of reality Innocence and Naivety In the initial stage Gulliver's character is presented as simple and usual which helps Jonathan Swift express the inconsistency of human nature and society He describes the customs and practices of different cultures which reflect the flaws and irregularities of his own society Descriptions of Lilliputian Politics Gulliver describes Lilliputian politics It reveals the pettiness and triviality of the political conflicts in contemporary Britain Gulliver reveals that only constant obedience can satisfy monarchs For instance Gulliver helps the Emperor of Lilliput by capturing the enemy's navy But the emperor gives Gulliver the cold shoulder when Gulliver refuses to escalate the war against Blefuscu As Gulliver says Of so little weight are the greatest services to princes when put into the balance with a refusal to gratify their passions Contrast and Comparison As an observer Gulliver s encounters with different societies allow Swift to use contrast and comparison to highlight the follies and vices of human beings Each of the lands Gulliver visits serves as a satirical mirror They reflect aspects of th-century English society i Lilliput Through the miniature world of Lilliput Swift satirizes the pettiness of political conflicts and the triviality of court intrigue ii Brobdingnag Gulliver s voyage of Brobdingnag critiques Britain's politics and legal system of Swift s time The Brobdingnag King is good and a man of justice unlike the corrupt Lilliputian Emperor Gulliver reveals to the Brobdingnag King that the English kings rule with their power and wealth in Gulliver's country The political leaders conspire against the civilians and control them with gunpowder The King recognizes English society as heap of conspiracies rebellions murders massacres revolutions banishments iii Laputa The floating island of Laputa satirizes the impracticality and absurdity of theoretical knowledge and detached intellectualism iv Houyhnhnms The rational horses of the Houyhnhnm society present an ideal of rationality and simplicity Reflection and Transformation Throughout his travels Gulliver s observations lead to significant personal transformation It is another device Swift uses to critique human nature Initially Gulliver is an ordinary somewhat arrogant individual However when he witnesses the various societies his perspectives shift dramatically It leads him to an increasing sense of disillusionment with humanity neither shall I be ever able to comprehend how such an animal and such a vice could tally together By the end of the narrative Gulliver has become misanthropic misanthropic suggests a rooted distrust and dislike of human beings and their society He prefers the company of horses to humans Irony and Satire Irony is central to Swift s satirical method He masterfully uses irony through Gulliver s observations For example the Lilliputians' intense political rivalry over the proper way to break eggs is described with seriousness which is ironic It highlights the ridiculousness of such conflicts In short Jonathan Swift very effectively presents Lemuel Gulliver in Gulliver's Travels as narrator and observer Gulliver's observations lead Jonathan Swift to indirectly criticize various aspects of human society