Volu m e I - Purdue University Calumet

“sometimes hug, and sometimes tear one another” (Swift, “Gulliver” 2452). Humans undergo the same
type of elevated emotion while under the influence of alcohol. Through these examples, as well as many
others, it is obvious that Swift wanted the reader to think of Yahoos as humans to a certain degree. The
controversy lies in what his purpose was in doing this and to what degree the comparison holds true.
Those who are so sickened by Swift’s attack on human nature are taking him much too literally.
They are assuming that a Yahoo is a man because it looks like a man, and a Houyhnhnm is a horse because it
looks like a horse (Knowles 36). Though it may be reasonable to do so, an intelligent reader who
understands Swift should know that he is a satirical genius and must have had a reason for making a Yahoo
seem so similar to a man. Swift is not suggesting that a Yahoo is a man as a beagle is a dog; he is using the
Yahoos as a symbol of the brutish, animalistic side of human nature which is corrupt and running on pure
emotion (Ross 81; Ward 127; Williams 69). This is why Swift could not tone down his depiction of the
animal in man; if he had, his satire would not have achieved the emotional effect he was seeking from his
audience.
Though Swift wanted his audience to relate themselves to the Yahoos, he also went out of his way
to show that Yahoos are not humans. Since Swift’s belief is that humans are animals capable of choosing
reason, then Yahoos cannot be human because they lack the choice to be reasonable. They must adhere to
their barbarous nature. The master Houyhnhnm observes that Gulliver has “all the qualities of a Yahoo,
only a little more civilized by some tincture of reason… (Swift, “Gulliver” 2458). This is Swift’s way of
telling his audience, despite what Gulliver believes, that Yahoos are not human.
As mentioned before, Swift did believe man’s nature to be brutish, but also believed that man is
capable of choosing to follow the path of reason. This is where the Houyhnhnms become relevant to the
discussion. Swift uses the Houyhnhnms to represent the aspect of human nature that is capable of being
rational (Ross 81; Ward 127; Williams 69). The word “Houyhnhnm,” in their definition, is translated as
“the Perfection of Nature” (Swift, “Gulliver” 2436). This definition is supposedly proven by their lifestyle
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