Swift's
message for humanity is that people will flourish when they exercise strong compassion toward
other humans and common sense.
Swift does this by creating a naive, gullible
character (Gulliver) who doesn't know enough to lie. He therefore baldly reports what he sees.
By speaking honestly about European society, Gulliver reveals its barbarism. But, because he
also honestly records the behavior of the people he travels among, Gulliver also show the flaws
in human behavior as a whole. Often, these have to do with putting personal pride and ego needs
ahead of seeing the bigger picture: the Lilliputians, for instance, want to execute Gulliver for
putting out a palace fire with his pee, saying it was disrespectful, but they miss the bigger
picture by reacting quickly, Gulliver probably saved lives.
Likewise, the
scientists at the academy at Lagado, a spoof on the British Royal Academy, put their own
ambitions ahead of the well-being of their experimental subjects and cause
suffering...
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