1. Gulliver’s Travels Book I
Examples of Satire in
Gulliver’s Travels
Book I

2. Travel Books
During Swift’s time, travel books were popular. They were VERY detailed. Swift makes Gulliver describe his adventures in astonishing detail.

3. Lilliput Small country that wanted to take over the world
satirizes England
Small country that wanted to take over the world
Strong sense of nationalism
Corrupt politics
Violent nation

4. Lilliputian Emperor
satirized King George I of England
In reality, notoriously gross and ugly, but the emperor was described as handsome and athletic
George I was not known for being very intelligent. The emperor often seems foolish.

5. Lilliputian Rope Dance and Limbo Contest
satirize the foolish things people did to get the king’s favor
Various-colored threads represented honorary awards given by George I as a cheap way of buying political support from social climbers
Silly “limbo” moves represented politicians who lowered themselves for money, titles, jobs, etc.

6. Flimnap: the Lilliputian Treasurer
represented Robert Walpole, the leader of the Whigs.
He was England’s first prime minister. He resigned, but was restored to office four years later… through the influence of his mistress, the Duchess of Kendal.

7. Reldresal: Lilliputian Secretary of Private Affairs
represented either Viscount Townshend or Lord Carteret. Both were political allies of Robert Walpole.

8. Method of Breaking Eggs
satirizes tension between Protestants and Catholics
Big-Endians are Catholic.
Little-Endians are Protestant.
Silly that thousands of Lilliputians died over something this unimportant….similar to all the people who die in the name of religion in real life

9. Blefuscu
satirizes France
The war between Blefuscu and Lilliput over the religious question of egg-breaking symbolizes the long series of wars between Catholic France and Protestant England.

10. Heel Length High Heels = the Tories Low Heels = the Whigs
symbolizes European politics: The two Lilliputian political groups symbolize the two English political parties
High Heels = the Tories
Low Heels = the Whigs
King George I was sympathetic to the Whigs; therefore, the Lilliputian emperor wore low heels.
George II surrounded himself with both parties. As a Lilliputian, he wears one high heel and one low heel…wobbles when he walks.