Post 5

I definitely agree that Gulliver's Travels satirizes human nature in general. Most of the examples I can think of come from the chapter that describes the general going-ons of Lilliput and some of their customs. When describing the way they bury their dead, head first, Gulliver describes the initial beliefs that lead to this custom, and then goes on to say that many of the Lilliputians admit that it is ridiculous. Even so, the custom continues for the simple sake of custom. I think this example is a satire of the way people tend to cling to old ways and old customs even after they have been proven as folly. It really shows how people just keep doing these old traditions even though they no longer really even know what the purpose is anymore, especially as it pertains to religion.

Another example I think relates to they way Gulliver describes the judicial system and how treason or deceit was such a big deal to the Lilliputians. The way he described his shame when saying that deceit wasn't such a big deal made me think the whole excerpt about this law of sorts was in part biting at the way humans in general outside of Lilliput don't put as much emphasis on it. I kinda got the feeling Swift felt people should and that it was a shame they didn't (though perhaps not to the degree of the Lilliputians).