Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels is a satirical look at England in the Enlightenment period. It is filled with humorous jabs at English politics, manners, business, and science. Here are three famous satirical aspects of the Lilliputian society:
Rope Dancers: Applicants for court positions danced on a suspended rope for the Emperor. Although this dance did nothing to prove a person's ability to perform a court function, the winners were given the jobs.
Silken Threads: Social status was determined in part by how well an act of dexterity was performed. Participants jumped over or maneuvered under a stick held out by the Emperor. Depending on how well the Emperor judged them to have performed the feat they were given silken threads of a certain color to wear around their waists.
High-heelers vs. Low-heelers: The main political division in Lilliput was signified by the size of the heels on a person's shoes. Low-heelers were the dominant political group and high-heelers were shunned. One character had one high-heel and one low-heel.
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