Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Educated vs. Ignorance

Educated vs. Ignorance

From the beginning of the story Gulliver shows that he is an educated man. When he first meets the Houyhnhnm Gulliver belittled himself by calling the Houyhnunm Master. The houyhnhnms feel as if they are a superior species, than humans which they refer to as Yahoos. The houyhnhnm shows his ignorance throughout the story; by telling his prospection of human without having a full understanding of humans. The Houyhnhnm believes nothing human do makes any since. From the way humans treat women, clothing ourselves, the way we eat, and even our language. My master continuing his discourse said there was noting that rendered the Yahoos more odious, than their undistinguished appetite to devour everything that came their way whether herbs, roots, berries, corrupted flesh of animals, or all mingled together (swift 460). The Houyhnhnm thought it was just dumb that we did not educate the women of our species. I agree with him on that, but at that time it was apart of the culture. Gulliver also shows the reader his intelligence and class by being very passive of a lot of the criticism the houyhngnm or master has of yahoos. Gulliver simply enlightens his master of how people are where he comes from and tries to change his views of people.

I see the Educated vs. ignorance as talking about all humans especially Americans. Being that we see the way that we do things as being perfect; we often look down on other societies and cultures when we don’t have a full understanding of their ways.

1 comment:

  1. At times we seem to look down on others and we think we are so great and it usually takes something earth shakeing in our lives to put our feet back on the ground. we should be more accepting and understanding of those whose shoes we have not walked in.

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