Tracing the Journey of Madness in Jonathon Swifts Gullivers Travels essays

Tracing the Journey of Madness in Jonathon Swifts Gullivers Travels essays Jonathon Swift is notorious for his satire and nothing illustrates his ability to prove appoint than his novel, Gullivers Travels. In this novel, Gulliver experiences many things on his journeys and is driven to madness in the final segment of his adventure. Gullivers madness stems from the fact that he cannot accept himself for who he is Gulliver wants to be like the Houyhnhnms, a species that he considers to be perfect. Their rejection of him causes Gulliver to break down because he cannot and will not ever see himself as a Yahoo. The first step into madness begins with an inability to control events. Over the course of his stay with the Houyhnhnms, Gulliver is filled with pride and when he is exiled from Houyhnhnm-land, he is distraught. He descends further into madness because he cannot (and does not want to) think clearly. Finally, Gullivers madness is a result of pride. Gulliver refuses to accept the truth about his race because it means accepting the truth about hims elf. He would rather live a lie. Madness begins in small doses and unless it is tempered with rationality, it will reign. Gullivers final adventures illustrate this clearly. Gullivers madness occurs from a series of events of which he cannot control. His madness occurs slowly and only after his interaction with the Houyhnhnms and the Yahoos. In a sense, his madness is the result of his inability to accept and discern what he has encountered. He knows what is happening but he cannot make real sense of it other than wants he wants. Gullivers madness becomes evident when he begins to think of his own kind as less than acceptable. Spending time with the Houyhnhnms caused Gulliver to admire them far too much. He tells us that their opinions opened my eyes and enlarged my understanding, that I began to view the actions and passions of man in a very different light (250). He admires the...