Gulliver

            In Jonathan Swift's novel "Gulliver's Travels", the main character, Gulliver comments extensively on the nature of man and his flaws. The character of Gulliver only brings up Swift's misgivings about humans. The characters that Gulliver reacts with reveal Swift's stance on many moral and ethical issues. One such issue is that of sin. Swift constantly depicts characters as satires upon their real counterparts and often focusing on expressing one sin in particular. Swift is extremely critical of one's Pride, and chooses to express this flaw in man most often. He begins by showing the absurdity of possessing too much pride with examples from the Lilliputians. The pride that the emperor takes in his name demonstrates the frivolous nature of pride. The emperor is called, "Golbasto Molmaren Evlame Gurdilo Shefin Mully Ully Gue."(52) This is an obvious satire on the long titles that many members of the nobility carried in the 17th century to distinguish themselves. Both the length and the style of this name mean to show the error in excessively priding one's name. With equal absurdity, pride is found as the basis for the enmity between the Lilliputians and the Blefescuns. It is entirely based on the pride with which they break their eggs. Although still absurd, this time the consequence of pride has a serious undertone, as it is stated "that eleven thousand persons have, at several times, suffered death, rather than submit to break their eggs at the smaller end."(59) Swift, although not yet in an all at attack upon sin, is already suggesting that those guilty of pride deserve to die. the sea for a drink."(270) Swift is pointing out the wastefulness that Pride causes.