Volu m e I - Purdue University Calumet

disappointed,” he continues by saying, “I have always rejected that definition and made another of my own”
(Swift, “Letter” 48). It is this definition of Swift’s that made him more of an outsider of his time.
The critics thus took Swift’s own words out of context, applied them to Gulliver’s Travels, and used
them to show Swift’s condemnation of humans through the actions of the Yahoos. Despite this fact,
misinterpretations of Swift’s definition of human nature are just part of the reason why critics were and still
are enraged by Gulliver’s journey to Houyhnhnmland. When Gulliver first enters Houyhnhnmland he
discovers what he believes to be “human” footprints. This is Swift’s subtle way of assisting the reader in
relating the Yahoos to humans (Knowles 115). He begins his attack when he describes these beasts as “a
perfect human figure” physically differing “in nothing else but the length of the nails, the coarseness and
browness of the palm, and the hairiness on the backs” (Swift, “Gulliver” 2433). The physical description of
the Yahoos is enough to arouse anyone’s emotions, yet his attack continues and becomes even more severe.
After this physical description of the Yahoo is given, he continues his attack by relating some of the
manners in which the Yahoos conduct themselves to the behavior of humans. After Gulliver tells the
master Houyhnhnm of the customs of England, the master Houyhnhnm tells Gulliver some of the ways the
Yahoos conduct themselves. For example, the master Houyhnhnm tells Gulliver that the Yahoos seem to
hate each other more than any other species, usually because of the deformities in their own bodies (Swift,
“Gulliver” 2451). Humans exhibit this same sort of behavior when they judge people according to their
weight, height, gender, race, etc. The Yahoos also have a propensity to waste food, “for if you throw
among five Yahoos as much food as would be sufficient for fifty, they will” each be eager to “have it all to
itself” (Swift, “Gulliver” 2451). Humans, of course, waste food all of the time as well. As to war,
“…battles have been fought between the Yahoos of several neighborhoods without any visible cause” (Swift,
“Gulliver” 2451). Wars among humans of different countries are often fought while many people have no
inkling as to why. Another important similarity among humans and Yahoos is through the use of alcohol.
The Yahoos consume something very similar to wine which produces the same effects and causes them to
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