It is human nature to strive for paradise, but is it really achievable? There have been countless attempts to create utopian societies, but ultimately all have failed. In his work Gulliver's Travels, Swift recounts Gulliver's travels to various fantasy lands. Each country is very different from ours, but also more similar than it ostensibly appears. In all but the last country, Gulliver finds that other societies also experience much of the same problems that plague human society. But in the last country, that of the Houyhnhnms, human problems do not exist; instead, there is a much deeper problem: the complete absence of the emotion that defines us as human beings. By placing Gulliver in various environments in which his perspective and relationship with his surroundings changes dramatically, Swift is able to delineate, through the use of satire, the flaws of each society, as well as those that exist in ours - flaws which make us fall. short of a utopian ideal. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay On his first journey, Gulliver travels to the land of Lilliput, where the inhabitants are only a fraction of the size of the humans. Despite this obvious difference in size, Lilliputian society shares many attributes with that of humans. For example, their policy is very similar to that of the Europeans. In their society, nobles advance based on the favor they earn with the king by completing mindless tasks, rather than their skill in any specific area. Gulliver describes this practice by saying, “When a great office is vacant…these [rope dancers]…petition the emperor…and he who jumps highest without falling succeeds to that office” (28). Swift uses this custom to satirize the way European nobles advance based on the favor of royalty rather than their abilities. Because advancement is not based on merit, problems within government ensue, thus precluding a utopian society. Swift further ridicules European practices by citing the bitter war fought between the Lilliputians and their relatives, the Blefuscans. This war is being fought over disagreements over the appropriate ending to cracking an egg. Gulliver says: "[Lilliput and Blefuscu] were... engaged in a most obstinate war... It began... [when] the Emperor issued an edict, ordering all subjects... to break the smallest end of their eggs" (40). This stupid reason for so much savagery and bloodshed is used to satirize the incessant war in Europe. Swift believes that the constant wars between European powers are also carried out for equally stupid reasons The violence due to such absurdity is another reason why utopia was not achieved. By bringing Gulliver to Lilliput, Swift is able to expose various flaws in European society. and human based on human pettiness On his next outing, Gulliver goes to Brobdingnag Here he is only a fraction of the size of the inhabitants, and not the other way around. a complete change of perspective Despite this change, he continues to observe many similarities between this new society and that of the Europeans. The people of Brobdingnag, like humans, have a very high opinion of themselves. Gulliver, however, states that this view is erroneous. He recounts their many physical imperfections, saying: "Their skin seemed socoarse and uneven, so variously colored, when I saw them up close, with a mole here and there as large as a slicer, and hairs hanging from them thicker than bundle threads, to say nothing else concerning the rest of their person” (117). He continues by saying: “…[A] very nauseating odor came from their skin…” (117). Disparaging their education, Gulliver says, “The learning of this people is very defective…” (136). There are clearly a lot of things wrong with their society, but they, like humans, refuse to admit and address them. Just like humans, the inhabitants of Brobdingnag deplore practices different from theirs. When Gulliver speaks to the king about various human practices, the king responds by saying, "...I can only conclude that the bulk of your natives are the most pernicious race of odious little vermin ever allowed to crawl on the surface of the Earth” (133). As humans often do, the King of Brobdingnag immediately rejects and belittles that which is different and that which he does not understand. Through Gulliver's journey to this land of giants, Swift reveals flaws that arise from the exaggerated sense of self-worth that is prevalent in human society. Gulliver's next excursion takes him to Laputa, a floating island where the inhabitants fanatically believe in scientific reasoning and technology. The Laputians, however, are completely misguided in their attempt to harness the power that science can provide. They conduct ridiculous experiments, like building buildings from the roof and trying to extract sunlight from vegetables. Their clothes are also decorated with scientific symbols and their eyes are directed towards astrological signs. They literally cannot see clearly. The quest for knowledge through science has completely invaded their lives. Common sense was abandoned, leaving the Laputians to blindly and stupidly pursue enlightenment. They sacrificed meaning for reason and lost both. Here, Swift highlights the folly of relying solely on scientific reasoning and its inability to provide the solution to the puzzle of utopia. It is also on this land that Gulliver meets the Immortals. These Immortals, however, do not live a blessed and envied life. Instead, their immortality is seen as an eternal curse, in which they are destined to live horrible and pathetic lives, without any relief. Swift uses this example to show the folly of desiring eternal life. The journey to Laputa aims to refute human aspirations regarding immortality and other impossibilities. Through Gulliver's ascension to this land in the sky, Swift tells the reader to get their heads out of the clouds. Gulliver's final and most important journey takes him to the land of the Houynhnhnms. In this exotic place, he discovers two societies which coexist but are completely different. One company is the Yahoos. The Yahoos have a bestial society, ravaged by endemic problems such as greed, lust, and vulgarity. They are described as “odious” (246), “degenerate and brutal” (248). They are driven by uninhibited emotions and live only to fulfill their primary desires. This society illustrates an extreme of humanity. If humans were to follow their passions without regard for the consequences and morality of their actions, this is what human society would regress towards. The Houynhnhnms contrast sharply with the Yahoos. They exist in a utopian paradise free from the problems that plague man. There are no problems that cannot be resolved peacefully and easily, and there is no disease. They have achieved perfection. They are, however, fundamentally different from humans; they are missing.