15. Gulliver’s Travels (1726) Part I, Chapter 4 [‘Breaking eggs’] By Jonathan Swift (1667-1745)
‘It began upon the following occasion. It is allowed on all hands, that the primitive way of breaking eggs, before we eat them, was upon the larger end; but his present majesty’s grandfather, while he was a boy, going to eat an egg, and breaking it according to the ancient practice, happened to cut one of his fingers. Whereupon the emperor his father published an edict, commanding all his subjects, upon great penalties, to break the smaller end of their eggs. The people so highly resented this law, that our histories tell us, there have been six rebellions raised on that account; wherein one emperor lost his life, and another his crown. These civil commotions were constantly fomented by the monarchs of Blefuscu; and when they were quelled, the exiles always fled for refuge to that empire. It is computed that eleven thousand persons have at several times suffered death, rather than submit to break their eggs at the smaller end. Many hundred large volumes have been published upon this controversy: but the books of the Big-endians have been long forbidden, and the whole party rendered incapable by law of holding employments. During the course of these troubles, the emperors of Blefusca did frequently expostulate by their ambassadors, accusing us of making a schism in religion, by offending against a fundamental doctrine of our great prophet Lustrog, in the fifty-fourth chapter of the Blundecral (which is their Alcoran). This, however, is thought to be a mere strain upon the text; for the words are these: ‘that all true believers break their eggs at the convenient end.’ And which is the convenient end, seems, in my humble opinion to be left to every man’s conscience, or at least in the power of the chief magistrate to determine.’
In Gullivers’ Travels Swift satirises human nature and in particular its tendency towards conflict. His satire is effective for the contrast between the serious tone in which Lemuel Gulliver’s travels are related and the ridiculous elements, such as the trivial causes of war.
Swift mocks the hostility which arises between nations such as the islands of Lilliput and Blefusca, where people differ in their belief in how an egg should be opened resulting in the deaths of thousands.
Such international wars can result from the conflicts within society which arise from differences in customs. According to Swift’s narrative, Gulliver learnt of Lilliput’s war during a visit from Reldresal, the island’s principal secretary for private affairs. Prior to the explanation of the war between the two islands Reldresal revealed that the empire of Lilliput itself had been split for ‘about seventy moons past’ between ‘two struggling parties’ named Tramecksan and Slamecksan, distinguished by their use respectively of shoes with high or low heels.
In contrast with the obviously absurd elements in Swift’s satire is the hidden, allegorical content which contributed to his success as a writer. Most commentators are agreed that readers of Swift’s time would identify such differing customs as the wearing of high or low heels or the methods of opening an egg with arguments over rituals which had led to political conflict and to so many wars of religion. The Tramecksans who favour high heels and the Slamecksans who prefer low heels represent respectively the Tory and the Whig political parties of 18th century England.
But through his satire of English political life Swift is clearly mocking the general human condition. In his attack on war he follows in the tradition of pacifist writers like Erasmus.
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