English Society vs.

Modern Society Jonathan Swift was an Anglo-Irish satirist, and political pamphleteer during the 1700s. He wrote many famous works that he is still praised for today. One of the most notable of all of his works is the novel, Gullivers Travels. In chapter VI of Gullivers Travels the protagonist of the story, Gulliver, is describing the State of England, Swifts place of nativity. He describes his society as a cruel and cold society where everyone is for themselves, and an extremely unbalanced class system regarding the wealth of its inhabitants. This society that swift describes through Gulliver can be compared and contrasted to our modern state of society. They are a like a different in numerous ways. In his novel, through the character Gulliver, Swift describes English society. His description of his own society is somewhat shocking. It is almost as if he shows disgust for it and believes it should be changed. He starts with the law aspect of society. He says how the judicial system and lawyers are corrupt. How they engage in a Confederacy of Injustice only for hire. He basically says the system revolves around money and not truth. He then speaks of how economic imbalance, of how the rich stay wealthy and the poor remain in poverty. the Rich Man enjoyed the Fruit of the Poor Mans Labour the Bulk of our People were forced to live miserably, by labouring every Day for small Wages to make a few live plentifully. Gulliver goes on to say that there are people in the country starving and with no food, meanwhile the country is more than wealthy enough to feed its entire population. England was computed to produce three times the quantity of Food, more than its Inhabitants can consume Some are starving and others are spending on the finest Cloathing, the noblest Horses, great Tracts of Land, the most costly Meats and Drinks, and many other items of high materialistic value. Gulliver then explains how everyone is determined to obtain these items and live a life of luxury, and how some will do almost anything to achieve wealth and a luxurious lifestyle, including giving up their morals and their dignity. Many become criminals or take part in vulgar acts. He mentions robbing, stealing, cheating, pimping, forging, whoring and many other ways people attempt to gain wealth unjustly. The main point in describing these aspects of English society was to state that everything revolves around wealth. And to show there is no economic balance and the society is imperfect and corrupt. When compared to our modern society I believe that all of the problems with English society mentioned by Gulliver are all dilemmas our society still deals with to

this day. Just like in English society our justice system is corrupt. Many people are paid under the table to make certain things happen. Lawyers accept bribes and innocent people get blamed. Everyone is only concerned with whats in their wallets. There is also much economic imbalance in our society as was in English society. There are few rich who remain rich. Their are people living in poverty who usually remain poor. Many people do hard work and labour to make much less than others who sit at a desk. Identical Swifts society, there are people starving and without food, when there is no need to be. Being one of the wealthiest countrys in the existence of the world, The U.S. has more than enough food and wealth to feed all of its citizens. Meanwhile there are people starving and going hungry just like in England. Many want to live a life of luxury and wealth, and there are many people today who try to obtain this in many ways that were mentioned in the novel like whoring and stealing. All of these points apply to both societies. The number one problem with the society that Gulliver describes is that profit comes before people. Everyone is for themselves and their own fortune. I believe this is the same problem major with our society today. I find it ridiculous that in the United States today, one cannot receive proper healthcare without verifying that your treatment can be paid for, even if your condition is fatal and once again being based on the foundation of profit before people. Swifts analysis of the problems with English society virtually mirror our own. I believe Swift added this part of his novel as a message, or maybe a warning. We should change our society because the foundation is not money, or about profit. The foundation is the people and they should come first.