Satire is the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people’s stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues. In literature, satire is often used to make social and political points, and to encourage the reader to think more deeply about the issue at hand.
In this article, we will examine how an excerpt satirizes the Church. The excerpt in question is extracted from Jonathan Swift’s 1729 novel, Gulliver’s Travels. In the excerpt, Gulliver visits a remote kingdom which is inhabited by two different kinds of people. One group is called the Struldbrugs, who are particularly revered by the native people. The Struldbrugs are immortal: they are born, they never age, and they never die. This intrigues Gulliver, who is naturally curious about the Struldbrugs and their immortality. The excerpt reads:
“They are looked upon with a mixture of abhorrence and pity; abhorrence for their longevity, pity for their misery; so that in the midst of that very nation where they were so highly honoured, none could be found so abandoned, as to desire to share in their horrible fate.”
Swift uses this excerpt to satirize the Church, which at the time held strong beliefs about the afterlife and immortality. By describing the Struldbrugs as being “looked upon with a mixture of abhorrence and pity,” Swift suggests that although the Church may promise eternal life, there is something ultimately horrifying about it; it is not a life of joy and peace, but a life of suffering and despair. This critique of the Church’s teachings on immortality reflects Swift’s own views on religion.
The passage also serves as a warning to those who would seek after eternal life through any means other than faith in God. The Struldbrugs, despite their immortality, are miserable, and Swift uses this to illustrate the futility of pursuing immortality without the assurance of faith. In this way, Swift is warning readers against seeking after the same thing that the Struldbrugs sought, and instead encourages them to seek after a life of true faith and joy in the Lord.
In conclusion, the excerpt from Gulliver’s Travels satirizes the Church by critiquing its beliefs about immortality and by warning against the pursuit of eternal life through any other means than faith in God. Swift’s words remain relevant today, serving as a reminder to always pursue faith and trust in the Lord, rather than seeking after worldly immortality.