhnms, or by valid experiments. Gulliver seems to have willingly submitted to the horses and their supposedly superior “Reason”. Even his speech is culturally foreign, spoken in the language of the Houyhnhnms. There is an indication of voluntary isolation through the use of "your species" to refer to humans. As the letter indicates, Gulliver seems to have abandoned any visionary plans to correct the follies and vices of humanity. Previously he had asked them to improve their nature by the morality expressed in his travelogue, if they were subject to Reason.[1] He had graciously given them six months to reform, but to no avail. Humanity seemed inherently corrupt, and his ambitious plan to reform Yahoo was perhaps absurd. Gulliver's hatred for humans, even his own family, is quite evident by the contents of the letter.[2] Furthermore, such vehement misanthropy must be traced throughout the four books and how it culminates in the fourth book. Gulliver throughout his stay in Lilliput is in his best manner, emphasizing his English and suave nature. The incongruity of his physical monstrosity and the dwarf character of the Lilliputians oppose their respective actions. The Lilliputians, despite their despicable size, are not afraid of Gulliver, as they hope to control him and use him to their advantage. It is comical how they impose restrictive conditions in exchange for Gulliver's freedom and later publish articles of treason against him. Interestingly, despite his physical superiority and imposing presence, Gulliver chooses to appease the Lilliputians, upholding the code of hospitality and responding pleasantly to their antics. He is kind to his executioners and respects the orders issued, however strange they may seem.[3] A trace of atelophobia can perhaps be detected in Gulliver's insistence on recounting each of these incidents with the Lilliputians. He is eager to assimilate by learning their language and yet he also wants to teach the Lilliputians a thing or two to improve their lives, since they have always led restrictive lives. Additionally, although he criticizes his country's laws and attacks judicial policies, he is overall a protective Gulliver projected in the first book. The second book presents Gulliver as the victim, who is rational, but incongruous to his size, according to the Brobdingnagians. They treat him like a puny toy, meant to be used as a means of entertainment, but nothing more. Gulliver is even dwarfier than the smallest dwarf, Splacknuck. Even good intelligence is surprising in an animal as small as him. Gulliver is angry at the way he is treated but gradually begins to abdicate responsibility for upholding shame towards humans. The perspective on humans also begins to deteriorate, with the introduction of animal imagery. At this point, Gulliver's gaze is precise, reasoned andcritic, always looking at the monstrous nature of the Brobdingnagians. As a human he is made irrelevant by the giants, but for him it is a special position. He is proud of his position and identity, because although Brobdingnagians are good, this country is not as good as his home country. Even here, Gulliver's pride and nostalgia and Swift's condescending attitude towards him are quite evident. Gulliver's self-imposed importance gradually diminishes, as the Brobdingnaggian women undress and examine him while the king mocks his imagined heroic efforts to protect himself against the apes. Even when faced with physically monstrous dangers, Gulliver seems to live unconsciously, in an illusory state. Although his tiny state is highlighted, it seems that Gulliver himself begins to forget about him, simply putting his existence first with great pride. His political conversations with the king end with a disparaging judgment on human nature. The king considers Gulliver and other humans to be the most pernicious race of hateful little vermin that nature has ever allowed to crawl on the face of the earth. According to the king, puny humans were inventing things that destroy everything, being decidedly unnatural and harboring inhuman ideas.[4] Humanity is thus subject to many diseases which have made them crooks, selfish and cruel. Gulliver is blinded by his parents' pride and therefore calls the king naive, for not having gone beyond these lands and for his lack of experience. The king has a limited perspective and cannot appreciate what humanity has accomplished. Subsequently, Gulliver attempts to casually preserve the dignity of humanity, citing numerous political and legal reasons. Interestingly, as he returns home after the second journey, Gulliver calls it an "unfortunate journey." I wonder if the trip is unfortunate because it acts as a mirror for him, forcing him to reflect on the harmful effects of the man's supposedly progressive activities. In the third book, Gulliver is reduced to an unimportant entity, since almost everyone in Laputa and other countries are absorbed in their own thoughts and inventions. The inhabitants are actively engaged in the abstract and philosophical while Gulliver's presence is barely noticed. To further interact with the locals, Gulliver must explore the lands, becoming interested in the projector academy with their absurd inventions and the magicians with access to ghosts. Gulliver interacts with ancient ghosts and ends up correcting some historical facts and clarifying ancient philosophical ideas. Later, her interaction with the Struldbruggs is quite interesting, because she gives us a speech about man's ambitions if he were immortal. It is curiously a Renaissance speech, with dizzying ambitions and faith in the competence of humanity. Of course, the response itself is satirical, denouncing man's ambitions, calling them immature because they take no consideration other than their own desire. Any talk of misanthropy in Gulliver's Travels centers on the fourth book, which focuses on Gulliver's cathartic spirit. trip to Houyhnhnmland. Gulliver is amazed to observe the horses behaving rationally and being masters of the earth. He is also desperate to hear a human voice upon his arrival, as humans are needed to bridle the animals and train them, as the horses had been amicably trained. This is the last time we see the pompous and proud human whose travels have been described in the last three books. Later, theGulliver's nature completely changes and conceals his original identity. But more importantly, Gulliver harbors contempt and dislike for the Yahoos, whom he would prefer to the natives. It treats Yahoos like cattle and even focuses on a consistent description of their physical characteristics. His interaction with the Houyhnhnms makes him contemptible towards his own race, propagated primarily through his