| As an ancient in the quarrel between the ancients and the moderns,Jonathan Swift attacks the other party through his The Battle of the Books(1704)and argues that the autonomy and superiority of modernity,supported by natural science and philosophy,are but self-importance and decadence.In A Tale of a Tub(1704),he defines a modern man as one who firstly “receives much greater advantage by being diverted than instructed”,indicating a modern man’s arrogance and unwillingness to take instructions humbly,and who have “epidemical diseases being fastidiosity,amorphy,and oscitation”,suggesting a modern man’s corruption.Then Swift further depicts three kinds of modern man: prejudiced modern readers who overlook instructions,modern writers who claim to write for the public good,and modern wits who doubt the ancients and take a shortcut to learning.This dissertation argues that Gulliver’s Travels(1726)is Swift’s mature reflection upon modernity and that Gulliver’s triple dilemmas are revealed through being characterized as a modern man.Firstly,as a modern observer,Gulliver experiences the paradox of observation.From reading modern books like travel accounts in a narrow sense to observing the world in a general sense,his curiosity expands continuously while being anxious about the fragility of eyesight.He is also observed by the surroundings and is credulous about the identities imposed on him by the exterior — a giant in Lilliput,a dwarf in Brobdingnag,an innocent in Laputa and other states,and a remarkable Yahoo in Houyhnhnmland,which make him lose himself.Secondly,as a modern author,Gulliver encounters the overlap of writing.He combines realistic writing and romantic writing: the former guarantees the instruction of the work through the interaction between the words and illustrations,the author’s self-revelation and the publisher’s endorsement,and the parallel between faithful writing and practical travelling,rendering it reliable;the latter adds diversion to the work through the ambiguous authorship,non-standard maps,and Utopian institutions,making it a fantasy.However,Gulliver fails to awaken the reader’s morality through the mixture of instruction and amusement in his work and falls into desperation.Thirdly,as a modern wit,Gulliver suffers the irony of reflection.Under the despotic power of reason,from a surgeon to a marine surgeon and to a captain in the end,Gulliver gradually explores the unknown world and the unknown self,but he feels more and more disappointed in human nature,which he finds unreasonable.On the other hand,he deviates from Christian revelation and four Christian loves — his alienation from his family,his inability to make friends with others,his being sexually exploited,and his unselfish love for Houyhnhnms,the embodiment of extreme reason,predestining his estrangement from the human world.The paradox of observation,the overlap of writing and the irony of reflection all contribute to Gulliver’s misanthropy.Through the tragedy of Gulliver,Swift intends to criticize a modern man’s pretence of reason and appeals for facing the limitation of human nature,turning to devout belief in Christianity and reserving love for particular persons. |
