One thing I noticed while reading Gulliver’s Travels is the focus on the body, specifically the focus on using the body for labor. In both Lilliput and the country of the Houyhnhnms, Gulliver is made an other by the natives and forced to live in a separate space. In Lilliput specifically, Gulliver is exploited for his human capital as he is made an instrument of war. In the country of the Houyhnhnms his body is not used for labor, but he is compared to a Yahoo on multiple occasions and is eventually banished from the Island due to the Houyhnhnms’ fear that he will lead a Yahoo uprising. When looking at the treatment of Gulliver in both of these lands, one cannot help but think of slavery in the United States. The Lilliputians’ disgust of Gulliver’s body, especially his defecation, reflects the attitude of disgust slave owners had for their own human capital. The Lilliputians use Gulliver’s body as a weapon and promote him to a Nardac, yet he is still banned from participating in the courts due to the “meanness of his condition.” The Articles created to punish Gulliver are a result of the fear that he would attempt to have sex with the Lilliputian Queen, thus invading the space of the priviliged. The fear of Gulliver’s invasion of the privileged space and his physical strength is a parallel to the fear slave owners expressed towards their slaves, who were typically stronger than the slave owner and designated to their own separate space.
This fear of brute strength and the invasion of the privileged space is expressed by the Houyhnhnms as well, but to a lesser extent. They are only able to tolerate Gulliver, a Yahoo in their minds, when he is wearing clothes. Otherwise, they are disgusted by the image of his brutish body. They allow him in their homes, but also deny him the right of participating in the local councils due to his similarity in appearance to the Yahoos. The reason for his banishment is the fear that he will start a Yahoo rebellion, similar to how white landowners feared that slaves would start rebellions on their plantations. I am aware that this novel is mainly an Irish text, but the similarities between the relationships Gulliver has with the natives of the lands he travels to and the relationships slaves had with their owners are evident throughout the book, especially during the passages that focus on Gulliver’s body.
I definitely agree that Gulliver was treated as a slave at times and the parallels you use are quite strong. This kind of “slavery” might relate well to the Irish perspective even if we recognize the fear of rebellion and disgust of the body prevalent in American slavery. There is a question of what Gulliver’s place is in these societies, just as Ireland’s relationship to England was ill-defined, as we discussed in class. There is certainly a question as to whether the word “slave” is appropriate. Yet I think your line of questioning is similar to the way we must approach this class. The experiences are not the same but we can certainly draw some connections that connect the Irish and black experience.
I agree that the parallels with slavery in the United States are hard to ignore within the text. What stuck out to me even more than that, however, was Gulliver’s attitude towards being like a slave for both the Lilliputians and the Houyhnhnms. This, among other factors, complicates the parallels between slavery in America and Gulliver’s Travels, as I would find it hard to believe that many slaves freely and willingly accepted their restraint. Although we discussed this a bit in class, I still find this attitude to be quite puzzling. I cannot comprehend how anyone comes to accept a sense of imprisonment. Furthermore, Gulliver was treated much more lavishly and rewarded greatly for his services to the Lilliputians. He was assigned many personal servants who put much time and effort into providing for his living situation. His treatment in these instances greatly differs from those of any slaves, especially since most slaves were subject to cruel and inhumane conditions. I understand the parallels that one might draw between Gulliver and slaves, but it is perhaps more accurate to consider Gulliver a special sort of prisoner.