master's reasoned speeches. Also, his hatred is closely linked to the presence of brutal Yahoos, who are quasi-men, with whom Gulliver is assimilated by the Houyhnhnms and by himself. The Houyhnhnm themselves are a perfected species, as their name suggests, since Houyhnhnm means "perfection of nature". They are self-confident in most areas and lead a perfect life, guided by the Supreme Reason. Well, for them, the faculty of Reason is absolute, because if it is corrupted, as in humans, it is not Reason with which humans are endowed. Gulliver's interaction with the Houyhnhnms highlights the excessively corrupt nature of humans. Simply put, humans with their degenerate and irrational nature are incapable of surviving in nature and simply claim to possess the faculty of Reason. Interestingly, Gulliver's reservations about telling every story about his race disappear in the face of such strong condemnation from the master Houyhnhnm. He is very eager to recount every event, every war and political problem with relish, and to engage in discussions with his master. These speeches allow Gulliver to maintain an intense hatred towards humans or the Yahoos as he calls them. At this point, it is interesting to note that the Houyhnhnms refer to the Yahoos as a degenerate race, with a selfish, lustful and cunning evil nature, which Gulliver readily accepts, much to mysticism. His interaction with them is limited, but he happily accepts the reversed position with negligible questions. Thereafter, he is ready to adapt to the Houyhnhnm way of life, endowed with Reason and live there completely contentedly. But he is unceremoniously banished to return to his kind, so he builds a boat to leave. Before leaving, Gulliver leans down to kiss his master's hoof, feeling the master raise his hoof, which is considered a rare honor by Gulliver. This incident, among others, was noted for deliberately degrading humanity's position to that of an animal. Subsequently, as Gulliver returns to the human fold, he meets Don Pedro, a kind captain who helps him reach Redcliff. However, for Gulliver, although he considers Pedro to have some human understanding, he is certain that all Yahoo is bad. Even once he returns home, he stubbornly refuses to interact with humans, calling them bestial creatures, unworthy of being in a relationship with them. His travels made him explore the various facets of human nature, but in terms of vices and follies, everyone was the same, a Yahoo. Influenced by the Houyhnhnms' restrictive idea of ​​Supreme Reason, Gulliver had slowly become a misanthrope, harboring a hatred for humanity and no longer willing to trust them. Even years after his return, Gulliver prefers to live as a recluse, far from these evil creatures, as he mentions in the letter. However, Gulliver's naive misanthropy can hardly be understood as reflecting Swift's view of human nature. It would indeed be comical if anyone assumed that the utopian world of the Houyhnhnms was the perfect solution to the debauched world of humanity. Houyhnhnms are far from perfect, being confident in most areas, although this may be beyond their skill. THEmaster Houyhnhnm is not experienced enough, having visited no land other than his own, but with Gulliver's tale alone he can surely discuss the faults. Even the sorrel nags believe that there can be no other island than theirs. The Houyhnhnms are quite assured of their own supremacy, for any failing of Gulliver would only ensure that the solution lies in the Houyhnhnms' way of life. Swift has often been accused of projecting a powerful pessimism through Gulliver at the end. Such a view could be restrictive in that it does not take into consideration the way in which Gulliver's position is itself undermined in the final chapters. As we have noted, Swift does not equate Gulliver with the Yahoos, it is Gulliver himself who constantly cements his resemblance to the Yahoos, kindly prompted by the master Houyhnhnm. Additionally, his decision to stay and assimilate into the Houyhnhnmland lifestyle after the talks with his master is immediately negated by his unceremonious banishment from the land. Swift depicts Houyhnhnmland as a rationalist utopia, with the horses living under the ambiguous umbrella of pure reason. . Their lifestyle is morbidly passive, seemingly governed by Reason, and they therefore live in a stoically calm environment.[5] However, we are far from any possibility of a rationalist life. Gulliver is deceived by their state and desires to rise above his human position and achieve such rational intelligence. However, Swift isn't as adamantly thrilled with Houyhnhnm's perfect life. For him, it would be too simple a solution to too complex a problem. Reason, however effective it may be, cannot solve all problems, nor sustain humanity forever. Swift's formulation of the human is part Houyhnhnm and part Yahoo. The Yahoo is what man, using excessive reason, could become once his nature has degraded and become an irrational creature. The Houyhnhnms represent the rational, but incomplete, part of the human, which can lead a better life thanks to the measured deployment of Reason. Having abused Reason, humans are getting closer to the Yahoos. Human nature is volatile and so humans must choose how to temper their nature. In the same way, Gulliver identifies men with Yahoos and thus becomes a misanthrope. He doesn't want to be a Yahoo, so he'll try to become a Houyhnhnm. Gulliver's assessment of human nature after his many experiences is wrong, as he adopts the Houyhnhnm way of life as a solution, refusing to accept the nature of humanity and blindly equating the Yahoos with men. He becomes a misanthrope, hating and suspecting everything human, whether it is the smell of his wife or the kindness of Don Pedro. His view resonates with that of his master Houyhnhnm, calling humans a mass(s) of deformity, with illnesses both mental and physical (and) stricken with pride. As the letter also shows, Gulliver collapsed under the deluge of negativity, refusing to even acknowledge anything even remotely good. For him, even a good Yahoo like Don Pedro is a Yahoo and therefore intrinsically bad. Gulliver's pride feeds on his misanthropy and he gradually moves away from all things Yahoo. He lost his sense of understanding, limiting both his mentality and perspective. Swift attacks man's profligate nature and the resulting ill effects, but he is not philosophically pessimistic. He refuses to give in to the temptation to accept the simplified solution of a utopian Houyhnhnmland. It is entirely possible for man to descend to the beast, but to ascend to the position of Houyhnhnms would also be detrimental because it is restrictive. Additionally, Swift views humans as