In Book IV of Gulliver's Travels, Swift presents a narrative that aims to continually change the opinion of its audience by offering an ever-changing series of points of view. From the beginning of the journey we see the story unfold in the same way Gulliver experiences it. Upon his first encounter with a Yahoo, Gulliver sees no parallel between himself and that beast, and when he is approached by a Houyhnhnm, he does not think that the creature is anything other than a horse. The story takes a turn when Gulliver discovers the reality of this kingdom and readers are introduced to his views on the Houyhnhnms and the Yahoos. This journey does not boast much action in the plot, but rather makes interactions and conversations between Gulliver and the inhabitants of this strange land, mainly the Houyhnhnm. From these exchanges, Gulliver gains admiration for the Houyhnhnms and horror for the beastly Yahoos. His observations initially seem concordant as the two species appear to represent opposing values ​​of what is and what is not a desirable way to live. However, as Gulliver's observation causes him to undergo a change, ashamed of his resemblance to the Yahoos and imitating Houyhnhnm's gestures, the reader cannot help but question his judgments. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Chapter XI stands out as a section that best explores the absurdity of Gulliver's transformation. Gulliver's radical change revealed in this section not only portrays him as comical but also repugnantly delusional. While in previous chapters and especially at the beginning of this tale, Gulliver believed that himself and humanity belonged to a different species from the Yahoos, he now detests the thought of returning home and living among not humans, but the Yahoos. Gulliver even calls himself a "poor Yahoo" (300) when confronted by the Portuguese sailors. If the man is Yahoo, then the idea of ​​Gulliver mending his shoes with "sun-dried Yahoo skins" (289) and building his canoe from the same material is rather disgusting. Gulliver's equating of man with Yahoo is illogical since his very being and presence throughout the story suggests that man is different from Yahoo. This is not only Gulliver's mistake but also one committed by the reasonable Houyhnhms, who, if they do not refer to man as Yahoo, call man as a worse and inferior type of Yahoo. It seems rather strange that highly rational horses have difficulty distinguishing Gullivers from Yahoos and are able to differentiate themselves from the donkeys they wish to breed (283). Surely the Houyhnhnms cannot be as wise and praiseworthy as Gulliver describes them. Not only is Gulliver's devotion to the Houyhnhnm questionable, but the Houyhnhnm and the values ​​they represent become uncertain. At first, compared to humans, the Houyhnhnm appear superior because they are sincere and live their lives rationally, and when Gulliver makes harsh statements about European society his comments are, for the most part, fair. However, when the Houyhnhnm life system is revealed, they are portrayed as boring and passionless. “Courtship, love, gifts, unions, agreements have no place in their thoughts,” and marriage is “one of the necessary actions of a rational being” (281). They are equally insensitive towards death, as “their friends and relatives express neither joy nor sorrow at their departure” (287). Even more shocking is their "regulation of children". For example, "if a Houyhnhnm has two sons, he exchanges one for another who has two daughters; and when a child has been lost by any accident, ifthe mother has stopped reproducing, it is determined which family in the district will have to raise "another to make up for the loss" (282). Their inability to feel affection and attachment even for their own offspring is immensely unattractive, and it shows that Swift didn't mean to equate the Houyhnhm with ideals. Strangely, the only Houyhnhnm who possessed any sign of compassion is the sorrel nag, a humble servant who cries out when Gulliver leaves his land, "take care, gentle Yahoo" (297). Strongly affected by Houyhnhnm values, Gulliver undergoes assimilation into human society in Chapter XI, and the result is sometimes comical, but mostly irritating. He is funny as the Portuguese sailors laugh at his "strange tone of speaking, which resembled the neighing of a horse" (300). However, it is not comical but rather annoying when Gulliver exclaims: "I never heard or saw anything so unnatural; for it seemed to me as monstrous as if a dog or a cow should speak in England, or a Yahoo in the land of Houyhnhnm," at the sight of seeing the sailors talking. Has three years of living among the Houyhnhnm changed Gulliver so drastically that he deems it "unnatural" for humans to speak? Beyond that, these three years have caused Gulliver to not only re-identify himself as Yahoo, but also all of humanity. While in previous chapters Gulliver's overbearing veneration for the Houyhnhnms is worsening, in this chapter, his hatred towards humans is repugnant. . Once banished from the land of Houyhnhnm, Gulliver wishes to live in solitude and not return "to live in society under the rule of Yahoo" (297). When he is discovered by Portuguese sailors, he begs for his freedom, explaining to them that he is "a poor Yahoo, looking for a desolate place to spend the rest of his unfortunate life" (300). Once on the ship, he even attempts to jump overboard and swim for his life "rather than continue among the Yahoos" (301). Gulliver's aversion towards humans is unwarranted in this chapter, and his exchange with Don Pedro de Mendez depicts his unfounded judgments. Gulliver describes Don Pedro as generous and kind. However, like the Houyhnhnms without compassion, his best effort in returning kindness is to "treat him [Don Pedro] like an animal with a small part of reason" (301). As time passed on this voyage, Gulliver states, "in gratitude to the Captain I sometimes sat with him at his earnest request, and endeavored to conceal my dislike of mankind" (302). Gulliver's obsession with body odor is also silly as he is "ready to faint at the mere smell" of the Captain and his crew during the voyage (301). This foolish fixation on the body prevents him from recognizing Don Pedro's kindness on many occasions. Gulliver relates, for example, "the Captain had often entreated me to strip off my wild clothes, and had offered to lend me the best dress he had. I would not be prevailed upon to agree to abhor covering myself with something that had been on the back of a Yahoo" (302). In another instance, as they arrive in Lisbon, Gulliver states: "The Captain persuaded me to accept a newly made suit; but I did not allow the tailor to take my measurements... He supplied me with other necessary things, all new, which I aired for twenty-four hours before using them" (303). After what seems like a long ordeal, Don Pedro convinces Gulliver to take a walk through the streets; however, to do this, Gulliver must fill his nose with rue or tobacco (303). Once he returns to England, he buys some horses and explains that he prefers the groom for the smells he produces in the stable (304). Gulliver, although forced to rejoin humanity, has nevertheless exiled himself mentally and emotionally from society. As he makes his way from the more rooms., 1999.