In Book IV of Gulliver's Travels, Swift presents a narrative that aims to continually change the opinion of its audience by offering a range of viewpoints in perpetual evolution. From the beginning of the journey, we see the story unfold in the same way that Gulliver experiences it. During his first encounter with a Yahoo, Gulliver sees no parallels between this beast and himself, and when he is approached by a Houyhnhnm, he does not think the creature is anything other than a horse. The story takes a turn as Gulliver discovers the reality of this kingdom and readers are presented with his opinions on the Houyhnhnms, as well as the Yahoos. This journey does not feature much action, but instead depicts the interactions and conversations between Gulliver and the inhabitants of this strange land, mainly the Houyhnhnms. From these exchanges, Gulliver exudes admiration for the Houyhnhnms and horror for the beastly Yahoos. His observations initially seem pleasant in that the two species seem to describe opposing values ​​about what is and what is not the desirable way of living. However, as Gulliver's observation causes him to undergo a change, becoming ashamed of his similarity 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 Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Chapter XI stands out as the section that best explores the absurdity of Gulliver's transformation. The drastic change in Gulliver revealed in this section depicts him not only as a comical character, but also as loathsome and delusional. While in previous chapters and especially at the very beginning of this tale, Gulliver believed that he and humanity belonged to a different species from the Yahoos, he now hates the idea of ​​returning home and living among, not humans, but Yahoos. Gulliver even describes himself as “poor Yahoo” (300) in front of the Portuguese sailors. If man is Yahoo, then the idea of ​​Gulliver repairing his shoes with "sun-dried Yahoo skins" (289) and building his canoe with the same material is quite sickening. Gulliver's assimilation of man to Yahoos is illogical since his being and presence throughout the tale suggests that man is different from Yahoos. It is not only the error of Gulliver but also that of reasonable Houyhnhms who, if they do not refer to the man as Yahoo, mark the man. like a worse and inferior type of Yahoo. It seems rather strange that highly rational horses have difficulty distinguishing Gulliver 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 Houyhnhnms questionable, but the Houyhnhnms and the values ​​they represent also become questionable. At first, compared to humans, the Houyhnhnms seem superior because they are honest and live their lives rationally, and when Gulliver makes harsh statements about European society, his comments are, for the most part, fair. However, as the Houyhnhnm's system of life is revealed, they are portrayed as boring and passionless. “Dating, love, gifts, unions, colonies have no place in their thoughts,” and marriage is “one of the necessary actions of a rational being” (281). They are equally indifferent to death, because “their friends and relatives express neither joy nor sorrow at their departure” (287). Their “regulation of children” is even more shocking. Byexample, “if a Houyhnhnm has two males, he exchanges one with another who has two females; and when a child has been lost through accident, when the mother has ceased to reproduce, it is determined which family in the district will produce. another to compensate for the loss” (282). Their inability to feel affection and attachment, even for their own offspring, is extremely unappealing and proves that Swift did not want to equate the Houyhnhms with an ideal. Oddly enough, the only Houyhnhnm who possessed any sign of compassion is the sorrel nag, a humble servant who cries when Gulliver leaves his land: "Take care of yourself, sweet Yahoo" (297). Strongly affected by the values ​​of the Houyhnhnm, Gulliver undergoes assimilation into human society in chapter XI, and the result is sometimes comical, but mostly irritating. It is amusing then that the Portuguese sailors mock his “strange tone in 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 spoke 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 Houyhnhnms changed Gulliver so drastically that he would think it "unnatural" for humans to speak? Beyond that, these three years allowed Gulliver to not only re-identify himself as Yahoo, but also all of humanity. While in previous chapters Gulliver's overbearing reverence for the Houyhnhnms is aggravating, in this chapter his hatred of 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 government of the Yahoos” (297). When he is discovered by Portuguese sailors, he begs for freedom, explaining to them that he is "a poor Yahoo, looking for a desolate place to spend the rest of his unhappy 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 hatred of humans is unjustified in this chapter, and his exchange with Mendez's Don Pedro depicts his erroneous judgments. Gulliver describes Don Pedro as generous and kind. However, like Houyhnhnms, without compassion, his best effort to repay his kindness is to “treat him [Don Pedro] like an animal who had a small part of reason” (301). As time passes on this journey, Gulliver states, "In gratitude to the captain, I sometimes sat with him at his earnest request and endeavored to conceal my antipathy toward mankind" (302). Gulliver's obsession with body odor is also stupid in that he is "ready to faint at the mere smell" of the captain and his crew during the voyage (301). This idiotic fixation on the body prevents him from repeatedly recognizing Don Pedro's kindness. Gulliver relates, for example, that “the captain had often begged me to strip myself of my wild clothes and offered to lend me the finest clothes he owned. was 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 would not let the tailor take my measurement... He equipped me with other brand new essential articles, which I diffused for twenty-four hours before using them” (303). After what seems like a long ordeal, Don Pedro persuades Gulliver to walk the streets; however, to do this, Gulliver must stuff his nose with rue or tobacco (303)., 1999.