The greatest English satirist - Jonathan Swift lived long, eventful life. Inhabitants of Ireland were respectful to him and considered him as their defender. The close relationship with poor handicraftsmen and villagers that writer had, gave to Swift the chance to understand thatthe onlyfounders of the history- are people.
In his well-known novel "Gulliver's Travel", Jonathan Swift described the life that surrounded him, but he did it in the form that was described by no one else before, in the form of the fairy tale, but sharply, and satirically.In each parts of the novel "Gulliver's Travel", the writer illustrated England both directly andby implications. But the real power of Swift’s satire is in the concrete facts, characters and situations that find universal sense and which are valid for all times and all nations.The main subject of the novel is the variability of appearance of the world, of the nature and the person that were presented by the writer in a fantastic way during each Gulliver’s wanderings. For the author the novel "Gulliver's travel" — is the story about England in an allegorical form.Swift showedthe actual kings, parliament, morals and habits of representatives of aristocratic society in his book very plainly.The author provided with the set of delicate hints, which helps to define the invented country of Lilliputians as the English society in the beginning of the XVIII century. For example, it is clear enough that the war between Lilliputians andBlefuscudianswas the intense affairs between England and France, and the Lilliputian emperor — was the king George I and also many well- known figures of England of that time were reflected in the novel.These traits of characters quite correspond to emperors and ministers. For instances, those applicants who win in competitions of dances on a rope are appointed to higher positions in Liliput country, instead of people who really deserve - those who are honest, valorous and ambitious. The author compares Lilliputian political party to leaders of English party very skillfully. Politicians differ between themselves with only the height of heels, and conduct intense fights with each other.Another parody that author presented in "Gulliver's Travel" — is the ridicule of Protestant Church on Catholic Church, which was brought in with the scene of breaking the eggs.
In Lilliputians’ world, Gulliver gets capitulated easily: doesn't resist, allows chaining him, talks politely, bows to the emperor. However each authority that the main character faces turns to be unfair. Gulliver gets accused of cheating, and Lilliputian justice pronounces a sentence — to blind the “Large” man. Gulliver manages to escape Lilliputians’ world. Swift emphasizes that the person who obeyed the circumstances, turns into the spiritual “Lilliputian”, which is considered to be the same even with gifted people. By the end of the travel Gulliver comes to a conclusion that heroes of mankind — are those who fight against the tyranny.
"Gulliver's" fantastic fairy tale has also a certain informative value, helping to feel relativity of the habitual representations about big and small. The same phenomena and subjects which seem insignificant to giant Gulliver become grandiose perfect and get other value when he looks at them with theeyes of the Lilliputians.
There is no one who criticized the flaws of the world leaders so strictly, as did Jonathan Swift. The writer didn't see that force which could overcome the thirst for the evil and violence. The great satirist saw an impoverishment of native Ireland and believed in common folks, he believed in their minds, honesty, and energy. In modern Ireland everything occurs to be "not according to Swift", but that is totally different story.
Bibliography
Swift, Jonathan.Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World, in Four Parts.By Lemuel Gulliver, First a Surgeon, and then a Captain of several Ships.online: n. p., 1726
http://www.goodreads.com/reader/649-gulliver-s-travels?percent=2.393949
Merriman C. D.Jonathan Swift..online:Jalic Inc., 2008. http://www.online-literature.com/swift/
