The Qualities of the Houyhnhnm’s Civilization in...

In part 4 of Gulliver’s Travels, Gulliver is abandoned on an island by his crew. As Gulliver begins to explore his surroundings, a group of savages attack him. These savages appear to be human, however they behave like wild animals. Gulliver is rescued by a couple of horses. The horses are called â€Å"Houyhnhnms† are rational creatures which are capable of speech and thought. The horses refer to these human-like creatures as â€Å"Yahoos† and treat them as wild animals incapable of reasoning. Gulliver is very surprised how the Houyhnhnms speak to each other, while the Houyhnhnms are equally surprised at the appearance and behavior of Gulliver. The horses lead Gulliver back to their base where they proceed to find out more about him. Gulliver also†¦show more content†¦Gulliver points out flaws in the justice system. Gulliver fails to point out the necessity of laws in human society and dwells on abuses of the legal system. Gulliver describes many problem s in humanity. His master gives examples of how the â€Å"Yahoos† of his land acted similar to the humans. Gulliver shows how immoral humanity is. The Houyhnhnms are different from humans in several important ways. The horses seem to lack passions specifically love and compassion. The horses make up for their lack of emotions with industry and temperance. They try to encourage the cultivation of reason. There are a few similarities in the order of societies between the horses and Gulliver’s people. An example of this is the general assembly where the horses meet. It is a representative council which takes place every four years. This council was created to keep balance in the Houyhnhnms’ society. This council is very similar to the British parliament which was created for the same purpose, however parliament rarely has unanimous consent on any matter unlike the Houyhnhnms’ council. The Houyhnhnms have no written language. Therefore their knowledge is passed down orally. The Houyhnhnms are virtuous, united and governed by reason. They have almost no emotions. They don’t express sorrow when one of them dies. After spending a long time with the Houyhnhnms, Gulliver grows very fond of their culture and lifestyle. He becomes more virtuous and wise during his visit. GulliverShow MoreRelatedGulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift1526 Words   |  7 PagesIn the fourth book of Gulliver’s Travels, Jonathan Swift uses satire to draw reader’s attention towards his concerns about humanity and uses irony to reveal his cynical views towards human kind. According to the Great Chain of Being, a term developed by the Renaissance that describes a divinely hierarchical order in every existing thing in the universe, human beings are placed a tier higher than animals (http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english /melani/cs6/ren.html). However, by comparing humanRead MoreGullivers Travels: Where Size Doesnt Matter1675 Words   |  7 Pages In Jonathan Swift’s Gullivers Travels, satire is ever-present: in plot, character and setting. Dystopia and utopia set the story, with grotesque added to sharpen character facets. The title character narrates the novel, and all actions are told through his point of view. His voyages expose him to extraordinary and absurd circumstances, used as fodder for mockery, and all throughout Gulliver’s travails society is ridiculed, and a bitter light is cast on humanity. Character growth is not